The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1898-01-01
Bachelor History.

GPHE NEW YEARS ball is the
final development of the Bach
elors' balls of long ago, the first
u of which was given ten years
ago. The old organization was effected
in the office of Montrose Barnard and
was originally for the purpose of CIV
ing several dancing parties each sea-
son at private houses whereby the So
cial Indebtedness of the members, all
of whom were unmarried, could be
paid The young men were the social
leaders of their sex at that time, but
their experiment was a failure in one
sense, at least. 1t was found that the
invitation lists did not always meet
the complete approval of the married
people at whose homes the dances were
given, and another plan had to be hit
upon. 1t was this discouragement
which led to the creation of the Bach
elors' ball idea.
Originally the expenses of the balls
were divided pro-rata among the
members, excepting those who had
married and thus became exempt from
the tax. Maybe this fact was not the
cause, but the Bachelors began to
marry at so rapid gait that when ac-
counts were settled for the 1898 ball at
The Wyoming House, the Bachelors
found themselves obligated to the eX-
tent of 500 each for the fun of giving
all of Scranton's well-to-do people and
no end of out-of-town guests ball
that was considered very swell at that
time. The assessment was too heavy
and the subscription plan was first
| tried in 1894.
The 1894 ball was planned with q de-
| felt in the treasury account and with
| a total estimated expense of $1,000.
| The surviving Bachelors viewed the
situation with considerable squirmings
but on the night of the ball the crush
| was away beyond expectations. the de-
| ficit and expenses were overcome and
| there was a small balance in the treas
| ury. There was an equal success from
| 4 social standpoint, the future success
| If the balls was assured and those of
1895 and 1896 We're planned without any
| misgivings. Those two affairs partic-
ularly, and the one OF 1894 as an exper-
| iment, served to mark out for the fu-
| ture and annually the most distinctive
| society balls given anywhere in the
state, excepting possibly the similar
balls, designated as charity balls, given
| occasionally in Philadelphia and Pitts
| burg.
| II. p. Simpson was chairman of the
| 1895 and A. G. Hunt of the 1896 Bach
| elor committees. The splendor OF
those affairs is still fresh in the minds
of the hundreds who were privileged
to attend them. The real Bachelor or.
| ganization died with last years ball
but the committee which would have
| continued under the old Bachelor name
decided that the balls as a prescribed
and anticipated regular event Should
not cease-at least not for the present
The old invitation list was discarded
and new one made. How well Chair,
man Blair and his associates succeeded
| is well known to those present las
night, or may be comprehended by
others through a perusal of The Trib
une's story of the event.
The beauX and the bellies of ter
years ago can weave an intricate wei
of mental fancy by an examination o
| the following list of names of tn,
twenty charter members of the Bach
elor organization: w. II. Jessup, jr.
II. b. Reynolds, A. G. Hunt, II. F
Simpson, Montrose Barnard, r. j. Eos
ter r. b. Jermyn, II. w. Kingsbury
Major j. w. Oakford, N. G. Robert
son, r. NJ. Scranton, c. S. Weston
Thomas Moore James Archibald, jr
j. NJ Chittenden, jr., w. M. Dickson
G. w. Fuller, j. A. Mott, II. f. Pen
man, NJ. r. Sherer.