The San Francisco Call. Newspaper, July 26, 1903, Page 12

ROM the first settlement of Cali- fornia by the Americans the gal- lant wearers of the buttons—both army and navy—have been prom- inent features in the life of San Francisco. Even some of the principal streets are named for them, such as Montgomery, Dupont, Jackson, Washing- ton, Fremont, Grant avenue, etc. But it s perhaps as hosts that the majority of them are remembered in our midst, and thelr parties have been of every imagin- able kind, including balls, dances, lunch- eons, picnics by sea and land, afternoon receptions afloat and ashore, garden par- ties and weddings; and when not actually figuring as entertainers themselves they have proved the motive for some very elaborate functions at the hands of our city fathers and other dwellers within the Btate. The Presidio was almost as famous for good cheer in the o'd days as it is at present. There were fewer but more breakfasts and luncheons given by the officers to small parties of friends. The first dance of any importance which ed the dignity of a ball was given 1859, in celebration of the tenth anniversary of the establishment of the post. Mrs. C. C. Keeney—afterward Mrs. ‘William Alvord—who died on May 2 last, received the guests for the of- ficers, among whom were Major after- ward General E. D. Key Lieutenant afterward Adjutant General of the Army H. G. Gibson, Lieutenant = ‘terward Gen- eral J. B. McPherson, kilicd during the ! War; Lieutenant w. afterward a Confederatg offic ant afterward General George Hi ¥ Captain afterward Brigadier General Bimpson, Surgeon C. C. Keeney, etc. A very popular couple were Colonel and Mrs. Thomas Swords, who were here for several years a t the close of the 57's. Colonel Swords was chief guartermaster of the Department of California, and they were the recipients of many social hospi- talities, which they were anxio: to turn, but living at a hotel were ¥ doubt how it could be done. Finally Admiral (then captain) who was always ready for such affa offered Mrs. Swords the United Sia surveying steamer Active for an exc sion on the bay, which was promptly ac cepted. As the day fixed for the p was one of great beauty—as October hereabouts usually are—the affair e delightful one. Mrs. Swords had pro vided a band of music for dancing, which was induiged in vigorously while (he steamer tour around the bay, roming to a stop off Sau v an tlaborate was served ) there was more dancing while the steam »r made a run up the bay to Mare Island sefore the pleasant day c to an end The following Colonel and Mrs. Bwords supplemented this with a ball given at the residence of iishiop Kip, on Rincon Hill, where the Swords resided Suring the absence of the Bishop's fam- in Europe. This was one of much brilliancy, for owing to the presence of a British man-of-war (flagship) in port she admiral and his officers, who were among Mrs. Swords' guests, and those of t)e United States service all wore their uniforms, and the black coats were decid- minority The military ball which has been most wiaely known fame was undoubtedly the one given by General and Mrs., Mec- Dowell at the Occidental in January, 1885, for not alone was it extensively written up by the daily press, but it was immor- telized in Jobn F. Swift's novel, *“Robert Greathouse,” where McDowell figured under the name of General Chainshot. The ball was given about the close of the war and did much to smooth the strained relations and promote a kindlier feeling between those whose leanings wore de- ciaedly North and South, as was =0 'arge- ly the case at that time. General Mec- Dowell was exceedingly fond of having people about him and giving the young dances, Ald, proved made a Juncheon me vear to : TH %, folks a good ume, and to him may be awarded the credit of the first garden parties in San Francisco. To be sure, they were simple affairs diamonds in the rough, so to speak, but they were very pleasant. The grounds at Black Point, now known as Fort Mason, were then (the middle sixties) very uncultivated, but there was always a good military band in attendance and a large unfurnished, uncarpeted room to dance in, and the refreshments were usual y sandwi~hes and lemonade. These were given the first Thursday afternooh of every month and were sometimesipreceged by a review at the Presidio in honor of some visiting notable, ltke H. R. H. le Duc de Pen- thievre in 1366 and Governor Kennedv of British Columbia the following year. During General McDowell's second sta- tion on the coast Black Point was again the scene of merry parties, notably in 1880, when he there entertained President Hayes, and in October 1352, he gave a large ball there as a sort of adfeu just prior to his retirement from active ser- This was followed by a reception en him on that event becoming an ac- complizhed fact. Tt took place October 14. at the Occidental, when his hosts were the officers of the army then stationed here. Next in the line of army garden parties those given by General and Mrs Kautz, at Angel Island. in 1881 and 158 where on Saturddy afternoons their