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;iiiy 4&* j ..: <r •->i;r t;' !^!k *&m • 1 : A- ' •«: '/a1*! g jj*rt$£ &•* f c f , ' 3 H-. HEREAS, experience has taught us that on New Year's day and May day from the firing of guns, the planting of Maypoles, and drunken drinkers, there has resulted unnecessary waste of powder and much intoxication, with the bad practices and bad accidents; therefore we expressly forbid any firing of » guns and beating of drums. . . This is the beginning of one of the many New : '>,• Tear's proclamations of Peter Stuyvesant, director ,,t>. -genehil of New Netherlands--his farm, the fei,;." "BouwerH." on Manhattan island gave the Bowery . its name--by which he hoped to "prevent more ..sins, debaucheries and calamities" in New Amsterdam during his 17 years of administration, i 1647-64. For it was in old New York that the .American custom of New Year's calls had its beginning. And when the fun got too bolsteroiis old ,Peter would come stumping along on his silver-' banded wooden leg and try to make an unwilling rattle-watch enforce his proclamation. New Year's day was the holiday par excellence in old New York. It was a day peculiarly dedlcated to family congratulations and the renewal of friendships in expressions of sympathy and good will, which, following so closely the sacred festival of Christmas, inspired all with peculiar/- significance. Washington Irving has said: "New ' York was then a handy town. Anyone who did * not live over the way was to be found round the corner." So the making of New Year's calls was easy. Let us glance at the New Amsterdam of that day on the first day of the new year. The sober, older citizens, sturdy figures, richly . and warmly clothed, walk, slowly smoking, to the fort to render New Year's wishes to the officers * of the garrison and then to the White Hall by the Battery to do the governor the same honor. Ever since daybreak a noisier element has reveled up -' and down the narrow lanes and by the banks of the canal (now Broad street), shouting greetings^ beating drums, firing muskets, blowing horns, * shaking "rumbling-pots" and drinking rivers of beer. A group of young burghers with some . clumsy firearm, a snaphance-or a murtherer. have gone from door to door of each corbel-roofed ' house firing blank volleys, gathering recruits, . drinking more beer, till all repair to Beekman's Swamp (known to this day in New York as the s Swamp) to fire at a target. Noise and New Year's continued to be closely connected in the days of the American colonies, •tj New Year's day was a favorite day for shooting v.-jl,at a mark, for shooting for prises, and "target j/ companies" of very respectable citizens rose early in the morning for these contests. For It was deemed most selfish and rather disreputable for a man to spend the entire day in such shooting. He could go with his "target company" in the morning, but he must pay. a round of tiatls to the fair in the afternoon. 7 In the days of New Year's celebration in New York, In the first half of the nineteenth century, the town seemed a great family rennion. In which , f each man vied with the other in boisterous delight. Shops were lighted, windows garlanded, streets* * crowded. Great vans--stages with four and six . horses--were crowded with groups of men. often a group of kinsfolk, or old neighbors, or a hilarious mob of men allied In politics--or some "target company" or "band of old firemen." The acquaintances of each were called upon in tarn. It was about the beginning of the nineteenth •-4^ century that the change from a neighborly ob- > w servance to one of pure fashion began in all the large cities. The younger women of such households as had daughters were hostesses, and great" was their rivalry, one with another, in respect to richly loaded refreshment tables and elegance of * toilet. The dudes of those days--they called them "beaux" and "dandies" and "gallants"--attired themselves In their best and started out early in the morning on their calls. It was noWuntil about the middle of the century ^ that the abuse which finally led to tike custom's ~ decline began. For years the dandles of New ^jrk and other large cities rivaled one another in e length Of their calling lists, and the calls soon" e to be nothing more than hasty stops--mere |)ld gorglngs of cake and gulpings of wine--inof the old-time friendly calls of men upon e families of their friends and acquaintances. Then the ladies--the matrons as well as the i young women--began to Tie with one another In the number of their callers. This led to the extraordinary practices. Callers were reited, indeed much as customers are drummed by dealers In soap. Cards announcing that Thls-or-That would be "at home" on January,, e sent out almost indiscriminately. q the Sunday papers of the time began to lists of those who would receive and the ^bses of those mentioned In the lists were sure to be besieged by numbers of men whom the, , ladies had never met or heard of and