The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1897-04-17
NO MORE or THE. PATRIARCHS'.
AFTER TWENTY-FIVE WEARS THE
FAMOUS BALL is DEAD.

No New M'AIIister-So Those Who
Tried to FIJI His shoes Gave I'd the
MISUNDERSTANDING sweIIs" SUI
preme-The Final Abandonment of
the Noted Entertainments a True
/ Tribute TO the Ability of Their
Founder.
From the New York journal.
The Patriarchs' ball is dead. After
twenty-five years as the supreme dancing
organization of the heavy swells of New
York society it gave up the ghost at the
Waldorf yesterday afternoon and was rel
egated to the dust of memory. William
c. Whitney, Buchanan winthrop George
Griswold Haven. Elbridge T. Gerry, Ed
ward N. Tailor, Edmund l.. Bayles, Bra
dish johnson, Eugene Schiffelin, Johnston
Livingston, william Rhinelander Stewart
and Charles Lanier met in the Waldorfs
state apartments and decided, by vote
of ten to two, to disband the organiza-
ton. This means that there will be no
mere Patriarchs' balls The browning
glory of Ward McAllister's genius has
dissolved, and what seemed once to be
a monument to his memory has crumbled
to nothing and followed him into the half
forgotten within two years after his death.
Lack of interest is ascribed as the cause
of the disbandment, but the fact Of the
matter is that society has made the dis
covery that it could find no successor to
Nc Allister as the manager of the Patri-
archs. He was not only the suggester,
inspirer and organizer of these balls. but
it was due TO his industry, his watchful-
ness and his personal enthusiasm that they
were continued for twenty-five consecu-
tive years without rival and without peer
i'm the estimation Of the socially elect.
The abandonment Of the Patriarchs so
soon after McAllister's demise IS proba-
bly, greater tribute to his ability as a
manager of balls than their continuance
could possibly have been. Society couldn't
find anybody TO take his place. Nobody
would sacrifice the time or do the work
OF stand the brunt Of enmites engender-
ed IN such management. 1t was easier to
give M. the ball altogether, and that course
was followed
The collapse Of the Patriarchs' bali
comes as a surprise 10 New York. although
the shrewder observers of the Four Hun
dred were not 1inprepared for the shock
Last year, the first since McAlllster died
an attempt was made to run the Patri-
archs by committee. The purpose was
attained. but the committee was satisfied
that McAllster's shoes were too big for
Il to I'll. II retired with honors. and let
Il go at that
This year William c. Whitney. w.
Watts Sherman and James p. Kernochan
formed the committee that undertook the
task change was made from Delmoni-
co.'s TO the Waldorf and there was much
talk of a boom for the Patriarchs. The
first Of the two annual balls was highly
successful. but the success was attained
az the cost OF more heart-burnings. new
animosities and bitter hatreds than had
ever grown from a Pafrlarchs' ball before.
and the record was not one OF unbroken
peace and br0thefiy love. Mr.. Kernochan
was the most active Of The three members
of the committee. ana gave himself up 70
ifs successful management Ills handling
81 the Invitation iirt was akin IN severity
10 McAlll0iers method. but certain peo-