£35,000 BALL.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LV, Issue 137, 28 October 1912, Page 6

£35,000 BALL.

AMURTCAN SOCIETY RIVALRY. A VANDERBILT ARABIAN, NIGHT. Mr and Mrs Cornelius Vanderbilt's oriental fancy dress ball far surpassed any private fete ever before given in America, deposed Mrs Htuyvesant Fish after a brief reign as queen of, Newport society, and set a new mark for Newport's idle rich. The New York papers devoted from three to four columns each to elaborate descriptions of what limitless wealth can accomplish for a single night's enI tertainment. It is estimated that the ball cost ."635,000, in addition to the large sulns expended by the 400 guests for their costumes. .. . •

The main floor and all the grounds of' Beaulieit, Mr Vanderbilt's residence, were retonstrjicted after oriental designs. A broad avenue, leading through the garden! to; the house, was illuminated by thousands of tiny electric lights attached to the trees and twinkling like stars. Twelve oriental arches, thirty-five feet high, were erected in front of the entrance and festooned with electric bulbs, over .which vines were trailed. ; - SUNRISE- PALACE, .

.The Aiain hall in the- house was.linpdwith double rows of - epeoanut j ; specially imported for the'fete, ( while. Turkish and Persian'rugs 'an(i'f)ktvirfis were lijmg' in"the side .made a>i avenue through tlrethou&i leading direct to the theatre,, .116jjaetjong and sixty-five feet wide, specially constructed for the evening's • per|cjrmaiice, and arranged to give the enee't "of "the coui'tyiird of a Moorish palace at sunrise. . The falls ivert pft"inte(V'.£6 present in oriental scene as viewed from the courtyard",'with minarets aiid'towers/riding at intervals. The ceiling was. hung with -'gaily : painted bannerets, while floated: from golden, poles, interspersed amid the palms. ' ' '. ' " A soft golden light was 1 diffused over the scene, and" oriental rugs: were:.scat-., tered profusely along three -sides, .pf the theatre, the centre of the ilpor l)em<r.left bare for the amateur 'ballefk.*"' The guests sat W divaiis and cushions along the 1 sides, alb'drfesseditiii oriental costumes,- many -of which, wej!<3. flopipd. ■from o]d editions of the Arabian-.Nights. .The whole effect, was; one great.blaze of color, jieightened by \-£2,lWftsM'-wPrth of jewels'worn liot offll-y '■%' wotnoii-, but also by ineh, who .borrowed- fromi,their, wives Ijo complete their own ..costumes.

' .JIvWE.LLEU :Many women 'had jewels .set, jit tlipir. slippers, which they considered "specially appropriate becaiise of their ability-tip display them when sitting! :oti the-fcu9h-. ioned floor. . . .• r i Russian, Persian, and gipsy quadrille* and biVllets of the seasons were danced by yonjig society people 'in'the centre' of tiio'theatre, after which an'abbreviatededition' of the "The Merry . Countess," , lasting, fifty minutes, was performed, on the stnige by the New York Casino company, sixty-five, wlii'cft madea special journey from New York-for.-the-purpose. ■ ' ' ,i ; Supper .was served on,small tables on verandahs, decorated, with baiiana ajid' orange ; trees, and other Easterri'groi,vtWs. In the middle of 'supperWfloftt :: m theform of an -oriental garden wis wheeled among the guests. Mrs Vanderbilt sat on the. floor under a palm tree attended by two,men servants m who distributed costly favors,' "mitny of which were engrayed witlr;the Vanderbilt crest in imitation of royalty. 1 These included golden slippers, golden cigarette cases, ivory carvings; h'and-paiiited- faft's, and Indian mosaic boxes.*'..'A'bail then followed, and a .buffet supper wa,s aprved later, and dancing continued |until after daylight.' "• " ' ' Some of Mrs' Variderbil-t's'SwcletyTwals arc . declaring that she should-inot' given Credit for as much originality as Mrs Fish. They declare that she simply imitated Persian, fetes. giyen'This year in Paris by Countess de Ch&nibiiMri arid Countess "de Clermont Toimerre, but since tie Vanderbilt ball Wic most lavish expenditure of, money for a single fentertainment that America has ever known .Mrs Vanderbilt's'laMls Art safe, i . ' f ''" 51 '