Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1920-02-18
BAL MASQUE JOKES Il
g OVER DOOM OF RUM
Woman in Black, Symbolizing
Departed Spirit, Feature OF
Gorgeous Spectacle

| A. woman in black appeared on the
balcony. She slowly walked across,
high above the dancing crowd. and the
carnival spirit died away as the dancers
saw the champagne bottle and recog
nized the spirit. ff3
It was the ghost Of John Barley
corn. A moan went 10 from the crowd
when the woman A1stiq carrying thr
bH.eef biaefness Of The % reSr The 'ai'N bnleonS.
The ghost had walkeG But the car :
nival spirit began again lat once. and
the morning after the night before"
finds all who attended the annual Bal
night and this morning agreed that it
was the most successful of the entire
series of such events.
Costumes More Gorgeous
The costumes were more gorgeous
and more original. The music was bet
ter and q bigger crowd than usual
turned out for the last big social whirl
before Lent.
Fashionable society from this city,
Washington, Baltimore, New York.
Providence and Boston danced attend
ance to the carnival spirit. a
The "ghost" was not the only ref
erence made to the departed Spirits. "
The woman in black still is unidenti-
fed.
Sixteen years ago a small group of
dancing men, headed by Joseph Parker
Norris, Jr., decided to hold masuued
costume dance. The Roosevelt was
selected and the first of these affairs
was given on April 13, 1904, with
probably 100 guests, all of whom had
such an enjoyable time that the hosts
were overwhelmed with requests to re-
peat the affair each year.
Soon the ball outgrew its original
quarters at Twentieth and Chestnut
streets and moved to horticultural
Hall, where it was held each year on
Shrove Tuesday instead Of the original
date. The last ball was held in 1917.
Committee Members
As usual, last nights dance was a
subscription, with number of men
forming the committee. which included
j. Parker Norris, Walter Dec. Doug
las, Jr., NJ. Stevenson Easily, Edward
S. Grant, Quincy Adams Gilmore,
Henry Reed Hatfield, Churchill VIII
liams. Edward Hopkinson. Jr., Saun-
ders L. Meade, J. Howard Rhoads and
J. Keating Wilcox.
| The guests were received by the group
1 of patronesses selected by the commit
tee to do duty as hostesses. Two of
this number, Mrs. Alexander Williams
Biddle, who is in Florida, and Mrs.
Joseph f. Widener, who is i'll, were
not in line to greet the guests. The
group included Mrs. William J. Clio
thier, Mrs. John Fl. Easily, Mrs. John
G. <Greome, Mrs. Harry Maybin Hart,
Mrs. Daniel l.. Hutchinson, Jr., Mrs.
Robert r. Logan, Mrs. Charles B.
McMichael, Mrs. Alexander Van
Rensselaer, and Mrs. William J. Will
cox. -,st--,
Long Reception
The reception lasted until nearly mid
night, the interval being spent in flut-
| tering about trying to discover the iden =
4 tity of the people. =
AT midnight the annual confetti snow
4 storm took place in the midst Of which
| the guests unmasked. Supper was serv
| ed in the foyer and lobbies at o'clock
the following men escorting the pa
tronesses to supper: e. Rittenhouse
Miller. Joseph MacGregor Mitcheson,
Alexander G. Yarnall, Lieutenant Sam
]. NJ. Cresswefl. Clement Newbold.
Then the dancing began and lasted
until early morning, some OF Cne most
indefatigable ones outdancing the or
chestra.
One end of the old Academy was a
| good imitation of an apple orchard in
| spring with its numerous trees in full
bloom and its showers of blossoms peep
| ing from every conceivable niche and
corner. At the very end was a raised
platform with fountain and marble
statue of Aphrodite in the center. The
platform was banked with ferns, bay
trees and palms. At the right the or
chestra was completely hidden by the
same form Of decoration and in the