The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1907-12-13
Ills a Night of Wild and Untam-
ed Revelry at a Ball.
Awful Mixture of Many Kinds of
Liquor and vuIgarity. y
John CoughIan, the Alderman,
Is Man Who Profits.

of Chicago last night offered its toast
"A hodgepodge of wine, liquor and
vulgarity-to its personification of
success, Bath House" John Conghlin,
alderman of the first ward.
The orgy at the Coliseum was its
tribute, and the cash receipts its con
tribution to that Statesman" of local
affairs
The bleak glimmer of dawn was in
the east before the tenth annual mas
querade and fancy dress ball of the
First Ward Democratic club" stagger-
ed to a finish. From midnight the
pace grew faster and more furious, I'M
til the maudlin men and women drop
ped exhausted from their excuses of
drinking and debauchery.
The affair carried ont its pretense
of being a masquerade" until after
the grand march, led by the alderman,
who is the beneficiary of the event.
Until that time none was permitted
on the dancing floor unless masked.
The early dancers were comparatively
few, as the scarlet women, levee re-
sort owners and saloonkeepers, who
give zest to the carouse, were engaged
until midnight in garnering their own
funds.
A domino across the eyes of sew
eral masked women was the prelimi-
nary necessary accompaniment for a
skirtless costume. But no modesty
of nature suggested to these to leave
the floor after the unmasking. Tawdry
costumes of Egyptian dancers, Indian
maidens, Geisha girls, Topsys and cho-
rus broilers-all i'm abbreviated skirts
when any were worn-made up the
costumes of the women maskers.
Strong men, gladiators, Indians,
knights of old and similar fantasies
sufficed for the few men who were
masked.
After midnight the grand march was
started. The cash registers had been
closed in the resorts of the first ward,
and the proprietors and their hangers
on had arrived The city council also
had adjourned and the "Bath House"
could get away from his part in di-
recting the affairs of the city to the
personally more important task-that
of replenishing his own cash box.
Bath House. John, arrayed in an
evening dress suit, into which his will
ing attendants had hoisted him early
in the afternoon, and which he per-
force wore to the council meeting, led
the grand march. big Tim" Sullivan
of New York. who was expected to
assist, telegraphed at the last minute
that he could not attend. He was
caught by the falling of me "Hd" in
New York. and considered his services
in devising ways and means of break
ing the law more necessary than to
assist in the iubilation of Chicago's
lawless.
The grand march circled and recir
cled the hall, the men in evening dress
and the women in silks and laces, and
all bedecked with diamonds and jew
els, presenting an imposing array of
the first wards profits from drink,
white slavery and kindred vices. As
the strains of the march swung into a
waltz. the masks were thrown aside
and the tenth annual orgy was in full
swing.
Around the immense dancing floor
were the stalls, charitably called
boxes. Each contained STABLE" ac-
cording to the vernacullar of the ball.
Behind the boxes was promenade,
and further back, under the galleries
were tables. In the annex We're ia
bes, i'm the basement tables, and at
every other spot where a footing
might be found among the seething
crowds, were more tables, each with
a waiter, anxious to bring liquid re-
freshments. In fear that these facili-
ties might not suffice, a bar extended
the entire length of the annex, where
thirsty ones might drink as long as
they were able to stand or their
money lasted.
ANY stable" or individual who
could be counted upon by the bath
House" managers to buy champagne
with sufficient rapidity was provided
with a box free. Those with beer
tastes and similar pocketbooks con-
tented themselves with the outside
tables. Few saloons in Chicago sell