SCENIC BANQUET.

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume XXXIX, Issue 12772, 25 May 1912, Page 2 (Supplement)

SCENIC BANQUET.

MOUNTAIN STREAM ON TABLE NEW YORK, March 30.

The American craze for novel dinner effects reached' a' climax at a costly "progressive banquet of the seasons,*' given at the Hotel Astor to 16 persons comprising] six different nationalities. The guests on arriving were' Ushered into a reception room, where ;they were entertained by Venetian . musicians. Presently the dinner ..was'., announced,, arid a group of four persons' was ushered irito the 'banqueting hall arid seated at table. The centre of the table was occupied by a four-sided miniature mountain, of which, only one side was visible at a time. The foui* diners, led by Count and Countess Sobesky, were seated before the side of the mountain representing an autumn seene — a hillside covered with autumn foliage, with, at its base, a cosy ' farmhouse, a field of golden wheat, and an orchard with ruddy apples on the boughs of the trees. On the bridge crossing =a stream of real water were miniature figures of fishermen catching miniature fish.

The four diners who were seated m front of this scene ate their oysters and soup, and then moved on to the second sjde of the mountain, which showed the same hillside during the winter. Smoke came from the farmhouse chimney and skaters and an iceboat moyed by electricity passed over the. frozen stream. This scene was set with the fish and entree courses, while a second group of diners filled the autumn . places just vacated. ' The two groups again moved onward, and a third group entered, while the first continued dinner before the hillside as seen m spring. The trees showed faintly tinged with green leaves, a sail boat floated down the stream, while a woman at the farmhouse door waved to her children who were departing to school. While- tlie last group began its progress round the table the first finished with ices and coffee before a summer scene, m which mechanical boys m endless succession dived into the stream, .while other figures swung, m hammocks' under the fruit trees m full foliage. As the diners finished they passed into a third room, where they listened to operatic singers until joined by the others. The pinner is tlie most elaborate ever given m New York. The host spent £200 m electrical effects alone for his scenic table decorations.