The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1898-11-25
FRENCH BALL
Is Given for the First Time in
Chicago and With Great
Success.

Chicago, Nov. 25.-The grand march
Of the Circle Franchise de Harmonic
otherwise known as the French ball
formed in the First regiment armorys
Sixteenth street and Michigan avenue,
at exactly midnight There were gor-
geous costumes and beautiful faces be-
hind dark masks and as many as 800
followed the marches and counter
marches to the music Of an immense
orchestra Of 100 pieces
Around the balconies and the boxes
were festoOned the cOIors of the Ameri-
can flag and the memorial arch Of the
dead of the First regiment was entirely
concealed beneath the heavy draping
Of the flag under which the boys had
fought and marched On the battlehelds
Of Cuba
There was one thing to mar the event
before It really got under full sway.
Seventy Of the walters went on strike
at midnight, and the managers had q
hard time meeting the demands Of their
guests.
The ball was a success in one respect
at least-6nancially IT netted big gains
to the man who originated and backed
the enterprise. One Of the managers
estimated that, after all expenses were
met there would be a surplus of some
thing like S10.00 It may be more, and
it can hardly be less. Still they admit
ted that the threatened surveillance Of
the police had injured its success to
some extent.
Detectives in citizens clothes were
there from all parts Of the city and they
were distributed in every corner Of the
big hall. The bar at the side OF the
memorial statue sent its costly wines
and liquors to the boxes and the tables
on the second balcony, and boxes Of
chocolates went with them, though in
smaller lots
Clubmen and theater devotees were nat
urany late in coming That was one rea-
son why the beginning OF the grand march
was delayed until the midnight hour. By
that time there were some three thousand
persons in variegated costumes in the hail.
10 inaugurate the uTst FFench pan I'll
cagO has recorded in its history. and the
ball which has been coming for about
three years Aldermen attended It was
said that among them were some OF the
refOrmers. And there were one or two
Of the new senators who came with the
men who stood against the Allen bill
Music. wine dancing and the fancy cos
tunes were the features scheduled and
noted in the prograr nEnes- The strike Of
the seventy walters Just as the grand
march ended was not in the original list
of events For time the wine tables
wanted Tor men IN dress SUITS 10 oTlrs on
the vianGs and IL looked the Pinksrton
detectives hired by the managers would
was finally settled when the concession
aires dipped into the cash registers and
paid the time checks.
In the costumes Of the women guests
every color known to man was used
There were American girls and Cuban
girls. and girls from every land under the
sun Silks and satins and diamonds found
their places in the boxes and attracted
their share Of adnnirati
So the French ball wore on until the
morning hour@late morning hours As
the hours grew later the ball beca me more
exciting and the manSgers-who put up
the money and pOcketed the proceeds
voted il success. no matter what the
guests and the observers thought about it