The Bourbon news. [volume] (Paris, Ky.) 1895-19??, 1897-02-09
A Letter From Gotham.
Written for THE NEWS. I
NEW YORK, Feb. 9Th, 1897.

Everywhere one goes in Gotham one
hears discussed the bal mdsgue which
Mrs. Bradley Martin gives on the 10th at
the Waldorf. It is estimated that $780,
900 will be expended in giving the dance
and having costumes made for the event.
The ball has been denounced from the
pulpit but 1t will be given just the same
and will be the most magnificent social
event ever seen in the United States.
Mrs. Martin has received dozens Of let
tiers from anarchists who threaten all
manner of violence if the ball is given.
While it is wilful waste to expend such
an enormous sum on a single social
function it is preferable that the money
be spent to having that sum stored in
strong boxes or spent in Europe. 1t is
true that we'll TODD florists, musicians,
caterers and costumers will get the lions
share of the sum, yet part of it must
find its way to their helpers. One cos
tuner has 800 seamstresses employed
and others have refused to take any
more orders. 1t is not unlikely that
several thousand poor families will be
benefited in financial way by the ball.
Mrs. Bradley-Martin has ordered 400
carriages at 81 each for the guests. She
has leased large portion of the palatial
Waldorf for the ball, and private resi-
dence adjoining for dressing rooms, and
the floral decorations and supper will
cost many thousands.
For several weeks society has been
agog over the function and the costum-
ers and designers have been
in a rush to complete the
costumes ordered by the nabobs
and nabobesses Court garb, fashioned
after that of the Louis XIV and Chas. Ii
eras, will be worn by most of the guests
though there will be many sensational
and latter-day creations seen at the ball.
Mrs. Bradley Martins gown will be
the most superb affair imaginable. 1T
is designed from a costume in vogue be-
fore the Charles II era, and will be of
pale blue sapphire velvet and a rich
brocade of the same hue. The cors e
will be square-cut and afford rare dis
play of priceless jewels. Mr.. Martin
will represent Henry III.
Miss!Brice, daughter of Calvin S. Brice,
will wear one of the most costly cos
tunes at the ball. 1t is Egyptian in de-
sign and is marvelously jeweled, and tn
shoes will,be cloth of gold. Mrs. john
Drexell will be Princess Lamballe, Miss
Edith Cushing will be puritan maiden,
Miss Bertha Munde will be Marie An
toinette, and Elsie De Wolfe will bt
Gismonda. wearing gold embroidered
gown, studded with jewels. She willIbe
barefooted save for the strap which
holds on the sandals
Mrs. VIM. Pollock will be Queen of
Holland, and Mrs. Burke-Roche will be
Queen Elizabeth. Mrs. John Jacob
Astor will appear as Mary, Queen of
Scots, Mrs. Stuyvesant Fish as
Marie Antoinette, Mrs. Cornelius Van
derbilt, Jr., in costume of the Louis
XIV. era.
The men will mostly wear the cos
tunes of English, French and Venetian
courtiers.
Mrs. o. 81. P. Belmont will lead a
Mephisto quadrille with the dancers
dressed in Mephistophelean costumes.
Mrs. Ogden Mills will have Directoire
quadrille, and Mrs. Bronson will lead a
party of Louis XIV. dancers. 49,.
The invitations were limited to 700
and possibly 400 persons have accepted.
The supper will be served on 1875 small
tables, and 200 walters will attend to
the wants of the guests The music will
be furnished by three Hungarian
orchestras.
The hearts of Kentuckians in New
York and elsewhere swelled with pride
at the homage paid to the beauty of
Miss Alice Castlemen, of Louisville,
when John Jacob Astor, crowned her
queen of the Charity Ball, last Tuesday
night. Chauncey Depew and other
we'll known leaders sought introductions.
1t was well deserved compliment to a
fair Kentuckienne. Miss Castleman
has returned to Louisville and will 90
next week to New Orleans.
The adverse comment on the Bradley
Martin ball, designed to array the poor
against the rich, is bearing fruit. Wed.
nesday man threw brick through a
window at the Hoffman House floral
establishment saying the flowers
represented wealth and were to be en-