friends always enjoyed a couple of hours’ dancing. General Schofield, who succeed- ed Gereral McDowell, was also a frequent entertainer at Black Point. and among others the garden parties were ¢specially notable it was In 1866 that General H. W. leck returned here to take command of this department. The Hallecks had re- sided here before the Civil War broke out and had a very handsome home on what was then called Second Street Hill, just atove Folsom street. Here they again took up their abode, announcing their in- tention of making it very gay -and Mis. Halleck in the month of April opened the programme by giving a large ball, fol- lowed by a series of receptions, at which 1l the world and his wife appeared. Mrs lalleck was assistea at these receptions by the lovely wives of her husband's two alds, Captain H. A. Huntington and Col- onel R. M. Scott, and as Mrs. Halleck was herse f a vely handsome woman, whih Mrs. Huntington and Mrs. § a trio of more beautiful women it would have been difficult to find. vice. were Hal- eated ¥ before or Charles A. A button beait who probably ¢ stir in our midst than a Brigadier Genera more since Whittier, who cut a sucial world in 1846, when he came to the ccast upon aff. Me was youthful looking in the extreme to be a general and he w dubbed by (he fair sex *‘the infant brigadier.”” Whit- tier was in great demand at every Kind of function, from the small the grand bail, and he returned these hospt- (alities by giving a couple of yachting parties on the bay on the pilot boat C ing. However, on the second one the party was becalmed near the Heads, where they were forced to spend the night in a dense bank of fog, so this form of pleasure seeking was abandoned nem con. But our button hosts were by no means confined to the army; the navy surely has divided the honors fairly from a very early period, commencing with Captain Alden, who was in command of the sur- veying steamer Active. He and his suc- cessor, Captain Richard M. Cuyler, were both men who were fond of society and gay frolics and never lost a chance of having one on board the vessel. Captain Alden had his wife with him and she, making her home on the Active, had many luncheons on board. Cuyler was a was wide swath in sur General Halleck's s soon dinner to sh- SUNDAY CALL. bachelor, but that did not prevent his fol- lowing in his prede jor's footsteps. He gave frequent moonlight rowing parties on the bay and when the Active went anywhere on short trips he always took & jolly crowd with him. Admiral Bell— then called flag officer—gave a series of luncheons on board the Lancaster when it first appeared in these waters early in the sixties, and among his officers was Lieutenant W. Scott Schley, who, as Ad- miral Schley, has recently so extensively figured before the public. Another >t tke officers”of this period was Paymaster Pelham Ames, now so well known as the father of nu" present soclety beau, orthy.” The first naval ball on board ship in our harbor was given on the frigate Lancas- ter. which was under command of Cap- tain E. P. McCrea, by the wardroom offi- cers in June, 1865. The decks were can- vased In, lighted with lanterns and can- dles and prettily decorated, and as the Lancaster's band was one of much cx- cellence, the dance was a delightful on:. This was followed a month later by a subscription ball glven at the Occldental Hotel to Admiral Pearson_and his officers by those who had been iffvited to the ball on board ship and proved a charming one. The next naval ball in the bay took place on board the United BStates steamer Vanderbilt in October, 1866, but as the night was inclement it did not prove so succeseful as the other. The officers of the Pensacola, whicn succeeded the Lan- caster as flagship, gave a serles of after- noon dances on board, but did not at- tempt any evening entertainments. It was about this time that Lieutepant Com- mandcr Cushing, the hero of the Aibe- marle, gave a yachting party in honor of Miss Eila Maxwell, to whom he was very devoted. She was the reigning beauty and belle of the day and one of the trio known as “the three Macks.” who figured during the early sixty decade, the other two be- ing Miss Mollie McMullin and Miss .dc- Nulty. How many are there remaining who can recall the ball given on board I. B. M Zealous In July, 1870, followed by a long series of weekly afternoon dances on that man-of-war while it was in port duiing the time of the Franco-German war. The ball given by the young gen- tiemen of the city at Pacific Hall, over the old California Theater, to Admiral Farquhar and his officers as a slight re- turn for their many hospitalities is still talked of as something to date from. A more hospitable place than the navy yard at Mare Island cannot easily be found; dinners and dances among the resi- dents are always taking place, and large alls have been given there since the island was first occupied as a naval tion. One of the first notable affairs was an afternoon dance given by Captain Phjlip Fendel of the Marine Corps to in- augurate the new marine barracks. To this the guests