Los Angeles herald., 1908-03-04
Society,"

n DOM! boomi booml There was the
X roar of big guns, the rafting of
~ shells, Founders pounded and men
cheered, and the air was filed with
oh, no, not the smoke of battle, but a
storm of confetti that appeared to
gather from the four corners of the
earth and descended without warning
upon the merry crowd of masquers at
the Aardi Gras last night.
The occasion was the last of the as
sembly balls. the formal closing of the
winter season to those who observe
Lent. and a function whose success fit
tingly crowned the year. The AFFAIR
took place at Kramer's, and one was
a. )st dazzled with the kaleidoscope of
bright color anad movement in the big
ball room. Was it the immense Amer
ican flag that dominated everything, or
the dozens of smaller pennants of all
nations that had place on the walls,
or the hundreds of small masquers that
apparently hoated in midair or peered
from the corners, every one having a
small incandescent inside and grlnnlng
fiendishly? Or it may have been the
centerpiece of masques and flags that
hung pendant from the dome of the
room. That was before the dancing
began and the spot lights were thrown
on the cosmopolitan crowd gathered
beneath; then all the flags and pen
nants became merely accessories ana
with the grinning masques retired lnto
one harmonious background for the
lights. color and motion beneath. Here
demure Priscilla and Spanish dons
found common ground in tWentlesh
century waltz, and an Indian princess
and Marie Antoinette, an American
gentleman in an up-to-date evening
suit and a chef from gay Paree
stepped to the same music.
At II o'clock the battleship Connecu-
cut hove into sight in the balcony and
ouened fire upon the defenseless throng
below. There was a great deal of noise
but very little damage done, for the
ammunition was confetti and only
served to add to the fun.
A feature of the program was the
leap year dance, as a preliminary to
which a Dutchman entered with dog
team and distributed flags of all ma
tions to the dancers, and the women
sought their partners by matching
flags. A circus band led the march
to the supper room below.
In the banquet hall round tables ac-
commodated parties of from twelve tc
sixteen. Ferns and accacia and daft
fodils screened the walls, converting
the prosaic room into fairy bower
and above the tables fioated hundreds
of vari-colored balloons. A buffet sup
per was served.
The success of the evening is due
largely to the patronesses, Mrs. Michae
j. Connell, Mrs. William May Gar
land, Mrs. Guy Cochran, Mrs. Gran
vile MacGowan and Mrs. Milo NJ. Pot
ter, and they were among the most
strikingly gowned women present
Mrs. Connell appeared as a Spanish
dancer, wearing the costume she wore
at the society vaudeville, as did also
Mrs. MacGowan. Mrs. Garland was at
tired as a mediaevaI Jewess. Mrs. Pot
ter represented California in a cloth
of gold gown, and Mrs. William May
Garland as colonial dame.
Among the women masking were
Mrs. w. G. Chanslor, whose costume oi
an Indian princess came from Banfi
and was once the property of real In
dian princes; Mrs. j. T. Fitzgerald
Carmen; Mrs. Lanier Bartlett, Egyp.
tian woman, the dress and ornaments
having been purchased by Mrs. w. S
Bartlett during her recent trip abroad
Mrs. Z. Avery Mccarthy made state
ly Marie Antoinette; Miss Kate Var
Nuys, Chinese woman; Miss Jessie