FREAKS OF THE RICH

New Zealand Times, Volume XXX, Issue 6493, 13 April 1908, Page 3

FREAKS OF THE RICH

A FLASH DINNER. Mr Robert Collier, described in the newspapers as a “society leader/’ gave on© of the most el a Dora to apd undoubtedly th© mod; expensive dinners ever served in bnerry’s Restaurant, New. York, recently. Two ballrooms were transformed, at enormous .expense* to represent scenes from Spam, tho first being a replica of a room in the house of a Spanish grandee, and the second representing the courtyard in front of the Royal Palace at Madrid. The guests were seated at eight tables surrounding the courtyard, which was decorated with trees. The branches of some of tho trees touched th© ceiling of tho ballroom, which was specially painted to represent tbo sky, while realistic lighting effects wore secured by means of shaded electric lamps susx>ended from posts. In th© centre of th© courtyard a stag© was erected, where scenes from the entertainments now running at three theatres were given by tn© original performers. Tho dinner did not begin until midnight, because of th© necessity of waiting for the arrival of th© chorus girls from th© Casino Theatre, with the dogs which appear in th© "Collie Ballet,” which is a feature of th© Casino ©nterfcainment. Th© dogs were fed at a separate table. Tb© other guests included Mrs John Jacob Astor, Mr and Mrs William K. Vanderbilt, and Mark Twain; Mr Collier endeavoured to keep the affair secret, but the gathering of so many well-known people at so late an hour attracted great attention. ■