New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1904-01-17

,s 10 be plished in few hours. and, unless
some Unforeseen accident happens, on Sunday
morning pedestrians will the building just
where the preceding night
No such extraordinary means of transportation as
prince Houssain's carpet will be needed. Speech
and song and wine will work the miracle.
On next Saturday evening the members Of the
s-on Society oe NeW-York will celebrate their
seni-centennial carnival. Dressed in caps OF mot
lev they win assemble in the ballroom of their club
house which viii be transformed by decorators
into the court of medieval palace Masters
Of ceremony attired the gorgeous livery OF their
Office and carrying the wands OF court testers, are
IN escort the speakers and singers TO the butte"
or rostrum On another platform the president OF
the carnival surrounded by the august members
~ his council, the Klene Rath. will act the part
O, sn ancient emperor. well as Of modern
.oastrnaster Though similar in most OF its details
IN former celebrations OF the organization. the
carnival Of next Saturday night Will excel all OF
tts predecessors in its cost and elaborateness-
In its carnivals the Arion Society has repanted
az the New World Of the most spectacular
customs OF the Old. Such a celebration is to the
German IN New-York what the Rhine carnival is
20 his brother IN Cologne or Bingen. Although
limited to the walls OF building, instead OF the
streets CT city, and though profusely interlarded
with Americanisms. the Arion carnival. like the
carnivals OF the Fatherland. is intended TO revive
the merry days OF the minstrel and the jes-
ter Like the Mardi Gras OF New-Orleans and
Paris and the earnvals OF Rome and Venice the
Teuton celebrations IN the Old World usher IN
the Lenten and mark the elimination OF
worldly enjoyment the of e period OF alb
stinence. But the Arion carnival is not limited
10 the few days before Ash Wednesday. 1t IS cele-
brated whenever the time is most convenient II is
even split up IT were. into four different cele-
braflons. three OF which observed by members
and their wives. and by men only. In order
that the chief carnival this year should mark the
fftieth anniversary OF the organization. it was
set for January o.
Unlike the great ball at Madison Square Garden
or the exclusive masked ball at the clubhouse to
which only members admitted. an Arion carni-
val contains jousts OF wit in which members break
iances in knightly repartee- AT such time the
man who shows the readiest humor is acknowl-
edged victor not alone by the applause OF the as
senblage but by gifts and trophies. American as
wei as Teutonio witticisms intermngled In Il
way 10 r,aystify an Old World German Local hits
are introduced into legendary ballads Reference
20 Tarmany Hall is as likely 20 the Lorelei One
OF the songs sung st the anniversary carnival
combines the German ballad ''Wie Suess?" and
that familiar American melody TN the GOOD od
Summer Time"
Because the German loves humor which has a
touch Of the grotesque the Jokes OF the carnival
are heightened by certain quaint mechanical de-
vices unknown TO The practical Yankee over the
platform where the speakers and singers stand
there was hung a Of the carnivals great
moon with large sympathetic eyes. Should tho
3oke be poor, the moon contracted its eyes ana
puckered up its mouth like a baby ready TO cry
but should the humorist hit happy vein. the
moons broad face extended into a Significant
grin On another occasion chime Of bells was
concealed beneath the speakers platform. which
rang a merry tune IL the jest was appreciated but
which toled in minor key If q joke fell nat
Some times crocodiles OF papier mache open their
saws as II TO laugh. hang their heads as IL TO
weep. Another favorite device is an owl. which
will shake it's head at the failure OF joker or nod
at hts success. The butfe on which the performer
stands IS constructed TO represent some familiar
and xe a
or q peasants cottage. -Four years ago the Butte |
was a reproduction of the Friedrich Bau of the |
castle at Heidelberg.
After a speaker or singer leaves the butte he Is
led by the masters OF ceremony to the stage at the
end OF the hail. where sit the president and his
council Should the president regard the effort as
Trustworthy he hands the performer a glass OF
wine but should he think otherwise he may give
him water or an empty goblet. An Arion carnival
IS no place for thinskinned man. Should MEM
her In Drawing the ordeal OF criticism the butte
reveal the slightest tip OF the white feather his
effort IS met with boots and howls. He must meet
eibes with gibes. and he should never show
that the darts OF repa-tee sting, no matter how
deem they strike As the German student does not
dare vince under the slashing blows OF his ad-
versary's sabre, the carnival humorist must
brave the most pungent taunts without evidence OF
feeling.
The resourcefulness OF member when his wits
IRE put TO such tests is shown IN the most unex-
pected ways. At a former carnival the refrain OF
one song referred to a baldheaded man. No sooner
was II sung than several voices were heard calling
out the name OF Edward Benneche- In another
moment the whole hall shouting that same
name in the belief that Herr Benneche must be the
author of the song The president OF the carnival
accordingly called Herr Benneche to the stage 10
make an explanatory speech. for he expected that
when Herr Benneche took off his cap the audience
would the sight OF a bald scalp. But Herr
fenneehe had obtained certain advance information.
and had prepared for just such an emergency
he hon defe
and on lifting his cap disclosed the bushy curis OF
q Little Lord Fauntleroy wig. The laugh was the
other way.
At another carnival Of the songs told the
woes Of a dude who spent all his money on lucent
chimes With the last note several members began
80 call for Louis Windmuller, as the author or the
rpeIodv Herr Win6miIlIer wears ample shoes. and
he Is said TO shine them himself When the presi-
Cert remarked that the OF such shoe could
well afford 20 pay % for shine. or let the
work out TO sub-contractors, Herr Windmdler said
II reply:
"and this is what I must endure because am a
man OF great polish"
The Owl nodded. and the bells rang at this re-
:onder.
Nany DAYS of ardcous labor precede the merry
night Of carnival Songs TO be composed ana
criticised and changed and rehearsed and poems
to be written and learned by heart
In a subterranean chamber OF the clubhouse
called the keller loch" or Hole in the Cellar,
the carnival committee Kleine Rath. sits in
long session TO discuss plans and devise ways and
means There is a piano in one corner OF this
dungeon room where the musicians try their
Compositions, and huge cask In another, Tor a
Butte. which the poets declaim their verses
AT long table sit the members of the Klene Rath
and listen as the Judges. Now and then one VIII
Interrupt the musician the poet with German
v-tscl, corresponds closely with the |