A MILLIONAIRE'S FEAST.

Temuka Leader, Issue 1158, 29 March 1884, Page 3

A MILLIONAIRE'S FEAST.

Mr Vanderbilt gave a great ball last week, which is said to have ' surpassed anything ever done in that line' by the ' Queen of England or the Prince of Wales, whether in Buckingham Palace or at Marlborough House.' A few days before the great event came off Mr Vanderbilt is reported to have said—' I have put my mind to this thing. It will lay over all Europe.' 'Do you really hope to vie with the English aristocracy's great balls ¥ he was asked. ' Wait and see,' said Mr Vanderbilt- 'Depend upon it it will be a snorter.' The entertainment seems to have been more elegant than his language. The decorations, the supper, the music, the toilettes, had been discussed and weighed and pondered over for weeks. The costumes worn by the ladies are said to have been very beautiful. A few hundreds of them were ordered from Worth, Pingat, and other Parisian houses, but the great majority of them were made under the supervision of c ,our leading modistes.' Every lady wore a new costume. The display of diamonds was unusual even in New York. Several million dollars'worth of the rarest jewels were worn, and at least a half-dozen detectives in full evening dress took part in the festivities to protect the gems. 1 Mrs W. H. Vanderbilt wore a Worth costume, trimmed with a lace flounce, valued at 2000- dols. The two large houses belonging to the family were thrown open and appeared as one. They were so arranged, when built, sliding doors being placed between the two large vestibules. Those vestibules appeared like a large hall, and were decked on either side with flowers, ferns, and palms. The ball-room of each house had the floor highly polished so as to resemble a mirror, and flowers bloomed everywhere. It was Mr Va'nderbilt's idea to turn the house into a veritable rose garden. All the florists were buying and forcing roses for the occasion. Several thousands of dollars' worth of flowers came from the far South, where they were grown to order. Magnolias, jasmines, vines, orange trees, oleanders, and beautiful Texas roses, with their delicate perfume, mingled with Northern roses. It is estimated that the floral decorations cost 20,000 dols. The supper was the most elegant ever served in America. Every delicacy that money could buy was on the tables, and the best chefs in the city worked for two weeks concocting the dishes. The supper was served by Deimonico. assisted by Vanderbilt's own corps of cooks and waiters. Over 200 waiters, the very best in the city, served. Wines, the rarest and costliest, flowed as freely as water, and the china and the silver were of the finest. It is said that each napkin used was worth sdols. The supper cost, including the wines, in the neighborhood lof 50,000d015. The tables were decked with masterpieces in fancy creams, pyramids of fruits, jellies, bonbons. An entertainment worthy of a millionaire.