The Washington herald., 1920-11-07
The Bradley Martin Ball.

The recent death in London of Mrs.
Bradley Martin, long of New York, recalls
a somewhat interesting economic discus
sion which started with one of the ex-
travagant social functions with which she
excited the american metropolis.
THE Bradley Martin ball-its notoriety
justihes stressing the definite. article-was
given at the Waldorf-Astoria in New York
in 1897. Probably 90 per cent of the news
papers published west of New York re-
ferred to it with singing originality as a
"Belshazzar's feast" Those published as
far west as Kansas, Nebraska and the other
commonwealth which were still warming
Populists in their bosoms found Belshazzar
entirely too espectable-nothing short Of
Lucifer himself would fit into their voca-
bulary of denounciation.
1t was indeed an unpropitious moment
for so ostentatious piece of merrymaking.
Unemployment and commercial distress
were common over all the country. The
bread lines were ordinary features of every
city. Bryan had just been beaten. but the
economic conditions which gave vitality to
his campaign still persisted, and the COM
mon sneer was that Mckinley, "the ad-
vance agent of prosperity, was long way
ahead of his show"
At this moment Mrs Bradley Martin
chose to give ball which for glttering
gorgeousness, and extravagant sumptuous-
ness has never been approached in New
York since. Virtually the whole of New
York's newest and most luxurious hotel
was given over to the function. The mag
'nihcence of the costumes, the enormous
value of the sparkling jewels displayed, the
cost of the Gargantuan supper, the ex-
travagance of the cotillon favors, and the
general expense -be-damned flavor of the af-
fair-for it was not without a touch of
lgarity-excted the metropolis for weeks
thereafter. The streets about the hotel
were blocked by an excited populace so
that the police reserves had to be called
out. In one newspaper the account of the
function filled eight columns OF type. A
curious fact attaching to the affair is that
the hostess had let it be known that she
frowned upon mustaches, boards and other
hirsute adornments of the mascdline face
As result, hundreds of New Yorks gilded
youth shaved off these embellishments, and
the smooth-shaven face has been the vogue
ever since.
very lively sociological discussion
sprung from the giving of So extravagant
an entertainment for the few at a moment
when serious financial distress gripped the
many. Pulpit and press attacked and de-
Tended the Bradley Martins, The defense
pointed to the huge sums distributed among
modistes, florists, eostumers. caterers and
their sort and declared that such festivities
were socially advantageous because they
supported these trades. The critics retorted
that by analogy the activities of thieves
were socially commendable since save for
them locksmiths and lawyers, safety-vaults,
detectives, policemen and gun-makers would
be driven from business. The debate ragged
bitterly but its only specific result was to
convince Mrs. Bradley Martin that the
United States was no place for a social
career. She fled to London where she has
now died
The issue raised by her famous function
is still unsettled. 1t would be interesting
to know, however, how many of those who
lorded it at her brilliant ball a quarter of
a century ago left families still able to par
ticipate in such costly revelry.