The herald., 1898-02-27
|NEW YORK SOCIETY'SPECULIAR REVELS
The Exclusive Set Dsguses Itself Feline Character and
Holds High Carnival.

NEW YORK, Feb. 2.-(Special Corre-
spondence to The Herald.) From a be-
diamonded social dandy to the lower ami
mails is a far cry. But the members of the
exclusive set of New York have made a
pronounced hit by assuming characters
that belong to this much removed order of
being. The cat ball may be regarded as a
function that has come to stay in New
York society. 1t is one of the most unique
and interesting conceits that has yet made
its appearance among the body of people
whose chief pleasure it is to think up orig
inal plans for making time fly faster.
The cat ball is composed as it's title sug-
gests, of felines. The costumers of New
York were recently beseiged with appica-
tions for costumes that would enable the
wearer to assume the character of the cat.
The supply was not equal to the demand
and 1t was therefore necessary to call in
| the assistance of the makers of fancy
dominoes. These responded to the appeal
| by supplying a number of masks that fitted
, over the head of the wearer giving him
or her all the appearance of tom or tabby
| cat clothed in a dress suit or wearing q
Worth costume.
| Thus appareled and disguised the guests
assembled on the night mentioned in the
| invitation and kept up a cat revel that
was voted by all to be the most successful
affair that has been given in New York
SOclety tHlS season. Inc identity OF every
guest was well conceaied. 1t was impossi-
| BILE to distinguish in the cat-headed dane
| ers an aged beau from a beardless youth.
| and whose feat were concealed behind
| the smiling smirk of smooth-faced tabby
| cat no one could guess.
The affair was given at the house of
Mrs. Heber Bishop. No. SSl Fifth avenue.
| On the floor were It's members of the
smart set. disguised as cats. Everything
made tn harmnpiZa with the a
| idea. The more kittenish were the actions
Of the women. the greater the interest
they excited among the revelers. A snarl-
| ing display on the part of Tom met with
applause, and any one who could initiate
| the feline language with sufficient skill to
give a life-like imitation of midnight
concert on roof was sure to be surround
ed by a crowd of cheering maskers.
1t was known only to the initiated that
behind the bewhiskered countenance of a
white and black Tom cat reposed the sml-
ing face of the irrepressihe Willie K.
Vanderbilt. Mrs. Ogden Mills, disguised
as gray tabby, moved among the mask
ers with a grace that almost betrayed her
Mrs. Henry Sloane appeared in the guise
of well fed coal black cat and managed
to keep her identity a secret until late In
the evening, when the heat Of the room be-
coming too great for her she was compelled
to remove the cumbrous headgear. Miss
Evelyn Burden made a most charming
white tabby. with little spots of black here
and there, While Abram Hewitt, orna-
mented with ferocious pair of feline
,wh,skers, moved among the maskers with
tread that was very different from that
of the soft walk of the animal he repre-
sented.
There were cat families as well an indi-
vidual cats. Mr.. and Mrs. Abram S. Hew-
lit, in the guise Of the parent cats, were
followed by the Misses Hewitt, engagingly
gotten up as two kittens. Mr.. and Mrs
James L. Breese were the center of a
select party Of mouse chasers, while the
tall form Of John Jacob Astor unmistaka-
BILE In spite of the fact that where his
face usually appears there grinned the
tigerish face Of large and spiteful look
Ing gray cat, was followed closely wher-
ever he went by the tall form of Wash
ington Whitehouse, who had improved on
nature by crownng himself with the head
of cat possessed Of enormous ears that
gave him the appearance Of being cross
between a cat and a mule.
Had not Mrs. Henry Sloane worn the dia-
monds that are Enthusiastically hers she
might have been effectually disguised in
her cat headgear, but as it was she was
greeted by name from various masks in
the course of the evening. Mrs. Stuyvesant
Fish was also recognized early in the revel
on account of certain characteristics that
are particularly hers, and was forced to
acknowledge her identity from behind