Durango semi-weekly herald., 1901-10-10
SILVER SER
PENT BALL
''Bluebell' Attends and Tells
Herald Readers All
About 1t.

Out on the street the people were
holding high carnival Horns Were
footing and bright-colored confetti
flying in all directions The crowd
was enjoying itself.
The Brown Palace hotel was bril-,
liantly lighted from top to bottom
and all its entrances guarded by po-
licemen. No one, not even the guests,
Gould pass in or out of the hotel that
evening without pass, for that
night the Slaves of the Silver Serpent
had control.
Gathered on either side of the car
pet stretched across the sidewalk to
the street was a crowd of Interested
observers assembled to obtain IA view
OF the ladies' dresses as they enter
ed the hotel The crowd was pretty
equally divided between men and wu.
men while there was a sprinlSling of
children. They We're very quiet and
seemed inclined to be complimentary
judging from the few remarks /
caught in passing.
Even the elevators were restricted
to the use of the Slaves and their
guests that evening. No stop was
made between the first and eighth
floors, where the dressing rooms as
well as the ball room were located
Entering the ladies' dressing rooms
soft voices and clear laughter. min
gled with the frow-frow of skirts fell
upon the ear. Attendants in white
caps and aprons removed the wraps
of each newcomer and handed the
latter n check for the same.
In the adjoining rooms fair women
clad in gowns that were beautiful be
yond description gave the finishing
touches to costumes that seemer to
lack nothing. a stray curl pinned
mp here or the position of flower
changed Il trile, or Just soupcon
of powder added to compilations that
We're already perfect-Perhaps there
can be no more charming sight than
a group of beautiful women. correct
ly eowned. Their graceful movemen;
and the daintiness of their dresses
are fascinating to a wonderful de
gree.
(" The rotunda of the hotel was re
served for the cornation exercises
anu VIE ltNtln VI il' sOidNtS
guests viewing the latter from the
balconies
Though the invitations read $3.50 by
9:45, at least three-fourths of the
guests were already in their places.
That evening it was fashionable To
be punctual-a most excellent fea-
ture
1t was Il brilliant scene-so bril-
liant indeed that at times it seemed
like a beautiful dream, that would
fade into nothingness as | awoke.
When | confessed as much to nv
companion he obligingly offered to
step on my train, in order to assist
me to realize my own identity
Wasn't that horrid?
~But-as dear old Terence Mulvaney
would say ito reshume. The
lights blazed on that gathering of love
.ly women and well groomed men.
BY the way 1t was easy to see that
pink is still holding its own. By far
the greater number of the gowns
worn were of that color. Black and
white-many of these trimmed in
some shade of pink-were also ia
NOrlleS. lHpTe were uulte IL Hhulb1l
of yellow costumes while the pastel
shades were very popular. Blue was
decidedly not in it. There were not
more than six or seven blue gowns
in the entire assemblage. But of
whatever color the gowns were built
Ihey were all lovely-their wearers
reminding one of flowers leaning
against garden trellis. Down on
the first balcony the cardinal-and-
white suited McCook band made a
bright splotch of color as they waited
the signal for their outburst of mel
ody to begin.
The first floor was a bower of
1srns and palms, draped with the red,
white and blue of the American flag.
Queen Mary, her ladies-inwaiting and
her maids, looked like big bouquet
of white roses. trimmed around with
green. The queen and her court oc-
cupied an alcove directly facing the
throne of the Slaves.
The walls back of the throne We're
draped in what appeared at night to
be silk of the blue designated as
robin egg. over the top OF the
throne a drapery spotted and marked
&ke serpent skins fell in graceful
folds. An enormous serpent coiled
ready to spring lay on the canopy
AUST above the royal chair. The dais
was draped in blue and banked with