The Presbyterian Ball Controversy
A proposed tournament and dance in Seattle triggers anxiety and confusion within the First Presbyterian Church congregation.
The story, cleaned up
A cleaned-up reading of the newspaper page: spelling and layout repaired, one story lifted off a crowded page. It follows the original closely but it is not a transcription. The original page is below; read it if a detail matters.
The announcement in connection with the proposed tilting tournament to be given shortly by a number of Seattle people, that the tournament would close with a grand ball, created something like a sensation in the congregation of the First Presbyterian church, because of the accompanying announcement that the affair was to be given for the benefit of that church. Dr. Alison, the pastor, was kept in a continual stew yesterday by the constant ringing of his telephone and anxious inquiries concerning the ball, and many a good laugh was enjoyed over the affair. The truth of the matter is that the tournament is not being arranged by the church, which has nothing to do with it, unless it is to accept the proceeds. The tournament itself will take place at Madison Park in the afternoon, but, according to the custom in the South, the queen will be crowned in the evening at Ranke's Hall. After the coronation it is the custom to have dancing, a conspicuous part of which is the 'royal set.'
“Dr. Alison, the pastor, was kept in a continual stew yesterday by the constant ringing of his telephone.”
Public reaction to the intersection of church fundraising and secular leisure highlights a classic tension in Seattle's history, as a burgeoning city navigated the divide between strict traditional morals and the social customs of a rapidly growing urban center.
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