came up by the regular steamer from town, returning the way, but at the balls and recep- given by some of the men-of-war for a time, or on the arrival of new commandant, the dances take in the large sail loft, and the guests from the city are brought up on a specially chartered steamer, as_ for instance the ball given to Commodore and Mrs. Phelps in February, 1881, which was a remarkably handsome affair, but that is only one out of many. It is not alone as hosts themselves that the button-wearers have been promi- nent, but some of the most briillant en- tertainments ever given in these parts have been to do honor to those high in rank of both army and navy, foreign and natfonal. The summer of 18 was es- pecially noted for two functions the brilliancy of which has never been ex- ceeded. One was the ball given by our Spanish residents in honor of the Span- {sh Admiral Pinzon and the officers of his sta- tions there some place = =\ 7\ TS - squadron—this by the way was the first of that nationality which had visited this port since California became part of the United States. At the ball there were no less than five .admirals and their officers present—the Spanish, Russian, French, English and United States, and, as they all appeared in uniform, the display of buttons and gold lace was truly dazzling. This ball was given at Platt's Hall, where the Mills building now stands, on the evening of October 16, 1863. Those on the committee of reception * were Camillo Martin, F. San Jurjo, Henry Tricou, Tib« urclo Parrott, Henry Schmiedell, H. Toler Booraem, Fred Macondray, W. C. Little, Ed Pinnix, J. Foard and P. Garvey. More important probably and on a grander scale, but hardly more brilliant, was the ball given by the city to the Russfan Admiral Popoff and the officers of his fleet at Union Hall just a month later, November 17, 1363. Platt's was a dark hall and difficult to light up, as a consequence the ladles’ costumes did not show to advantage. This could not be said of Union Hall, which could be made almost as bright as day. Flowers and fo- llage were not in those days so much used for decorating l!arge halls as now, the national colors were deemed sufficient and almost solely put to use. But on this occasion something quite novel was at- tempted and proved very effective. On both sides of the hall, which was an im- mense one, pillars and arches were erect- ed and wreathed around with green vines; from the ‘center of each arch was sus- pended a gilt cage containing birds which tried to drown the music of the band with their sweet notes. Then there were portaits of the Russian Emperor and Empress and George Washington and large allegorical pictures surrounded by sheaves of wheat and corn wreaths and mottos, so that on the whole it was, up to that time, the most lavishly deco- rated ballroom San Francisco had ever seen. All the civic notables, foreign Con. suls, army and navy officers, were among the guests and the following gentlemen constituted the committce of arranges ments: Governor F. F. Low, Judge Og- den Hoffman, Brigadier General Wright, U. 8. A.; Admiral Bell, U. 8. N.; General| L. H. Allen, Colonel C. L. Taylor, Majo: John Hewston, Captain W. C. Little, Col«' lector Charles J. James, W. B. Farwell, W. C. Ralston, Charles Walcott Brookesay Willlam R. Garrison; Fred Macondray, J. Ward Eu , Fred MacCrellish, W. Re Greenwood, Mayor H. P. Coon, Major Ey Sparrow Purdy, Eugene Casserly, L. Hi| Washburn, B. C. Howard, R. Chenery. The three most brilllant private b given to officers of high rank all tools place at Belmont. Two were civen by Ralston, whose guests were Admiral Fare agut in September, 1869, and General W. T. Sherman in September, 1870, while Gen= eral Grant was the hero to whom Senae tor Sharon did honor in October, 1879, Ralston al s did everything in a most princely style. Carriages called for the guests in town to take them to the spe- clal train which conveyed them to Bel- mont; there they found the entire house thrown open, a superb band of music te dance to and a magnificent supper. While Ralston’s balls were smaller in size and decidedly more enjoyable, the Sharon- Grant ball was a gorgeous affair and more of a semi-public character as all political gatherings must naturally be. General Sherman and General Schofleld were jolnt guests of honor 2t a ball given by the city in the dining-room of the Lick House a couple of weeks after the Ralston entertainment September 15, 1870 The afternoon receptions on board the Philadelphia and the balls at the Presidio, especially the one given by the cavalry at that post a few seasons ago, are well remembered and of so recent a date as not to reauire extended mention here. Button ¢otillons leaders are now among the most popular in-our swim, in fact there are few ' civilians who can compete with them. 'r'he first in that line was Lieutenant Willlam M. Tompkins of the Third Artillery, who flourished here in 1863-4 as one of the best duucers in the United States army, though closely pressed by Colonel Willium R. Smed. f’m\':) L Il LLECE & AL TOEZEDY FH CHTZILY G - GBI