The Corvallis gazette. [volume] (Corvallis, Or.) 1862-1899, 1896-04-16
TOBEATALLRECORD
PREPARATIONS FOR NEW YoRk'S
GREAT FRENCH BALL.

GREAT FRENCH BALL.
Some New Partisan Dances-One Hundred
and Fifty Pretty Girls Secured and Are
After the Celebrated ..Fetes de Nuits."
The great New York French ball of
1896 is expected to eclipse any in the
history of the charitable society which
for SO many years has presided over
these lively entertainments. 1t will be
a masquerade upon grand scale, bril-
liantly conducted amid gorgeous and
picturesque surroundings, with every
inducement held forth for novel and at
tractive costumes.
The French ball is the one bright spot
in the somber winter Of New York for
many men about town and clubmen,
who look forward-to it for many months
and backward to il for many more. It
is an institution identified with New
York winters.
Nowhere else in America does there
occur an entertainment at once SO
unique, SO lively and SO representative
of all that is gay and cosmopolitan. The
French ball attracts many visitors to the
city, men Of middle age who soberly
uphold the social fabric in some rich
interior city, or college students from
nearby universities who think to make
it the scene of riotous rejoicings, only
to be suppressed by the police there to
maintain order.
The French ball, although ostensibly
beginning early in the evening, never
gets we'll under way before midnight.
Then there is steady inpour Of men in
evening dress coming from all the thea
ters, while carriage after carriage drives
up to the entrance to unload the hand
soonest women in New York, all muffled
up, but with glimpses showing here and
there of the brilliant costumes they wear.
From the dressing rooms on either
side these people emerge again upon the
main floor of the Madison Square Gar
den, all brilliantly lighted, where two
bands will be in attendance this year,
and the atmosphere will be heavy with
fragrance.
Among the preparations now going
on is an elaborate scheme of floral dec
orations. Flowers in profusion are to
decorate the interior of the building.
Streamers of roses will hang from the
roof. The edges Of the boxes will bear
floral decorations, and emblems and de-
signs will appear in various conspicuous
parts Of the building, symbolizing gay
ETY., love, music, etc.
50 k> t,, kos
the evening, but spontaneous gayety,
which is likely to break out in the wine-
room through the opening Of cold bot
ties and the effervescing of lively spir-
it's, will not be interfered with.
The wineroom is one of the sights of
a French ball, and it generally wit
nesses larger consumption of cham
pagne than takes place any other even
ing Of the year. The profits from this
source are Of course very large, but, like
all the other profits Of the French ball,
they go to maintaining an admirable
charity which has this one entertain
ment as it's main source Of sustenance.
The preparations for the ball are now
we'll under way, and costumes that will
appear are in process of manufacture
either here or in Europe. The ball this
year, in general terms, is to be modelled
after the celebrated "Fetes de Nuts
that attract SO many visitors to the Jar
din de Paris, the Moulin Rouge and the
Bal Butler, in Paris.
In addition to this entire change from
the programmes of French balls of pre-
vious winters in New York is depar
ture in the way Of dancers. The services
Of theatrical managers have been called
in to give to the entertainment certain
direction without sacrificing any Of the
that is it's essential charac-
teristic.
The town has been secured for the
prettiest girls that could be secured.
One hundred and fifty of these have
been retained by the Cerole Francois de
Harmonic, and they are being now
drilled in fancy dances and skillfully
devised marches.
Individual French dancers Of Boule-
yard repute are likewise coming from
Paris. You will not know as You mix
among the crowd of dancers on Madison
Square Garden floor whether the nun,
The fairy or the duchess to whom you
'peak be professional dancer or look
sr on.
The pantaloon, the policeman or the
,ourtier who saunuers across the floor
may have just arrived from the Moulin
Rouge or he may be some well known
New York clubman appearing here in
his disguise.
These dancers may not even know
zach other. They will dance in an effer-
7eEcent and unconnected way as it suits
;he fancy of each, but it is said that
heir dancing will be SO artistic that
hey will instantly gather together little
groups Of admirers.
A new feature, never before intro
luced at a French ball in New York, is
he gathering together Of all the mas
Iueraders at certain hour Of the even
ng for the purpose of passing judgment
1pon their costumes. This will make
grand march which for picturesqueness
md brilliancy it would be hard to equal
rhe lady having the handsomest, the
most appropriate or the most striking
costume is to be awarded by the judges
Who will review this parade diamond