Rensselaer Semi-Weekly Republican, Volume 37, Number 19, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 10 March 1905 — THE INAUGURAL BALL. [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

THE INAUGURAL BALL.

Event Whose Name le Misleading, • Scene of Lavish Splendor. The inaugural ball, held in the pension building at night, was the final great feature of inauguration day. This ball—which is not a ball, by the way; only a grand spectacle on the most extravagant ” scab —dimmed the glories of all its predecessors. It was the dream of thousands crystallized into life and light, color and rhythm. It filled many a fair woman's cup of ambition brimming full and running over. It dowered many a blameless

man with a happy, ever-present boast for all his remaining days. It filled thousands of hearts with memories that will be cherished proudly to the tomb. The scene of these splendors was the great pension building, which is generous enough to encompass a city square; and tall enough to swallow a sky scraper. In its center is a court large enough to hold a church, spire and all, and the court is surrounded by endless colonnadea rising tier above tier. This hall, with gigantic proportions befitting the great republic, was draped with a wilderness of flowers and greene and flags and gay stuffs, and the whole flooded with the dazzling radiance of a myriad of electric lights. Southern ivy ran riot in delicate traceries. Evergreen ropes circled the hall in curving pendants. Palms of many kinds reared theif

fronded heads in lofty pride above ferns, bays and lesser plants, while genestaa lent their yellow blossoms and apyrea japonicns their white plumes to the mazs of color. Probably no more beautiful scene was ever witnessed in America than the ball room presented. It was a dream of light effects and flowers. More than 100.000 roses and a quarter of a million carnations and spring blossoms were required to carry out the ambitious designs of the decorators. Most of the society women who attended the ball wore flowers instead of jewels for (irnaineuts, Probably so many flowers—nor so many distinguished people, nor so many fine gowns, nor so many beautiful women—were never before gathered within the walls of an American building as were to be seen Saturday evening in the famous pension building. Within that barracks-like structure was a vision of beauty unsurpassed. amply compensating for its ugly exterior. The groat event nt the hall was the arrival of President and Mrs. Roosevelt and their party. They came about 0 o’clock and remained ag Jiour. promenading once around the huge floor between dense crowds of admiring and applauding onlookers. Afterward the President held an informal reception in the apartments set apart for his use.

MRS. ROOSEVELT.