A FLASH DINNER.

Gisborne Times, Volume XXVI, Issue 2174, 25 April 1908, Page 4

A FLASH DINNER.

(Mr Robert Collier, described In tlio newspapers as a “society deader,” gave one of the mast elaborate and undoubtedly the most expensive dinuers ever served in Sherry’s Restaurant, New York, recently. Two ballrooms were transformed, at enormous expense, to represent scenes from Spain,; the 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 w.as decorated! with trees. The branches of some of the trees touched the ceiling of the ballroom, which was specially painted to represent the sky, while realistic lighting effects were secured by means of shaded electric lamps suspended from posts. In the centre of -the courtyard a stage was erected, where scenes from the entertainments now running at three theatres were given by the original! performers. The dinner did not begin until midnight, because of the necessity of waiting for tho arrival of the chorus girls from the Casino Theatre, with tho dogs which appear in the Collie -Ballot,” which is a feature of the Casino entertainment. The dogs were fed at a separate table. Tho other guests included Mrs John Jacob Astor, Mr and Mrs William K. Vanderbilt, and Mark Twain. Mr Collier endeavored to keep the affair secret, but the gathering of so many well-known people at so date an hour attracted great attention.