Those who organized and completed the arrangement for the Washington Birthday Anniversary Ball, held at the Town Hall on Saturday night, under the auspices of the American Ca., S.V.C., are heartily to be congratulated upon' the success of their entertainment. In every respect the ball ranks as one of the best on record in the annals of this anniversary, and the new scheme of decoration was the subject of universal praise.
The accommodation of the Town Hall for dancing is limited, now that the gymnasium is not available for a supper room, but on Saturday night there -was ample space, the elimination of the ordinary island in the centre of the floor, no supper at the west end of the hall, and the orchestra being placed at the head (east) end, with a sounding board, greatly increasing the floor space.
The main entrance and staivease to the Hall were handsomely decorated and prettily arched with bamboo. Stolid Sikh troopers with uniform and lance were stationed at the landings, and at the bead of the stairs, immediately before the entrance to the dancing hall, the inimitable Boy Scouts were in attendance, in uniform, to hand out programmes and answer inquiries.
The decorations which were designed by Mr. A, C. Row, of the British-American Tobacco No., and carried out by the general and subcommittees, were certainly the prettiest seen in the Town Hall. At the west end of the hall, on a raised platform, was a well designed and excellently painted rephivc of the Mount Vernon home of Washington, as viewed from the Potomac River. Down the sides of the hall were alcoves, their pillared and arched frontage being gracefully set in off with artificial cherry trees; which had very pretty effects under the searchlights that played from the gallery. The ceiling was trellized with evergreens, above which electric globes of subdued light from time to time threw various colours on the dancing throng.
With no fewer than 1,200 guests present it was really wonderful how accommodation was made for all. Naturally the ball room was crowded, but not to such tas has been experienced on previous occasions with half the number of people present. There was no sit: down supper, that being impossible in the limited space, but in the ante-room, formerly used as a Volunteer Club room, there was a guests could at any time partake of an excellent cold collation, dishes of all kinds and perfect quality, and lemon and: claret cups; while down the outer corridor was a bar room in which those who required more potent liquids, cigars, etc., were well served.
The sub-committees of the departments in charge of the ser are to be congratulated. At Chinese New Year it is a very difficult
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.