Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1914-01-19
BIC CHARITY BALL
ON ANNIVERSARY
OF LAST ONE 1878
The Argus Files of That Date
Give Accounts of Elaborate
Affair at Harper.
WAS EVENT OF THE SEASON
Members of Reception Named for the
Function Of Jan. 2e at the
Masonic Temple.

An interesting fact in connectio
with the charity bal TO be given Il
the Associated Charities and the vi
iting Nurse association Thursday. Jal
%. at Masonic temple. is that the dat
to a day is sc years since The last hi
charity ball was given in the city. TIL
affair at that time was the big socis
event OF the year in tri-city circle
as will be the ball OF next week. TIL
Daily Argus OF January is. 1873 say
CT ;he preparations that were mad
at that time:
The committee of ladies who
. met at the Harper house yester-
day. decided after consultation
with Mr.. Harper. to held a calico
charity bali on Tuesday. January
%. The price of tickets was
fixed at $500 a couple and $3.50
for single admission. Each lady
will wear a calico dress and
every gentleman calico neck tie
and handkerchief, these garments
W bt utpOSlAcu the lOlAONlhS udg
at the Rock Island National bank,
where the central committee can
distribute them 10 the poor. A
committee of ladies was appoint
ed in each ward to sell tickets.
These committees are expected to
commence their work Saturday."
Report of the Ball.
In giving the report of the ball The
Argus of Jan. 80. 1873 says:
The charity ball. the event Of
the season, given by Mr.. Ben
HarEer. at his elegant hotel, came
off last night. The entire hotel
was thrown open TO the ticket
holders, who numbered about $50.
Every appointment was perfect.
The large spacious parlors, Office
and corridors were filled with
those who came to look on. while
the dining room was filed with
the dancers. To give any correct
description of the assemblage, or
the dress particulars, would be
impossible. The company in
Guided all classes of our citizens
without regard to society lines or
social boundaries. The ladies'
dresses were-well every variety
OF calico TO unbleached muslin,
with faultless fit, fashionable cut
and trimmed to. suit the wearer's
fancy, or very much as the fash
ion plates dictate dictum the
ladies love so we'll 20 obey. AS
charity covers a multitude of sins,
the gentlemen dancers are excus-
able for wearing white kids and
the usual dress party suits.
The supper was an elegant
and expensive affair, and was
served in the hall above the Of
flee. In this Mr.. Harper had done
more for the relief fund than all
the others put together as he
makes no charge for anything and
thereby gives the committee the
full amount Of the proceeds. prob
ably between five and six hundred
dollars"
Reception Committee Named.
Chairman II. $. Cable in charge of
e arrangements for the ball has an
'unced the following members of the
ception committee:
Mr.. and Mrs. James Connor, DR.. and |
Is. c. J. Long. Capt. and Mrs. C. X. !
ortcn. Mr. and Mrs. William Nc !
niry. Mr.. and Mrs. Allan welch. Mr.. !
I'd Mrs. II. d. Mack. Co. and Mrs. G. |
Burr. Mr.. and Mrs. T. b. Davis, l
Ito Huber. Miss Huber. Mr. and Mrs. /
iil Mitchell. DR.. and Mrs. l.. Ostrom.
r. and Mrs. A. l.. Richards. Mr.. and
RS. Charles Mixter. Mr.. and Mrs. J.
Scott. Mr.. and Mrs. NJ. c. Rice.
COWS Feature.
As was the case in 1873 the gowns Z
be worn al the charity ball will be
feature that will attract attention.
: preparations are being made for
2 display OF beautiful and elaborate
stumes. The tickets will be So as
ey were &c years ago and surely the
oceeds will be larger than they were
that time. The business men of the
Y have come forward with offers of
Up and one firm in the city has vol
teered TO give all the coffee to b,
ed at the ball and another has o.
red the use OF any equipment that it
in their power TO give. IL is going
be the big affair OF the year with
a doubt and will undoubtedly