The Washington times., 1925-02-12
MARCH 4 BALL
To SET TOWN
A TALKING
Charity Affairs at MayfIower
to Be BEST Ever" Says
Man Who Knows

IT see by the papers said the
Average Citizen, removing the
sports section for future reference,
"that the inaugural committee has
begun to believe that President
Coolidge has really set his foot
or both feet--down hard on the
inaugural. Amt that mess for
your"
"It looks pretty bad on the
face of It," replied the Man Who
Knows, picking his words care
fully, "but Inauguration day won't
be as dull as it's painted. Take
the charity ball, for instance"
"All right, I'll take It," the
Average Citizen said, graciously.
"Then what?"
'"Then what?'' echoed the M. W.
X. Believe me, brother, that
charity inaugural ball will keep
this town talking for many, many
eclipses. know!
"A Real Celebration.
There's nothing in this ball, as
far as money Is concerned, for the
ladies and gentlemen in charge OF
1t. They've just pitched in fol.
the love of the thing, for the sake
Of some worthy charities and in
form Of real celebration, as long as
the official plans have hit the
rocks.
They'll have the MayTower hotel
looking like q dream palace by
March 4, and there are going to be
just $500 lucky people inside"
How come" inquired the Aver.
age Citizen, who was addicted hap
PLY to slang.
THAT number represents the total
comfortable capacity OF the dining
room and ballroom. The last ticket
to be sold will be numbered $500.
If anyone canes later to buy q
ticket, 1t will be as hard to get as q
new-laid dinosaur egg"
who's running the ticket sales.
Mrs. Dougherty In Charge.
"Well, sir, Mrs. John Allan Dough.
erty, who is the general chairman,
has shown her unfailing good judy
ment by picking General John Z.
Chamberlain to be chairman of the
ticket committee. And nobody com.
planned when Major Ernest H. Van
Fossan was made assistant to the
general.
"You can see this trio, any day in.
the week, in their office on the De
Sales street side OF the hotel, up TO
their ears in work and very cheerful
about 1t.
you will find Mrs. Dougherty
the lodestone--and that isn't,
know, a very pretty metaphor Tor
such a. charming lady--of all actlVi-
~. You'll find General Chamber
lain at a nearby desk, with two huge
boxes filled with mail orders, checks
and cash for tickets. And how many
OF the letters have out-of-town post
marks on them, brother, I'd hate tc
tell you.
Recalls Grant Inaugural.
Now, about the way the tickets
are being sold: The committee dis
tinctly does not want to repeat the
almost tragic circumstances which
attended the inaugural ball OF Presi-
dent Grant.
"Of course, I don't remember
that ball, and neither does Mrs
Harold Walker. OF the publicity
committee. And, parenthetically'
there's another industrious worker
In the cause of the ball. In
dustrious and ingenious.
but Mrs. Walker, the other day.
handed me a brief but pithy &C.
count of the Grant inaugural. She
had turned It up in some research
work in connection with the ball.
Part of it read:
1.-The various committees had en-
deavored to make preparations for
every emergency except the most
important one; they had made no
calculation for numbers. When 1t
was too late to remedy this error,
the members of the committee dis
covered they had sold too many
tickets; but this must have leaked
out beforehand, for very few lead
ing men were accompanied by their
wives.
Confusion Over Wraps.
"And Mrs. Walker went on to
say that they had no check-room
accommodations at the Grant ball,
and that in the morning the streets
were filled with men, shouting Tor
their hats and coats and squabbling
over misrepresentation of wraps"
'"Whewr the Average Citizen ex-
claimed. you've said a mouthful.
Say another"
There's a lot more to say, but
I'm getting hoarse," sighed the Man
Who Knows. But if l were utter
ing my last words, and I wanted
them to be a friendly counsel to
you, they would be:
"Get your tickets to the ball
early! They are $40 for one, and
sis a couple The ticket office is
open from 8 in the morning until
far into the night. But get them
early.
And then, after saying all that.
| would sink back into slumber, as
smilingly confident as Boy Scout
Il &c nf