Las Vegas daily optic. [volume] (Las Vegas, N.M.) 1880-1908, 1897-02-23
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TO the Editor OF the Optic.
LAS VEGAS, N. A., February card,
ls97.-The hook and ladder company,
last evening, at their grand masquer-
ado ball. appointed three estimAblc
gentlemen, known for their integrity,
intelligence and excellent judgment. 70
act as judges In the awarding Of prizes
for the different best.gotten up cos
tunes, etc.
The first pr'z, on the list was a $40
gold prize, for the most handsome
gentleman's costume. This prize was
awarded by the judges to the drum
maj 81 Of the Las Vegas military band,
and be was so notified by them. When
the time arrived for the awarding OF
the prizes, AL Qnnly went upon the
stage and obj scte to the drum major
receiving the prize and compelled tho
gentlemen, against their will and
Judgment, 10 give the prize 10 another,
with the result that Elmer Quinly, his
nephew, was the recipient Of the prize,
and the judges informed the under
signed OF what they were compelled to
do by this wise gentleman.
1t Is very doubtful, in my mind,
whether AL QaInly can grasp the meal
ing of the words uniform and costume.
He stated that l had on q uniform, not
a costume. In coming to technicali-
ties OF this kind, he shows his gross
ignorance Of Webster. The clothes
which were worn by me. last night, 40
drum msjor Of the Las Vegas military
band, were not q uniform, as there IL
no other man in this city who has .
suit Of the same kind, as 1t was design
ed by myself and 1t is doubtful whether
there is another Of its kind in exist
ence, aud Webster states that a uniform
Is . dress of the same kind, by which
persons are purposely assimilated who
belong to the same body, as the uni
form of q company or the uniform OF
. regiment, and as The costume worn
by the drum major assimilates with no
other clothing OF any kind 10 this city,
or elsewhere, cannot fail to see where
his technicslity will hold IN this case.
And as for costume, Webster says
1t is an established mode,
manner or style, of dressing,
belonging to any particular time or
place." And as the costume worn by
me, last evening, Is the style adopted
for the drum major of the Las Vegas
military band, II most assuredIY comes
under the meaning Of costume. Some
Of our most intelligent citizens, when
spoken to on the subject, last evening,
were greatly surprised and said that the
clothes worn by the drum major were
undoubtedly a costume, in every
sense Of the word, but Of course the
words OF such gentlemen as Mayor F,
E. Olney, Dr.. G. G. Gordon and George
w. Lukens, Of Puerto de Luna, the
Judges of the contest could have NO
weight where such q brilliant mind as
AL Qainly's has its full sway. Another
point raised was that from the fact that
| had no curtain to my mask,
III was not in mask. Why
then, was 1 allowed on the floor to in
dulge in the grand march and seven
dances, if this was the case, as every.
one distinc ly understood that no one
but maskers and those in costumes
we're to be allowed on the floor unit
after the unmaskingp If Mr. Quinly
desired some OF his favorites to obtain
this prize, why was he not gentleman
enough to tell me that l could not con
pete for a prize and that | could not &c
on the fl)orp Or why, to make mat
tiers more satisfactory to Mr.. QuInly
did not the hook and ladder company
appoint this great object of wisdom al
a committee Of mi to award the prizes
to whomever he saw 6eP
GEO. M. BERDAK.