Bellows Falls times. [volume] (Bellows Falls, Vt.) 1856-1965, 1897-02-13
Bradley.Martin Ball.

lhe grandest social event ever witnessed
in New York and the most elaborate affair
ever given in America, if not in the world,
was the much-talked about Bradley Mar
tin ball at Hotel Waldorf on Wednesday
evening. Ate" a month of preparation
and all the wealth that the great metropo-
lis could command in flowers and decora-
tons, the results were beyond description
and such scenes of bewildering beauty and
magnihcence may never again be exceeded.
Invitations were issued to an indefinite
number, probably about 1900, to which
some 700 responded by their presence.
The half or more of the hotel set apart
for this social function was as seclusive and
separated from the hostelry proper as
though it we're a separate building.
The second floor of the house was given
over to dressing rooms and hair-dressers,
maids, Wallets, armor bearers and ladies in
waiting on the kings, queens, princesses,
courtiers and other representatives, of past
century life who were Mrs. Martins guests.
| "Costumes of the sixteenth, seventeenth
and eighteenth centuries" were demanded
in the invitations to the ball.
The time of Louis XIV and Louis XVI,
the gayest and most protligate regimes of
the court at Versailles, were best represent
ed. The Louis XIV epoch was in Mrs.
Martins mind when arranging the floral
and tapestry decorations.
The costume of Bradley Martin himself
was court dress of the time of Louis XIV
1t was made of white and pink brocaded
satin, with knee breeches and white
silk hose. Diamond buckles were on his
low, red-heeled shoes. Mrs. Martins CO.'S
tune was copy of an old painting repre-
senting Mary Queen of SCOTS. She wore
a long robe of black velvet, made full on
the hips and with long, pointed bodice,
with petticoat of embroidered white satin.
A jeweled stomacher and black velvet
pointed cap, trimmed with jewels. Mrs.
Martin wore her famous rope OF diamonds
valued at $4,000.
The guests began to arrive about II
o'clock, and descending the fower-strewn
stairway, were met in the archway to the
reception room by Mrs. Martin, who stood
on dais surmounted by a canopy OF rich
tapestries, relieved by floral effects.
4 The decoration of the reception room was
a beautifully conceived achievement. The
walls were covered with costly tapestries Of
the daintiest colors, while myriads of roses,
carelessly thrown, rested in the folds. as
they CHANGED to fall.
Thousands of greeneries were cleaned of
their blossoms, and Washington, South
Carolina and Alabama were called on for
more. The furniture was exclusively of
the Louis XIV period, the general floral dis
play harmonizing. In one corner was
| placed the Hungarian Band hidden behind
bower OF long stemmed roses trained
from the centre high up and radiated to all
sides over the mirrors. The guests moved
from this salon through the corridors,
which had been made to represent wood
land, lit by scores of concealed miniature
1 incandescent lights, to the big ball ROOM
The decoration of this room was also a
work of art and the illumination brilliant
1t was near midnight before the opening
Jacob Astor and Mrs Bradley Martin, the
16 dancers entering in pairs to Beethoven
music.
No one without card was allowed a
peep at the festivities, the windows Of the
receiving and dining rooms being tightly
boarded, SO that the public will know of
the event only through newspaper accounts
and the dailies have given tull and inter
esting illustrated accounts of the same.
1t is worthy of note that this is the first
event that has created attention in Europe
and editors in London and even the French
papers ordered cable reports from repre-
sentatives present.
The cost of this one nights splendor was
not less than $500, 900, and the great cos
tune ball of Mr.. and Mrs. Bradley Martin
will go down in history under date of Feb
ruary 10 as the most gorgeous fete ever
held in America