Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1900-08-22
TRILBY PARTIES.

"Trilby Parties" are a new thing at
AshuIy and it is just possible Mr.. Brad
ley may not have heard of them. A
"TTilby Party" might Re otherwise de-
scribed as bench show OF feet. II. A.
Stiles invented them. He was called
upon by the guests Of the Grand Avenue
Hotel to get up something new.
DoDk ey parties had began TO pail, pro-
gressive euchre bad lost lis charm, the
Saturday evening hop had become
stale, fat and Improbable. There
Was demand upon Stiles for some
thing new. Stiles rose to the occasion.
He boldly prop d the bench show OF
ladies' feet. There were gssps at
SiIes's rashness; there was even a
holding up of hands in horror on the
part OF some Of the matroDs. But, on
the other hand, there were arguments.
Even Mr.. Bradley, it was advanced,
admitted the existence of feet. He
went even further and allowed exposed
feet Oh the board walk. The uplifted
hands was lowered, but still there was
a dubious shaking OF heads.
at doesn't seem right" ssid one Of he
married women, "but / don't know.
1t | were to 90 into the thing | thin k
I'd wear those new clocked silk stock
iDgs. PVe never had them o."
Aud so it was settled. The "Trilby
Party" was approved. There were TO
be three priZes- first second and third.
H. b. Bernard. civil engineer OF the
Long Branch Railroad, and Charles r.
Shantz, a manufacturer, were chosen as
two of the judges, and they agreed
upon Mr.. stiles to act with them as the
.hird.
For several hours the three judges
pored over books on foot anatomy.
they did not stop there. One of them,
it is said, visited local physician and
obtained from him the necessary re-
quirements OF a perfect foot. In an
other case chiropodst was consulted.
The result was that before the contest
began the judges were deeply versed in
loot lore.
The contest took place 10 the dining
room of the hCtel. Several sheets were
sewed together and these served as 8
curtain. Behind this screen on plat
form we're toe contestants, twelve ID
number. At o'clock, with the dining
room thronged with guests, Mr.. schroe-
der, who acted as master OF ceremonies.
announced that the contest Was open.
Twelve dainty ankles protruded from
a profusion of lace skirts aud the spec
tators were invited to come forward snd
exaDniue them. Femlisriies with the
cOntesting feet were sternly barred by
the master of ceremonies. Up al q
down the line, several times, walked the
spectators passing judgment or cri ic-
ism on the feet. One OF the onIookers
had the sudscity to raise the curtain IL
all effort TO fud out 10 whom one of tbt
feet belonged. The judges sat down on
heavily. After five minutes review him
MIR. Schroeder announced that the
Judges would DOW take their turn, and
Ietermine who were the prize winners.
Mufilsd laughter clme from behind the
curtain at times, as the examiners pick =
cd up some particular foot In order u
study its anatomy more closely. 1t YVES
obser we'd that the extensor brevis diel
torum of one lntestant's foot was not
! sufficiently developed; and that there
was q depression in the plautsr region.
| The tarsal bones of another were all
right but the sessmoid bones did not
come up to what Trilby possessed. In
the csss OF st II another, the dorsa
cuboides were to small, and the meta
| iarsal ligament of the fifth toe did not
show up we'll. Oue foot was thought
by one of the judges to be entitled
TO first prz', but 1t ala no'
pass muster with the others De-
cause the internal la eral ligaments ol
the phlsnges were not full enough
When tte judges came to one foot toS'
seemed at first glance faultless they
studied long and earnestly. IheS
| noted that the abiuctor minimi digit
was all right that the os cuboides were
of the proper size and that the q
nayiculare waa perfect. 10 the ownt
was awarded the first prize, goIc
necklace. After this the determination
as to the award of the second ana tniio
prizes bre sstpiD and q pair ofsilk stoct
| ipgs. was an easy matter. 1t was the PRIV
lege of the judges to tie the blue, rec
and yellow ribbons, representing hrst
second and third prizes, on the ank les
of the winners, and this they did whi'e
the orchestra played "Ben Bolt"
The curtain was drawn aside after
| the contestants had donned their foot
wear, 10 the excitement one contest
ant lost one of her slippers. but it was
afterward recovered. The winner o.
the frs, prize is young woman very
we'll known and very popular here
| New York SUP