New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1897-02-11
ruE BRADLEY MARTIN BALL
60, rNDIp COSTUMES. BEAUTIFUL DECO
pArIoNs. AND ARTISTIC DANCES.

RATlONS AND ARTISTIC DANOho.
,,opv THAN THOUSAND GUESTS ENJOY THE
yosp,rNLTY OF THE HOSTESS AT THE Wall
noPF-THE ENTERTAINMENT A NOTABLE
SUCCESS IN EVERY wAY-cURIoCs
But ooop-SAr,REp CROWDS
ABOUT . THE HOTEL.
After weeks Of anticipation on the part of the
nubic and of preparation on the part OF the
hostess and her guests. the Bradley Martin
,.ncy dress ball took place last night a: the
rctel Waldorf. The affair had been censured by
some, highly commended by more. eagerly dis
cls,ed by many and awaited with interest by
sr 1t Is safe to say that no affair Of the sort in
this city has aroused more widespread attention
than the ball that took place In the famous
r,f,have hosiery between the hours Of II
o'clock last evening and > o'clock this morning.
A variety Of circumstances combined to induce
this condition of affairs. The ball in itself was
hound 10 arouse a great deal of interest both In
societv and among the millions who do not
form, part of that body but whose interest in
&c doings is both great and continuous. In the
rurber of guests the lavish scale of the appoint
ments the expense and variety of the costumes
and the general sumptuousness Of the affair. the
Bradley Martin ball was confidently expected TO
surpass any social function held in New-York
since the famous fancy dress ball given by Mrs.
william X. Vanderbilt noN Mrs oliver H. p.
Belmont. in 1875.
new turn was given to the anticipation or
,ha pubc however by the utterance OF one of
the city's clergymen. who was not only among
tho hest known of the metropolitan wearers of
The CLOTH but whose congregation included many
~ tho most fashionable and wealthy citizens of
New.York This clergyman. the Rev. DR.. Rains
ford rector of St Georges Protestant Episcopal
CHURCH while disclaiming any desire to attack
,be propriety Of the Bradley Martin ball in par
,icular. declared that all exhibitions of wealth
and its lavish use much out Of place in
hard times such as the present. DR.. Rainsford
furthermore said that he had advised some OF
his Pensioners against countenancing the Brad
lev Martin ball by attending it. This utterance
naturally provoked storm of comment, for and
against which did not die away up to the day of
the ball.
INTEREST CONTINUED TO INCREASE.
But in spite of all criticisms the preparations
for the ball went steadily on. and interest in
the affair rather increased than diminished.
The public Of the entire country became inter-
country, sensitive 10 the demand for informa-
,ion filled columns with comment and news.
To NO social function, not even to the visit or
the Prince of Wales TO this country. or the
fancy dress ball given by Mrs. w. X. Wander
bilt. have the newspapers Of the country given
ANYTHING like the amount Of attention Whch
they have devoted to the Bradley Martin ball.
The expense attending Mrs. Martins ball,
which was the cause Of much OF the ADVERSE
criticism that has been made upon IL, was doup'-
less great but that it was greater than tnat
attending any similar function given in this
country is not certain Mrs. Martin limited the
period 10 be covered by the costumes TO the
sixteenth. seventeenth and eighteenth centuries
while the costumes at Mrs. Vanderbilts ball in
1888 were not limited 10 any period. Mrs Mar
tin too waited before making her final an
nouncements until it too late for her guests
10 have their costumes made abroad. as the
large costumers there require considerable no
tice for all the work they do for their customers
This delay Mrs Martin made purposely, in order
that American tailors and costumers might reap
the benefit Of the money spent in the preparation
Of clothes for the ball.
on the other hand the number OF guests
present at last nights ball was doubtless greater
than that of the guests who were in attendance
at Mrs. Vandcrbilts ball. Preparations were
made at the Waldorf for something more than
1850 guests. probably at least 400 more than
were present at the famous ball Of 1888.
ALL HARD AT WORK.
For weeks the fashionable costumers and tall
ors of the city have been head over heels in
preparatory work. old art galleries and libraries
have been ransacked for the proper details OF
historic costumes. while several Of the costume
plays now running in this city have furnished
hints for costumes that were worn last night by
Mrs Martins guests.
The florist who had charge Of the decorations
got his orders some time ago, and spent weeks
in laying his plans. not only for the scheme OF
decoration, but for the materials he was to use
In order TO achieve his success His men, eighty
in number, took charge of the entire western end
OF the two lower floors of the Waldorf on Tuesday
night and did not stop work until an hour be-
fore the guests began TO arrive last night. Mean
time the city could not hear enough OF the prog
ress of the preparations.
All day yesterday the Waldorf was alive with
the preparatory hustle The big ballroom and
the reception-room, with their corridors. were
closed 70 the public and the guests of the hotel
Several Of Mrs Martins prospective guests came
10 have a peep at the preparations, and Mrs.
Martin herself spent some time in perfecting
the final details Of the ball.
AS soon as il began 10 grow dark a crowd Of
the curious began to gather outside OF the hotel
10 watch the preparations and as the hours
passed the crowd increased until there was plen-
" Of work for the extra policemen stationed in
the neighborhood to keep the sightseers moving.
The final preparations inside the hotel were
made with despatch and precision. AT 10 o'clock
the main entrance. which shows upon the office
and the western end Of the hotel corridor, was
closed to the public and thereafter the guests or
the hotel entered at the wonen's entrance near
Fifth-ave Then the doors of the cafe ana the
winter garden were thrown open, so as TO form