Trainmen26Jan1906n1vp0182

Calgary Herald

26 Jan 1906

TRAINMEN AND GUESTS DANCE

The Brotherhood of Railway Trainmen Enjoy a Social Evening.

A more enjoyable dance than that given by the Brotherhood of Railway Trainmen at the opera house last night would be hard to imagine. It was the first ball which the order has held in this city and those who were fortunate enough to obtain invitations will be anxious for the privilege of being the guests of the trainmen when they put on their second annual ball.
The attendance was large-- almost too large-- but  a determined effort had been made to restrict the attendance so that those who did come would be able to enjoy the dancing. The floor was filled with dancers up till midnight, after which the crowd thinned out and gave the  dancers more room. A great many occupied the galleries and watched the merry crowd.
With bunting, flags and lights, a good effect was obtained in decorating the hall. A pretty stage decoration was formed by draped flags and railroad lanterns. A large headlight at the opposite end of the hall shone brightly. The balcony was draped with bunting and charters of many of the railroad unions were in evidence. Signal flags and bunting were used in the decorations overhead.
A very energetic committee did their best to make strangers acquainted and provide them with a good time, and if any one who did not enjoy the dance frome the opening march till the orchestra played Home, Sweet Home, it was not the fault of the trainmen. It is a difficult matter in a crowd of three hundred or more to attend to everyone's wishes, but the men behind the committee badge did good work last night.
Many words of praise were heard at the splendid supper which served and was up to the high standard set for the rest of the arrangements of the ball. Stirrett and Hoad provided the supper. The music was furnished by Bagley's orchestra, under the leadership of W. W. Piper.
During the evening little Mildred Key gave a very graceful exhibition of highland dancing.
Following were the committees from lodge 663 who had charge of the first annual ball:
Managing Committee-- W. H. Godfrey, J. Grabouski, H. H. Porter.
Invitation and Reception Committee-- J. McLaughlin, W. H. Dann, A. Niven.
Decoration Committee-- George Raby, George Bell, O. S. Erwin.
Ladies' Reception Committee-- Mrs. A. French, Mrs. McLaughlin, Mrs. D. Pettit.
Floor Committee-- J. E. McComb, J. Gordon, D. Ferguson.
The dance programme consisted of twenty numbers and three extras, many of the dances being encored. The floor was under the charge of Professor Mason. The programme card was a very tasty piece of work. It was a four-page folder, the front page of which contained cuts in black and gold of an engine and passenger train, lanterns, flags, and other emblems of the road.
A complete list of the guests is impossible to give but as far as gathered the following were present:
Mr. and Mrs. Armstrong, Mr. and Mrs. Young, Mr. and Mrs. Hewer, Mr. and Mrs. May, Mr. and Mrs. Orr, Mr. and Mrs. Pennill, Mr. and Mrs. Chamberlain, Mr. and Mrs. Carmichael, Mr. and Mrs. Dalton, Mr. and Mrs. Lewis, Mr. and Mrs. Ruttle, Mr. and Mrs. Raby, Mr. and Mrs. McLaughlin, Mr. and Mrs. Dann, Mr. and Mrs. Pettle, Mr. and Mrs. Birch, Mr. and Mrs. Morrow, Mr. and Mrs. Tennant, Mr. and Mrs. Ehle, Mr. and Mrs. Gordon, Mr. and Mrs. French, Mr. and Mrs. Zeigler, Mr. and Mrs. Benedick, Mr. and Mrs. Tomlinson, Mr. and Mrs. Smart, Mrs. Stuart, Mrs. Cole, Mrs. Finnegan, Mrs. Rose, Mrs. Shelly, Mrs. Shaw, Mrs. Gray, Mrs. Morrison, Mrs. Campbell, Mrs. Cotton, Mrs. Bagley, Mrs. Andrews, Mrs. Campbell, Mrs. Heald, Mrs. Campbell, Mrs. Niblock,  Mr. and Mrs. Blair.
Misses Irvine, Henderson, Campbell, Raby, Dalton, Gordon, McGuire, Bone, Stuart, Blakley, Curry, Demsey, Cole, Fullerton, King, Cobbledick, Bell, Weber, Cummer, Galbraith, Fisher, Peacock, Gingras, Biscoby, Fallows, Johnston, Grant, Smart, Mosley, Cartwright, Strong, Key, Doucey.
Messrs. McConnell, McLellan, McLeod, Cowell, Bassett, O'Sullivan, Brocklebank, English, Black, Hume, Tivey, Sutherland Bros., Sloper, Nevin, Hartfield, Godfrey, Harrison, Gray, Graham,  Ruttan, Brown, Lawrence, Hobkirk, Marshall, Cummings, McHugh, Dodd, McComb, Morton, Donnelly, Sergt. Brankley; Messrs. Raby, Machon, Dreany, Scott, Arnett, Edwards, Chudleigh, Lee, Yates, Sherwood, Ross, Lafleur, Bates, Johnston, Mackay, Berry and Bell.

Extracted by J. Kynman 2009-08-22