 The Sunday Gazetteer Sunday, February 5, 1888 GRAND BALL AND FESTIVAL The Educational Association of Pottsboro Royally Entertains Its Friends No event with so good an object ever received less favor from the powers which direct sublunary affairs than did the grand ball and festival given at the Orme Hall, Pottsboro, on Thursday evening last, by the Pottsboro Educational Association. The purpose of the association in giving the entertainment was that of raising funds for the liquidation of a debt still remaining upon the fine school building erected in the village last year. But while the financial success of the enterprise was made to constitute its principal importance, such generous arrangements were made for the entertainment of guests as were calculated to make it a social achievement second to none that has ever taken place in the county. The festival was extensively advertised and all arrangements perfected, when, on Wednesday, it began to rain. Added to this unpopropitious circumstance, the sudden death of Mrs. A.W. Hulett - one of the prime movers in the affair - cast a gloom over the coming event, and, for a time, its postponement was thought inevitable. On mature deliberation, however, the association concluded that it would be fatal to postpone in the short time left them, and it was accordingly decided to have the entertainment take place. It affords the Gazetteer great pleasure to state that notwithstanding all these misfortunes the event was, socially, a grand success, and financially, almost as much so. A large delegation from Denison had arranged to go over, but the fearfully inclement character of the weather and the uncertainty of the entertainment being given, cut the crowd down to an eighth of what it would have been had the weather been fine. However, the following ladies and gentlemen boarded the afternoon train, having first telegraphed over to make sure that the ball would certainly take place: Mr. B.C. Murray, proprietor of the Sunday Gazetteer, wife and daughter; Miss Dulce, Mr. and Mrs. J.K. Hurd, Mrs. J.H. Winnett, Mr. Will J. Scott, Mr. and Mrs. Lorenzo Howe and the Philharmonic Orchestra, under the direction of Mr. W.A. Everett, which had been engaged to furnish music for the occasion. In addition to these, quite a crowd of young people came over on the evening train, so that, on the whole, Denison was very well represented after all. Arriving at Pottsboro, the Denison delegation was conducted to the Pottsboro Hotel by Judge J.H. Cummins, of the invitation committee, where the afternoon was quietly but pleasantly spent. Here supper was partaken of, and the Gazetteer would be wanting in gastronomic appreciation did it fail to allude to the exceptional excellence of the meal. Such deliciously cooked meats, fowl and vegetables, and such exquisite pastries are seldom found at a public hostelry anywhere, and are a surprise to the editorial stomach, which must find expression in print. At 7:30 p.m. the committee on arrangements announced everything in readiness for the reception of guests and an adjournment was made to the rooms in the second story of the Orme Block, where the entertainment was to take place. These rooms consist of two capacious halls, one of which was used for dancing, the other for a supper room, and a smaller apartment which was made to serve as a ladies' dressing and cloak room. In the supper room three very long tables were set, and presided over as follows: Table No. 1 - Mrs. J.H. Cummins, assisted by Mesdames Reeves, O'Dell and Daughtery. A more beautiful or tempting sight than this table, with its snow cloth and napkins, its glittering silver, fancy cakes, ornaments and flowers, has never greeted the eye of the writer. Chief among the adornments of this table and paramount among the attractions of the supper room were a monster eight-story cake and two table ornaments made from butter, all of which were marvels of beauty and skill. The cake was of three kinds, chocolate, coco and silver, was exquistly frosted and ornamented, and measured five feet in height. It owed its existence to the combined culinary genius of Mesdames Reeves, O'Dell and Daugherty. The butter ornaments were in the form of aetruscan vases filled with ferns, and were beautiful, artistic and wonderful beyond our weak power to describe. They were the work of Mrs. Reeves.  Table
No. 2 - Mrs. J.A. Potts, assisted by Misses Ida Dobbs and Lula O'Dell.
This table was a marvel of elegant garnishment, and though we did
not hear it uttering any of the conventional groans under its burden,
it might have been excuse for doing so, for certainly the festal board
never supported a more generous load of table delicacies. Table No. 3 - Mrs. Thos. Kimbrough, assisted by Mesdames Wm. Chiles and Mary McAdams, and Misses Clara Chiles, Mary Scott and Lillie Casler. All that has been said of table No. 2 may be appropriately applied to this one, and in fact everything connected with the supper room and its management merits the most effusive praise. The receipts from tables were as follows: No. 1, $25; No. 2, $10; No. 3, $20. The gross receipts of the entertainment were $115. Expenses, $50; net proceeds, $65.00. At 7:45 dancing was commenced in the southern apartment, and was kept up in a continuous round of enjoyment until 12:30 a.m., when the arrival of the train which was to carry the Denison delegation and orchestra back to the city brought to a close one of the most pleasant entertainments that has ever taken place in the county. The crowd was large, there being not less than four hundred people present, but was nothing like it would have been had the weather been favorable. The floor management was presided over by Mr. W.B. Chiles, and was of a character to call for the highest praise. During the evening the monster cake above alluded to was voted upon to be donated to the lady present who should secure the most votes - ten cents being charged for each vote. The names of Misses Clara and Lillie Chiles and Mrs. B.C. Murray were put in nomination, and the cake voted to Mrs. Murray by a small majority. Mrs. Murray donated the cake back to the committee, but at the conclusion of the entertainment Mr. E.D. Macready in a neat and happy speech returned it to Mrs. Murray, insisting on behalf of the ladies of the association that she accept it. The cake was too large to be carried on the train, and was consequently left to be shipped over by express. The Denison delegation are loud in their praises of Pottsboro hospitality, and will not be slow in accepting an invitation to enjoy it upon any future occasion. Miss Maud Cummings and Mr. George Jones presided over the sale of tickets to the banquet, and in this capacity rendered most efficient service to the committee. The mammoth eight-story pyramid cake voted to Mrs. B.C. Murray at the Pottsboro festival and ball on Thursday was brought to the city Saturday by Mr. E.D. Macready. It has been placed on exhibition at the Star Store and will be raffled off at 25 cents a chance, the proceeds to go to the Pottsboro Educational Association to assist in the liquidation of the debt upon their school.  Pottsboro School History Susan Hawkins © 2024 If you find any of Grayson CountyTXGenWeb links inoperable, please send me a message. |