The times., 1897-04-11
PATRIARCHs ARE NO MORE
New YOrk's Most Exclusive Social
Organization Dissolved.
TWENTY-FIVE YEARS OF FAME
It's Balls the Most Elaborate and
Distinguished Ever Given In
Ward McAlIister Had
Been Its Genius and Since His
Death the Events Lost Popularity.

New York, April 1O.-The Patriarchs,
the organization under whose direction he
Oldest and most important set Of sub
scription dances in this city has been given,
exists no longer. 1t was dissolved at a
meeting held at the Waldorf Friday even
ing, and the ma jority of its members did
not know of it until vest terday. Those pres
ent were Johnston Livingston, Elbridge T.
Gerry, William C. whitney, Charles Lanier
William Rhinelander, Stewart, George Girls
void Haven, EdwardN Taller, Edmund l..
Baylies, Buchanan Winthrop, ana Bradish
johnson.
Absent members sent their votes byletter.
These were thrown out, and only those OF
the members present counted. There
were o yeas and = nays, The two in
favor Of continuing the balls are said TO
have been Johnston Livingston and +. ~
Taller
During the twenty-four or twenty-five
years of the existence OF the organization
the Patriarch balls, with the exception of
those of the past season, have been given
at Delmonico's Robert g. Remsen, who
died last year, was the last survivor of
the original members. Delaney Kane
George Bend, II. LIE Grand Cannon, j Fred
Tams, Thomas Howard, and Elisha Dyer,
jr., are among those who have led the
cotilions OF the Patriarchs
Franklin Bartlett led for a number of
years, and he was Mr.. McAllister's choice
of all leaders. Mr. Bartlett led the last
of the balls, which was given on the night
of March 2 at the Waldorf. Itis generally
conceded that the management of these
balls has been somewhat of a failure since
the death OF Ward McAllister. For a
period of a quarter of a century the social
life of the gay months OF each winter be-
gan and ended with a Patriarch bail. On
this account the coming-out teas were com
pressed into the month of November and
early DAYS of December.
At the first hall of each winter the en-
tire list of debutantes was invariably seen
and the amount OF attention then received
was apt TO indicate the young women's
social success or the reverse. During Ward
day the first and last balls
were always larger than the inteTme diate
Jne IL was not until after Mr. McAllister's
death that the splendor of the entertain
ments, considering the amount subscribed,
was appreciated. The three balls given
each season at Delmonico's cost $5 goo |
The floral decorations were very gorgeous. |
Is TO the suppers they Were most elaborate. |
The regular late course supper was sup |
Dlemented by light buffet affair, served |
lpstairs during the entire ball. Two large |
Jrchestras furnished the music.
There was never any change in the form |
Of the invitations, which were engraved |
on note paper, with the year on top and |
the list OF Patriarchs' names under the |
body of the invitation. Each Patriarch re-
,eived eight as his share. Some of these, Of
curse, were required for the members
1f his own family, but the others We're !
ised to wipe out special social obliga-
ions. 1t was always possible, also, to |
confer special courtesy to friends visiting
II town by sending invitations to the Patri-
irch balls. With the dearth of private
in New York this was no small
natter. Each of the Patriarchs in turn
'ent his list of invited guests to Ward Nc
allister. Besides these, there were q GER
ain number of special invitations issued
With the general consent, The recipients
If these were liabilities temporarily in
|
1t Washington
1t was the original specified object of |
he PatriarChs not to give the balls ex-
lusively for one set, but to general So
iety, and il was only after the death of
Mr.. McAllister that they lapsed into small,
functions.
The patnarchs' list for the winter of |
S96-97 follows: John Jacob Astor, Ed
nund L. Baylies, August Belmont Heber
Z. Bishop, George S Bowdoin, l. Town
end Burden, James A Burden, Sir Roderick
,ameron, S V R. Cruger w. Bayard Cut
ing, Charles d. Dickey, Hamilton Fish,
frederic Galatin, j Lyon Gardiner, FL
ridge T. Gerry, William Gihon, Ogden
ioelet, Robert G oelet, J Hooker Hamersley,
ieorge G. Haven, Adrian Iseln, c. O'D |
selin, Bradish johnson, James 7 Kerno-
han, Woodbury. G Langdon. Charles Lanier,
ohnston Livingston, Edward Livingston,
'radley Martin, j. Pierpont Morgan, Will |
am OOthout, William c. Pell, Whtelaw
.eid, William Rhinelander, J. Hampton
,obb, James Roosevelt, James A. Roose-
cit, Eugene Schieffeln, W. Watts Sher-
ian, Byam h. Stevens. John Stewart, Jr.,
nson Phelps Stokes, Edward N Taller,
orne elius anderbt, James NJ Waterbury,
VILLAIN c. Whitney, NJ. Orme Wilson,
winthrop, Egerton winthrop.
ohnston Livingston was the president of
ne organization, 6 G Haven, secretary;
harles Lanier, treasurer, and William
Whitney, w. Watts Sherman, and the |
tie James P. Kernochan comprise the
yecutive committee.
ORDERED TO STOP CHINESE.