Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-03-04

bali at Browns Hotel. they remained
but short time.
It is too bad that either fatigue OF
modeSty prevented John Quincy Adams
from writing his own inaugural ball
story, but we simply learn that he and
Mrs. Adams attended the ball at Ca
rusi's, fashionable dance place OF
that period, remained but short time
after supper and then took leave.
Even though the pail Of mourning
hung over the household OF President
Andrew jackson, his beloved wife.
Rachel Donelson Robards jackson. for
whom he fought pistol and social duels
and even killed a man, having died
three months before his inauguration,
a ball was planned as part Of the in
augural ceremonies and he attended.
His niece and adopted daughter, who
was to serve as mistress, Of the White
House for him. accompanied him to the
ball. She wore a handsome costume Of
amber color satin, brocaded in clusters
of rosebuds and violets and trimmed
with lace and pearls. The gown was a
gift from the President and today it
is in the collection Of gowns worn by
First Ladies of the Land On exhibition
In the National Museum.
Van Buren, Ball Brilliant.
Martin Van Buren, was honored with
one of tho most brilliant inaugural balls
yet held, and, taking place at Carusi's--
Carusi evidently was learning something
about inaugural balls and how TO con-
duct tllen-was sumptuous affair. No
less reporter than N. p. Willis, one Of
the clevereSt gossip writer's OF that time,
says: AT $50 President Van Buren,
entered the room, attended by the
heads of the departments. He took his
stand on an elevated platform and there
received the devoirs Of the company"
Gen. Jackson, who was short on for
malitieS In many ways. did not attend,
but to show his good fellowship he re-
manned in the White House as thu guest
Of his successor for two weeks before
returning to Tennessee. But the ball.
the supper was truly sumptuous and
The rugged old warrior, Gen. Will
liam Henry Harrison, did not scorn
balls, so he and his cabinet attended
the Tippecanoe ball. went early and
tarried until late. There were two balls
on this occasion, the ball in the new
assembly room being far smarter and
much more crowded than was the Tip
pecanoe ball.
One of the drollest stories in the his
tory Of inaugural balls is the manner
in which the inaugural committee over
shot in their efforts to make the Presi-
dent James K. Polk ball. on the night
of March 4, 1845, one Of the grandest
social triumphs Of the day. 1t was
tickets, an unheard-of thing at that
time, and invitations were sent to the
elite and smart set. It was boringly
select, and in the effort to make 1t
more so, the committee forgot to invite
the diplomats.
The committee arranging less splen-
did ball with tickets at 50 got wind
of this fact and on the sly invited
the diplomatic corps who. wishing to
see the great democracy of the coun-
try, accepted forthwith. The latter
affair was called the Tippecanoe ball,
and President Harrison and his cab
met Joined the foreigners there and
stayed late.
The $40 ball in the new assembly
room was magnificent, crowded, but
frosty.
For President Zachary Taylor's in
auguration there seemed to be, accord
ing to research, three balls, one at
Carusi's, one in the old National Hotel,
and third, the largest and the one
attended by the President, in a tenn
porary structure in Judiciary Square
where the Pension Office now stands
Gungel's Orchestra played. hundreds Of
candles spluttered and dripped from
their chandeliers, the dance floor was
bad and arrangements were chaotic.
No accommodations were made for the
disposal of wraps and coats, the sup
per might have been bountiful, but
when it was announced no one could
reach 1t to dine, and when the angry
crowd got ready to go home they could
retrieve neither their wraps nor their
carriages. Women had to brave the
weather as best they could and the
whole event was pronounced crying
shame.
Mrs. Taylor Absent.
President Taylor arrived in the ball
room at II o'clock, accompanied by
the mayor, Mr.. Seaton, and Speaker
Winthrop. With them we're the Presi-
dents daughter, Mistress Betty Bliss,
20, and destined to be the mistress of
the White House during her fathers
administration. Mrs. Taylor, who had
followed the general on the battlefield
and through all his military triumphs
declined to assume the duties of mistress
Of the mansion, and delegated her lovely
daughter to represent her. One Of the
bits of gossip anent this absent First
Lady of the Land was that she smoked
a pipe, matter that would not or need
| not at least create much Of o Juror
in this day and time.
But Betty Bliss, who became q great
pet in Washington, wore to this ball a
white silk gown very simply made, and
quite in contrast to the dazzling cos
tunes and jewels of the ladies Of the
diplomatic corps and the rich Of So
ciety.
President Franklin Pierce escaped the
throes Of an inaugural ball because of
family mourning, and society was, or
was supposed to be, athirst for bril-
liant dancing event with which to close
the elaborate program of the inaugural
ceremonies for President James Bu-
chanan. Even had plans been less bril-
liantly carried out they must have
seemed colorful compared with the
drab social reign OF the previous ad-
ministration.
Nothing daunted by previous expert
enceS, the inaugural committee again
decided to venture on ball In a tempo
rary structure in Judiciary Square.
There they erected building 235 feet
long and 156 feet wide and 20 feet high
not much height when compared
with some buildings in the Capital now
adays. We read that the interior was
rich in effect, the ceiling covered with
white muslin, studded with gold stars,
and the wall hung with red, white and
blue. President Buchanan arrived at
ii o'clock, and wore his much-adver-
tized Lancaster suit made by Mr.. Metz
ger, tailor of that city, the lining
stitched to represent the 81 States with
the keystone in the middle.
Harriet Lane Attends.
With him came the beloved Harriet
Lane, his niece, who was to leave a bril-
liant trail of history behind her as mis-
tresS Of the White House. She wore a
white silk gown trimmed with artificial
flowers, blossoms Of the same kind
forming trailing headdress. Her neck