The Masquerade That Captivated Seattle
At the height of winter, Seattle’s socialites and laborers alike donned disguises for a night of revelry at Brown’s Pavilion, blending classes in a rare moment of community spectacle.
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 masquerade ball, given under the auspices of the Seattle Turnverein, at Brown’s Pavilion last evening, was very largely attended. About 1,000 masks appeared upon the floor at one time, and the galleries were crowded to their almost capacity with spectators. All kinds, classes and conditions of human beings, including monkeys, bears and organ grinders were there represented. The many characters were so well sustained that it was with difficulty that the committee on awards arrived at their conclusions. At 11 o’clock the maskers formed a circle around the ball, and the committee, selected from the audience, consisting of Capt. Geo. D. Hill, J. F. McNaught, F. C. Montgomery and Frank Baaslein, took their positions inside the circle and awarded the prizes as follows: Best sustained and original character, Mrs. Helena Johnson, as Indian woman. Best sustained and original gentlemen characters, H. Moyer, organ grinder, and his combination: K. J. Delwiler, J. Henninghausen, Arnold Baush and Miss Naita Poller. Best dressed lady character, Flora Komta, Turkish Princess. Most elegantly dressed gentleman, A. B. Wayne, in the character of the Moor. Special prize by the committee, of $10 in cash, was awarded to Miss Maud Mali, she being declared the most graceful lady. The society of Turners may well feel proud of the success of this masquerade.
“All kinds, classes and conditions of human beings, including monkeys, bears and organ grinders were there represented.”
In the 1880s, the Turnverein (a German gymnastics and social club) acted as a primary engine for Seattle’s civic life and integrated social culture. Today, while the specific venue is long gone, the spirit of the 'masquerade' continues in Seattle's dense calendar of street fairs and public festivals that aim to bridge the city's diverse and growing population.
From readers
No comments yet. If you know something about this story — a correction, a family memory, a source — it belongs here.