The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1897-02-11

cism-French History Ransacked fol
Models of Sufficiently E1travasant Ele
gance-FIowers and Observation-Disclosures
of the Iudescribable-No Dynamite.
New York, Feb. 1o-Beautiful beyond
description was the ball masque Of Mrs
Bradley Martin tonight. Columns have
been written about the affair and pic
lures have been drawn, but the fancy OF
the reporter and the artist did not pic
ture scenes one-half as lovely as were
presented in the Waldorf.
For weeks Mrs. Martin has worked in
me preparation Of the sumptuous affair
Her efforts were richly rewarded. The
bitter criticisms hurled at her were for
gotten and the hundreds who were pres
ent Wed in making her the happiest wo-
man in America.
The decora tons throughout the Wal
dorf were exquisite. American beauty
roses lilies and the rarest Of imported
blossoms, with vines and palms, were
ilcertwined IN a marvelously beautiful
scheme.
Never in New York has greater for
al display been made at a ball. Tiny
electric lights and mirrors were used in
"a bewiidering and artistic manner all
combining to transform the already
beautiful hotel 10 an enchanting fairy
house. The arrangements for the ball
were tested to their fullest, but, with eX-
cellent good fortune, they were equal to
every emergency. Thousands of men and
women crowded the streets around the
hotel but the police kept them moving
and no conflicts or excitement of any
kind resulted. Detectives swarmed i'll
and around the house to prevent trouble,
but their presence was not needed.
The costumes were exquisite. All the
great men and women of the three CEN
turtles were represented. Arrayed in
raiment costly beyond the dream Of the
originals, were the men and women who
appeared tonight as ladies and gentle
men OF the olden periods.
At midnight the great ball was at its
height. All society was there gathered
TO portray the regal splendor of past CEN
turies. The great ball room of the Wal
dorf, beautiful with a wealth OF roses
and fragrant flowers, was then a scene
OF grandeur never before equalled in this
country. Courtiers of old, of every
cline, mingled with grand danes and
ladies, kings and queens, princes and
princesses, but here and there the old
spirit of loyalty had manifested itself in
the presence of colonial men and women
OF the old and quiet days in America.
Great social functions of the past In
this city were eclipsed, even the memoir
able Vanderbilt ball of 1888, with which,
since then. all other affairs have SEEM
ed TO suffer in comparison. For lavish
expenditure, for artistic decorations and
surroundings, for a reflection OF the
most picturesque episodes in old world
history, and as a gathering of the fair
est and the richest in the new world life
the ball tonight marked an epoch. It
was more than a mile post in New
York's history, it was the event Of a de-
cade.
Arrangements for receiving the guests
IS they arrived were as nearly perfect as
could be. The guests alighted from their
carriage at Is West Thirty-third street,
which is the private residence Of Man
aSer Bolota, of the hotel, and went di-
rectly 10 the second floor of the hotel,
where sixty apartments had been set
aside as dressing rooms. The guests
were received by Mrs. Martin In the
small room. The scheme of decorations
in this room was that Of the time of
Louis XIV, and before the dais passed
the counterfeit prescntments of all the
prominent people Of that time. to min
gle in picturesque confusion with charac-
tiers OF other days. After being received
by the hostess, who stood upon a raised
dais under a canopy Of rare tapestry, the
guests passed through a fiower-lined cor
ridor directly into the large ball room.
Ia orl1 Of -Ia ing
dancing in the main ball room on the
first floor was general, but it was not
until all the guests had paid their re-
spects to Mrs. Bradley Martin and she
had been escorted 10 the bali room prop
81 that the fancy dress bal, was form
ally opened.
In the small gallery were members of
tie Twenty-seccnd regiment band, and
the Hungarian band. Tn music sudden
~ stopped, for just a moment, TO be
broken py a flourish of trumpets as Mrs.
Bradley Martin and her escort, Mr..
Ohm Jacob Astor, entered the room. 4
moment later they had taken their
places at the head of the room, and
there was another flourish of the trum-
pets which told that the quadrille
d'honneur, arranged by Mrs. William
Astor, was about TO open.
The forming OF the first figure, The |
Salute" was like the turning Of pages Of
history. The characters gathered from |
ali sections Of the room. There was |
Mrs. BradleyMartin, wearing a Marie |
Stuart costume, copied from an old plate |
Of that queens time; Mrs. John Jacob |
Astor il a Louis VI court costume: Mr.. |
J. Townsend Martin as a cavalier OF the
court OF Louis Mi, and Mrs. Henry |
I.ohr in Louis XIV court costume.
From another section Of the room |
anne Mrs. Orme Wilson. looking pictur- |
aSlue in a Louis XVI court dress OF |
Will and silver brocade, which follow
"a the elaborate designs Of the period. |
and Mrs. Whitney Warren. wearing a
costume OF pale blue brocade and silk /
af;er the style OF the time of Louis Nv. |
Mr. Lispenard Steward closely followed |
his partner, Mrs. Whitney Warren. |
dressed as d cavalier OF the court OF /
Louis XIII.
The others Of the sixteen who took |
their places in this qusdriile were: Mrs. |
Lee Taller, Mr.. Craig Wadsworth, Miss /
Gerry. Mr.. Confer Hitchcock. Miss Lena |
Mr.. B. B. Van Allen, Miss |
Madeline Cutting, Mrs. Suveysant Fish. |
AS these partners waited for the open
ng bars OF the music, the scene was the |
most beautiful Of the night. Far beyond /
hese characters OF action. about them /
IN either side, were the rich laces, the |
gems and al tat went 10
make UP the historically represented /
OF the ball. the whole back
grounded by the natural flowers the
.ghts and the ferns.
In this way THE Salute" was DANCED.
Mrs. Fish and Mr.. Van Courtlandt
axe their positions behind Mrs. Bradley
sa-tin and Mr.. Astor. Miss Gerry and |
Ira Warren walk I'D 10 position in