The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1906-10-20
HOME COMING BALL
BRILLIANT AFFAIR.
Skating Auditorium Beautifully
Decorated for Occasion
GRAND MARCH IMPRESSIVE.
Over $50 Couples In the March, Max
ing a Scene Rarely Witnessed In
the South-All the Condi-
tons Were Ideal.

The Home Coming ball for Alabamians
was probably the most brilliant social
event ever sean in this city. 1t was held
at the Skating Auditorium last night and
was witnessed by more than 1000 people.
beside the couples on the floor.
The grand march, which was lead by
Maj. John 7. Yeatman and Mrs. Bradley
j. Saunders, assisted by Mr.. Saunders and
Miss Pauline Browning, was sngularly
stately. There were fully $50 couples on
the floor, and the figures in the march
have never been surpassed perhaps in
grace or beauty.
The dancing commenced at II o'clock
and continued until the early morning
| hours. Practically Gil the spectators and
dancers had assembled when the grand
march was commenced. After it was over
the terpsichcrtan pleasure was unbroken
for several hours.
The music vas furnished by Claimants
orchestra with fifteen pieces. and many
of the lastest dances were played. The
spectators commenced leaving shortly
after midnight, but many remained for
several hours and watched the brilliant
scene.
Scores of Alabamas most beautiful
women. elegantly gowned, were on the
floor, and there were also many members
of the National Guard in uniform dane
ing, giving color to the picture.
The ball passed off without hitch and
was probably the most successful affair
of that size ever attempted in the state.
The rink was brilliantly Illuminated by
hundreds of electric lights The floor
easily accommodated the $50 couples and
would have been sufficiently large for
twice that number
The Decorations.
The decoraG sons were probably the most
elaborate and taseGul that were ever at
tempted at any public affair in Alabama.
The COMMITTEES in charge devoted several
days to the execution of the plans. and as
result they were completed in time,
when it seemed almost impossible to
finish them.
The main decorations consisted of a
score of large gourds hung in the center
of the building. Flying towards these
gourds were thousands of swallows, sus-
pended from invisible wires strung from
the arena. The idea was suggestive of
course of the swallows homeward flying,
typifying the Home Coming of the Ala
bamians
George A. SIMS conceived the symbol
ism and his suggestions were quickly ac-
cepted by the committee and contract
was made with him to execute his ideas.
How well he succeeded was evidenced by
the hundreds of favorable comments on
the decorations last night.
Vari-Coored Festoons.
Suspended from a wire extending the
length of the building at the top of the
arch were festoons of red, white and
blue, hanging gracefully to the sides of
the walls, making an archway of color
from end to end. The streamers were
gathered together at either end and spread
out fan-like.
All the posts surrounding the arena
were decorated with smilax and bunting.
with the American flags flying at the top
of each. The spectators gallery at the en-
trance end of the building was banked
In ferns and plants of various kinds, and
the palings of the ballestrade were
wrapped in smilax and bunting.
At either end of the building hung an
immense American flag beautifully
draped. Around the walls at each of the
numerous windows were the red white
and blue bunting spread fan-like. Hun
dreds of small flags were used in the
decorating scheme, and many hundred
yards of bunting.
Condition of the Floor.
The floor was in excellent condition for
dancing. 1t had been thoroughly scrubbed.
After process with meal 1t was we'll
waxed. A more ideal floor for dancing
could not be imagined Every particle of
the grease always found on the floor of
a skating rink had been removed so as
not to soil the handsome gowns worn
by the women who attended the ball
Around the arena were placed several
hundred chairs for the dancers to rest in.
and besides these the seating capacity of
the spectators galleries was over 1000.
The general committee in charge of all
the arrangements spent much time issu-
ing invitations to the ball and completing
all the hundred and one things necessary.
Maj. John T. Yeatman was chairman of
the general committee, and the following
is list of the general and special COM
mittees:
The Committees.
B. A. Reynolds, chairman of the invita-
ton committee; r. l.. Gregory, Burks
Savage, C. C. Terry, Frank III. Bell and
Jack Asbury.
The reception committee consisted
of Bradley j. Saunders, chairman; Lee
Tilghman w. A. Porter, Houston Davis.
j. II. Barr, Jack Ashton, r. A. Brown.
Kinds Peevey, w. K. Brown, r.. W.
Barrett. Horace Hammond, II. G. Seibels
Robert G. Hiden, Leo Loeb, Herbert Levy.
Lucien Brown, VIII Hughes, Porter
Walker John C. Henley, Jr., Henry Dean.
s. A. Benton. George b. Kelley Brett
Brown, Joe Slaughter, Walter Phillips,
j. Motion Smith, w. w. Crawford. ii.
L. Badham, Culpepper Exum W. p. G.
Harding, John l.. Kaul, NJ. " Joseph
j. A. Emery, Walker Percy. Eugene Flies
Scion Jacobs. Ed Smith, Harry Matthews,
Henry b. Gray. T. o. Smith, F. Y An
derson, f. b. Fowlkes. Rufus ~ Rhodes.
Robert Jemlson. w. ii. kettig. r. II. Mol |
ton, j. w. Mcqueen, ELI j. Smith, Frank |
Nelson. Jr., Richard +. johnson. James |
Weatherly C., w. Ufrord. h. Wilkinson. |