The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1899-01-21
NEW YORK'S REvEL
The French Ball as Described
in Early Editions
OF New York Papers That Came
to Hand Today.
Something That Westerners
Hear a Great Deal About,
BUT SELDOM SEE III.
A Vivid Description of 1t From
the "WOrld
BUT SELDOM SEE 1T.

IFrom Thursday mornings O'Clock cd
ition of the New York World
Once more the French ball The same
two old bands, the same old electric
&C F. de Harmonic, the same old
stage, with the same old allegorical
curtain hiding the same old wine room;
the same bunting and flags, the same
greenery in scant festoons, the same
masks and dominos, the same popping
of corks; but not the same ball-least-
ways not in recent years.
1t was the livelieSt ball OF DECADE
things are easier now.
''Eet ees our bon ami Capita1ne
Price, explained the floor manager
He ees a vairee nice man. He say Eat
re gendarmes stay in re cellaire, so Eat
re LADIES' may keek just leetle.
The floor manager was right with
1850 p. m. and the first crash of brass
and the first appearance of the advance
guard of coryphees, the bluecoats drew
discreetly back. The floor was strictly
for the dancers. And the bIuecOats kept
back the remainder of the night.
GARDEN WAS PICTURESQUE.
Madison Square was picturesque. The
roof was striped with broad bands of
bunting Pendant from every arch were
big balls of flags and from them hung
japanese lanterns glowing with electric
lights.
Green swathed the arena boxes, and
a line of trees and a fence of bunting
marked out the dancing surface: On
the stage sat the Seventh Regiment
band of 100 pieces, and SChWab'S or
chestra, another hundred strong. Back
OF the stage was the regulation curtain,
behind which were the regulation ia
bles, at which, after a. m, men paid
IS for a. quart of California champagne.
''Whoopi'
He was an hour to soon. He burst
in with a rush from a stag dinner fur
Their uptown.
s.IKytaro,S tho 1z-ira9D ba oria6 apd
they led him away, for everyone was
enjoying the first really good ballet the
French ball ever has seen.
SMASH BANG! AWAY THEY GO.
Thirty-six gay couples took the floor.
Up struck the old "Orpheus and Fury
dice ballet music. Smash Bangi
You are all right" yelled the crowd,
and then in rapid succession came other
ballots and a patriotic advertisement
with Cuban and Spanish dances, Rough
Rider and sailor dances, all concluding,
as the floor manager explained, with
grand and elegant tableau."
Then came the thirty premieres in
fluffy tulle and tarletan. - whirl of
skirts. swish of strings, and then the
grand march. The thirty led it. There
were 5000 on hand now, and into line
they fell, cheerful and anticipatory.
AFTER MIDNIGHT.
It was after midnight now. The Ger
Gle people were growing cheerful. 1t
was the French ball of days agone.
Every box was filled with pink masks
and diamonds. The floor was full. The
girls in tights could kick as high as
they pleased.
And they kicked rather high after the
first cold bottle. They aimed at hats
obligingly held up, surrounded by a
fringe of black coats.
There were 5000 persons in the Gar
den now.
"AH over 1000 is clear profit" ex-
pIained the box office man, cheerfully.
son, who were in charge, looked on
beamingly. Everything was lovely, and
the policemen in the cellar obligingly
stayed there.
Picture the great amphitheatre at
a. m; TWO thousand whirling figures
in white, black. red, blue, pink, green,
every color; lights blinking through
clouds of smoke; much bedizened wo-
men leaning mildly over the box rails:
q band struggling amiably over ct Don't
Want No Cheap Man." circles of white
shirt fronts and corsages rising tier
ABOVE tier in the balconies; the pop
ping Of corks-that was New York's
thirty-hrst annual French ball at 2
a. m.
By this time there was plenty of riot
and fun. One would see plenty of pref
ty girls unmarked, and they didn't lack
partners.
There We're all sort Of costumes
rough rider girls. scores of winsome
Miss Libertys, Hungarian peasants
clowns-the old story
Staid business men escorted pretty
girls around the room and ordered
champagne. 1T is French ball nigh"
they said.