New York United Waiter Girls: Festival and Ball

“The gardens open at 4 o’clock in the afternoon. The concert, long with a Bal Champetre [country ball] will begin on the large platform at 5 o’ clock; on the second platform at 6 o’clock. Great promenade at 10 o’clock. Cotillion and presentation of sumptuous bouquets by ladies from the Arrangements Committee at 11 o’clock. Election and speech of the Queen of the Night at 12 o’clock. PIC-NIC Fresh ice cream and tea salons. The best contenders in the city will be at hand. The platforms will be found illuminated with electric calcium lights.” Remaining entry describes parking details and pricing.

“The New York Pretty Waiter Girls are to have and to hold a grand festival and ball on the 20^th inst., at Cremorne Gardens. . . . And only 25 cents admission, too.  Gosh! won’t there be a high old crowd there.”

"The whole affair was a ‘gigantic swindle’ on the part of somebody—nobody knows who—there not being a ‘waiter girl’ interested—nary a waiter girl—and to their credit as a community of hard working females, be it here recorded, not one of them, as far as we could learn, appeared on the grounds to give countenance to the proceedings. The lowest characters of the city, consisting of thieves of every grade, from the ‘sneak’ to the ‘gonnoff,’ male and female, formed the greater part of the crowd. . . . Captain Porter [of the 19th Precinct] informed our reporter that he endeavored to discover the parties at the head of the festival, but failed; and opinionated that it was a sell by somebody, probably the thieves, as their presence seemed to give color to the supposition. However, as the matter stands at present writing, nobody is responsible for the affair, and ‘nobody hurt’ but the ‘waiter girls,’ who had nothing to do with the arrangement."