The Charlotte Democrat., 1897-02-18
Most Brilliant Ball
of the Century.


beyond description was the bal mas
que of Mrs. Bradley-Martin tonight.
Columns have been written about
the affair and pictures have been
drawn, but the fancy of the reporter
and the artist did not picture scenes
one-half as lovely as were presented
in the Waldorf.
For weeks Mrs. Martin has worked
in the preparation of the sumptuous
affair. Her efforts were richly
awarded. The bitter criticisms hurl-
ed at her were forgotten and the
hundreds who were present We'd in
making her the happiest woman in
America.
The decorations throughout the
Waldorf were exquisite. American
Beauties, lilies, and the rarest of
imported blossoms, with vines and
palms were intertwined in a mar
velously beautiful scheme. Never
in New York has a greater floral
display been made at a ball Tiny
electric lights and mirrors were us d
in bewildering and artistic man.
ner, all combining to transform the
already beautiful hotel into an en-
chanting fairy house more beautiful
than was ever dreamed of in fairy
land, The rare old tapestries added
a charm that cannot be imagined.
The arrangements for the ball
were tested to their fullest, but with
excellent good fortune they were
equal to every emergency. Thou
sands of men and women crowded
the streets around the hotel, but the
police kept them moving and no
or excitement of any kind
resulted. Detectives swarmeG in
aud around the house to prevent
trouble, but their presence was not
needed.
At midnight the great ball was
at its height. All society was there,
gathered to portray the regal sp!en-
dor of past centuries. The great
hall room of the Waldorf, beautitied
with wealth of roses and fragrant i
flowers, was then a scene of grand
eur never before equaled in this
country. Courtiers Of old, of every
cline mingled with grand DANES
and ladies, Kings and Queens, Prin-
cess and PrincesSes, but here and
there the old spirit of loyalty mani
tested itself in the presence of
coloplal men and women of the
old and quaint days in America.
Invitations to the ball were issued
to an indefinite number of people;
many came from cities far distant,
but there were many from abroad
who could not come. Nevertheless
the ball suffered nothing from lack
of numbers.
The time of Louis XIV and Louis
XVI, and the gayest regimes of the
court at Versailles, was best repre-
sented. The Louis XIV epoch was
in Mrs. Martins mind when arrang
ing the floral and tapestry decora
tions. In no more appropriate way
could the lavish display of pink
roses and garlands in loose profusion
have been used.
Victor Herbert, with fifty men of
the Twenty second Regiment Band,
were perched in the west end of the
balcony of the large ball room. A
Hungarian band, of twenty-five, in
powdered wigs and quaint uniforms,
were in the east cad. AS each guest
was ushered into the room in which
Mrs. Martin received, a Iackey an
nounced his or her name and the
character, from the sixteenth, sew
enteenth, or eighteenth centuries,
which he or she represented. After
presentation, the guests mixed up,
and soon became lost in the beWil
dering array of costumes.
The Bradley Martin ball will 60
down in history classed with the
Schermerhorn fancy dress ball of
nearly half century ago, the Prince
of Wales ball, and the Vanderbilt
ball. But it eclipsed all of these.
1t is the crowning glory of the
social life of New York Of this
century. 1t may not be surpassed in
another hundred years. 1t was a
gorgeous, superb, and wonderful
spectacle. 1t cost a fortune and the
workers who benefited by it say
that the money was well expended.
The results of montds of prepara-
tions aud the outlay of hun dreds of
thousands of dollars was exhausted
in five hours.
1t was very fashionable. Men
and women travelled across the con-
tinent for the honor of being pres
ent. For one night the gorgeous
and prosaic hotel was transformed
into a '.beautiful Arunda palace,
where the inmates lived enchanted
lives, Tapped in soft music of adula-
ton, waited on by the splendors of
the world " New York society was
picked up and deposited in Versail-
les amid the glory of the court of
Louis XIV.
AS many as fifty dinners preceded
the ball. Every coterie that makes
up swelldom had a dinner. Those
who were going to the ball appeared
in their fancy gowns, that cost
thousands of dollars, and which
will wear but once, and in their
Jewels. After the dinner their
friends were invited in to admire.
After the friends came the photo
grapher, in order that the beauty
and gorgeousness of it all should
not be lost to future generations.
Tommy Fills the Bill.
C:,oo sSDlooJu Rrid1ao'. Woito IA