Missouri Valley times. [volume] (Missouri Valley, Iowa) 1874-1931, 1900-03-08
A Retrospective View.
[BY d. N HAER1s.l

BY y. " HARRIS.
One of the most exciting times of
the early days of this city was the first
masquerade ball at the town hall. FIR
weeks nothing was heard or talked of
but the coming bali o.! rrAv headed
men, and boys i'll THAR .aens were all
intent on having a gnni time. and to
secure IL under the gnise VT ancrpcy or
4 masqne OF hidden personality
The long wished for time At last ar
rived, aud at an early hour The ,rge
hall WAS thrown open and was soon
filled with masqned and other guests.
Old, middle aged and young were pres
emit Those who masqucd had been
provided with tickets by the managers
so az to exclude The unworthy.
About 8 o'clock p. M. the distinguish.
ed guests began to appear, generals in
full dress. farmers, sailors, Indians,
Negroes. Japs. musicians. queens and
kings, flower girls. cupids, animals and.
even editors, intact every conceivable
character was present and beautifully
represented
The Missouri Valley Orchestra. one
of the finest musical organizations in
the country. furnished the music for
the occasion, and the fun went on I'm.
til about IN "'clnck. and up Ia his hour
none cou'd tell with whom they danced
or talked love. and when at last the
command came; "Gnnlasque.' great
was the surprise Of some gentlemen to
find that they had been saying (by mis-
takeD sweet things to their own wife.
Some men had informed their wife,
and some of the ladies had told their
husbands that they did not intend to
masque, hoping to surprise each other,
80 you can imagine how they felt when
tho truth burst upon them that both
had been fooled" The occasion was
one of real enjoyment, and those now
living will remember it with pleasure.
If masquerade ball is productive
OF great merriment and surprises and
pleasure, what must we say of the next
great society event, being the Old Pen.
pies Ball, that took plsc. soon after
ths last even si.okel. of Tue Young
| people. had ltei' holding their mont ly
dances during The fall aud Wiut-r aud
at such m.e'',igs il bee ine evident
that the old people We're nOt considered
desirable parties. \. is too oft IN the
case that when men ami women be.
come a little ancient the yuung people
consider them back numhera, and like
All old book tlr.v are thrown aside f.,r
younger and m .r+ mp tn date partn"rI
'EhiS is all 10. K" bur nvelhAva n deci
del leaning toward the old.
The old folks understand ng t!, u
ditiOn as nameG, haterminp.i to have j,
dance of their own. ami al. i,nr- began
to talk ii ,li,; aud g.. tie, ellslne TO hold
9 dance of that kind was ..bnnt half of
W ,rk; tl-. ;,.l and music wa engaged
llnvitatinns Driuf-n AMI se;,t nut, and
the OIL folks bal! was assured. and al
bsg.n fhe preparation for the event
The eventf,' venting SION arrived.
the hall WAS most beautifully dtcora
tel for the OCCASION, the music At tleil
positnl. and th.- invited ..,es began
to arrive we y,hs and little fishes
what = crowd came in! Old men VIII,
ha not grsced a BALLROOM for man,
years. and oil ladies VINO had neve,
learned the art and beauty of the mod
ern dance, we're present, and it. would
htve done yonr soul gOnd TO have seer
the old "chnm" with Wis seventy-si,
smile aud the old "gai' in her curle
smiling and bowling aud keeping stel
t. the music aud thinking of the Ion:
ago. The scenes nf the dance was al
new to them bui full OF j,y and rea
plsaaure. The young people looked or
, i'll perfect am 4Zsinent to see the ole
people who had not lie armed the polka
or scliottische go through the Virgini
re Al, the basket OF flowers, and Frenc
i"A's, "uN w oeo tuStI IhtioVS diit
!, mothers trip the light fantastic too il
such magnificent style That dane
was the dance of the season, and thos
who participated in it will never forge
It. neither will.tRosea VITO were onl
spe ctatOrs. ~. y "a.
Those were times, AS the poet said
when this old hat was new. my boys,
Foil three score years aud ten;
There's few that's living now can tell,
How plenty things were then;
Good liquor in poor msn's house
Was . pleasant sight To view;
: Beide we had bot ale and sopo
When this old hat was new
1t is wonderful. what influence sncl
! things have on the mind; when the oil
folks concluded to have dance, 20,
J ought to have seen the old chaps go il
. tn tr.ining, and il was nothing strang
) to see them in back yard OF behln
the house p,sttlns in their best ticks il
P practice for the big dance, and the oil
ladies were not idle, bnt were busy il
. preparing for the OCCASION.
, Oh, but it was fur. The old one
: added at least twenty years to thei
lives, OF rather, set the whRs!s of tim
. back twen,i years. The idea of peopl
r becoming prem .turely old Is more
I habit than necessity. if q little fun j