First Ball of the Season by the Family Circle Dancing Club: 1-3-1881

The Family Circle Dancing Club took entire possession of the upper portion of Delmonico's last night, and seldom has that famous establishment been the scene of a so grand gathering of the representatives of the first society of New York. Since eight years ago, when the club was organized, its parties have been among the most quietly elegant affairs of the season, and that of last evening the first in a public place was no exception to the others. Formerly the club had met at the residences of each of the following people: Mr. William Astor, Col. Delancey Kane, Mr. Butler Duncan, Mr. Ward McAllister, Mr. George Henry Warren and Mr. Louis C. Jones. These parties were always exceedingly select, but of late years the attendance has been too large for any private residence, and this year it was decided to give a series of parties at Delmonico's. Those to follow will occur on Jan. 31, Feb. 28, and April 19. The last will be a fancy or "powdered" ball. The cards for that of last evening were limited to 225, and the efforts to secure admission beyond that number met with unqualified failure. The decorations, though not extensive, were in rare good taste. The profusion of hand bouquets was only equaled by the choice varieties of flowers used in their construction. The reception-rooms and the supper-room on the second floor were set about with handsome ferns and fine tropical plants and no attempt at elaborate decoration was made even in the ball-room. The chandeliers were gracefully draped with smilax and bunches of roses. The balcony was hung with garlands of green, while opposite, in an advantageous position, appeared the letters "F.C.D.C." in artificial flowers.

The dancing began before 11 o'clock, the collation was worthily enjoyed in due course, and the scene had lost none of its brilliancy at an early hour in the morning. There were present a few over a hundred ladies. Several Parisian dresses were greatly admired during the evening. The elegance of the diamonds was another remarkable feature of the occasion. Among those whose costumes aroused particular interest were Mrs. Astor, Mrs. Wetmore, Mrs. D'Hautville, Mrs. Paran Stevens, Mrs. Howland, Miss Livingstone, Miss De Ruyter, Mrs. Bird ,Miss Lanier, Mrs. Kane, Mrs. Neilson, Miss Vanderbilt, and Miss Rutherford. Artificial floral trimming was a feature of the costumes, as well as the absence of anything in the way of ornamentation, except diamonds, even on the part of those who wore few of those gems. A list of those present includes the following: Mrs. William Astor and Miss Astor, Mr. and Mrs. W.W. Astor, Mr. and Mrs. Robert Goelet, Mr. and Mrs. Ogden Goelet, Mr. and Mrs. George Peabody Wetmore, Mr. and Mrs. Ward McAllister.

Mr. and Mrs. F.S.G.D'Hautville, Mr. and Mrs. Pierre Lorillard, Mrs. Paran Stevens, Mr. and Mrs. Cavendish Bentick, Mrs. Pierpont Morgan, Mrs. Byam K. STevens, Mr. and Mrs. William Rhinelander Stewart, Mr. and Mrs. George Henry Warren, Mr. and Mrs. S. W. Bridgham, Mr. and Mrs. S.S. Howland, Mr. and Mrs. John Steward, Jr., Gen. and Mrs. McClellan and Miss McClellan, Mr. and Mrs. F.Sheldon, Mr. and Mrs. Edwin A. Post and Miss Post, Mr. Johnston Livingstone and Miss Livingstone, Mr. and Mrs. M. Morgan and Miss Morgan, Mr. and Mrs. E. Morgan and Miss Morgan, Mr. and Mrs. J.L. Lee, Mr. and Mrs. John J. Kane, Mrs. and Miss Marie, Mr. Peter Marie and Miss S. Marie, Mr. and Mrs. Bayard Cutting, Mr. and Mrs. Delancey Kane, Mr. and Mrs. W.D. Morgan, Mr. and Mrs. James B. Potter, Viscount Lymington, Mr. Herman R. Leroy, Baron Blanc.

Marquis del San Marzano, Mr. E.N. Taylor and Miss Taylor, Mrs. G.L. Hoyt and Miss Gertrude Hoyt, Mr. and Mrs. J.F. Stone, Mr. A.R. Harter, Mr. and Mrs. Roland Redmond, Miss Vanderbilt, Mr. and Mrs. T. B. Baldwin, Mr. Rutherford and Miss Rutherford, Mr. H. Pell and Miss E. Pell, Mrs. F.R. Reeves and the Misses Reeves, Mr. and Mrs.. R.G. Remson and the Misses Remson, Mrs. C.G. Peters, Mrs. Oothout and Miss Oothout, Mrs. Travis Van Buren, Mrs. Martin Van Buren, Mrs. Lloyd S. Bryce, Mr. C.N. Harris, Mr. B.S. Wells and Miss Wells, Mr. B. Wells, Jr., Mrs. Philip Allen, Mrs. G.C. Allen, Mr. F.T. Iselin, Miss Appleton, Mr. G.G.  Howland, Mr. Lloyd Aspinwall, Mr. Frank Griswold, Dr. Dawson, Mrs. and Miss Murray, Miss Isellin, Mr. and Mrs. Cobert Iselin, Mr. Morgan Post, Mrs. De Ruyter and Miss De Ruyter, Mr. Walter Kingsland, the Misses Emmett, Mr. F.H. Baldwin, Mr. R.A. Gamble, Mr. H.R. Pratt, Mr. T. Maitland, Mr. J.L. Harriman, Mr. J.F. Tams, Mr. F. Gebhard, Mrs. Bird and Miss Bird, Mr. and Mrs. George H. Bend, Mr. H.M. Sands, Mrs. Robbins and Miss May Robbins, Miss Kate Bulkley, Mr. M.S. Kane, Mr. Nicholson Kane, Mr. F.T. Martin, Mr. Oakley Rhinelander, Mr. Le Grand Cannon ,Mr. Harry Stevens, Mr. and Mrs. Coleman Dayton, Mr. John G. Hecksher.

Mr. Center Hitchcock, Mr. C.F. Winthroop, Mr. and Mrs. Theodore Roosevelt, Mr. W.B. Cooper, Mr. and Mrs. C.R. Hone, Mr. J.C. Cram, Mr.R. Mortimer, Jr., Mr. Levi D'Oremleux, Mr. J.H. Hammersley, Mr. C.L. Wilks, Mr. E.S. Wilks, Mr. George M. Miller and Miss Miller, Mr. F.K. Pendleton, Mr. John L. Cadwalader, Mr. and Mrs. Maturin Livingston and Miss Livingston, Mrs. Torrance and Miss Torrance, the Misses Carroll, of Baltimore; Mr. Lispenard Stewart and Miss Minnie Stewart, Mr. and Mrs. L.C. Hammersley, Mr. Augustus Belmont, Jr., Mr. Alexander Duncan and Miss May Duncan, Mr. Charles Lanier and Miss Lanier, Mr. William Cutting, and Mr. O.K. King.