desired never to meet again. Men would go calling in I az&D&w&K&yrzx&r ' V couples an<l parties and even in droves of 80 Of more, remaining as short a time at each stopping place as possible and announcing everywhere how inany calls they had already made and how many they expected to make before they finished. At every place they drank. The result was'* most appalling assortment of "jags" long before Wttidown. Late in the fifties the abuse came to be so great that the newspapers and the ministers took It t)p, and many were the editorials written and many the sermons preached against it. This crusade speedily brought results. .. It was not many years before the smart set otyoung men in most cities stopped calling. The hospitable door that had been open from morning to evening was adorned with a basket for cards. Gentlemen were driven all oyer town depostlng their visiting cards in these baskets. In a year or so servants were delivering these cards. Then the baskets disappeared and the mail carrier delivered the few cards sent out. Of course this process was not at all uniform. It was fast in SQtne cities, slow In others. A belle of the eighties, sitting in her easy chair, tftumbing over an old scrapbook filled with faded cuttings from the newspapers of those days; her husband, a beau of the same period, in slippers and dressing gown, smoking and listening as she spoke and read, now and then nodding his head and smiling at some memory recalled; and the •daughters of the house, planning for the watch part}- festivities of 1920, listening with curious interest and laughing and chatting about how odd it all seemed now--such a scene was doubtless to be witnessed in many a city all over the country with the closing days of 1919. "We didn't go in so much for the watch parties tn those days," the matron said-. "The whistles Mew and there was some noise, it is true, among the downtown folk, but we girls, as a rule, retired early--we had to save ourselves for the trying ordeal of the next day, for New Year's ffliy wtes flie great social event of the year^ It was 'receiving day' in all the homes of the town. We called , it 'keeping open house.' \<i'"It was a day of lavish entertainment and the jlfeors were supposed to be open to everybody that called, whether friend or stranger. We prepare^ for it weeks in advance. It was a period of great conviviality. Aside from the fact that the con- Ylvtalty was somewhat overdone, at times, that old custom of the New Year's open house was quite an old-fashioned, sincere expression of good fellowship to friend and neighbor and visiting strangers ---opening the portals of the New Year, as it were, with a greeting and a home welcome. And „as a social function, it was most delightful---it , helped fd bring people together. "It was the fashloh to give each of the caller* a souvenir to carry away with them and all sorts Of Ingenious little devices were used. Some had •Ilk badges with the names of the girl painted on them; some had dainty metal souvenirs specially siruck off, others ornate cards with mottoes, and Some went in for the oddities, like the clay pipes that papa tells about I remember the gentlemen used to wear these souvenirs pinned or tied with ribbons to their coats--as the knights of old wore their ladles' favors--and late in the evening the callers looked like foreign diplomats, with all their decorations, or, perhaps, like South African chiefs would be the better simile. » "Of course, only the gentlemen called--they were never accompanied by ladles. The ladles remained In their homes to receive them. The gentlemen were supposed to he In full dress--the younger set wore swallowtails and crush hats, and the older gentlemen Prince Albert coats and light pay, pin-striped trousers--that was the vogue. The old timers, I remember, did not take Very kindly to the crush hats. * And everybody, of course, had to have a hack or a sleigh. ' "The hostess of the house usually called to her assistance a bevy of the young girls who made «p New York.--Americans who contemplate visiting the battlefields in Europe next spring or summer will be well advised to secure their hotel accommodation well in advance or to postpone their Journey until conditions are more favorable. Percy S. Bullen, treasurer of the Association of Foreign Press Representatives in the United States, who has just returned to New York, says that London even now cannot find room for visitors and that the state of affairs when the floodgates of tourist invasion are again open will be appalling unless the intending American visitors are forewarned and therefore forearmed. It is estimated that some 2,000,000 persons--one for each man sent to, Europe by the United States during the war--are making plans for a transatlantic trip In the next two years. Their chief object is to sea the historic spots where the American soldiers fought--the Argonne forest, Chateau-Th (ferry, St. Mihiel--and to devote such a period to a visit to England as time and funds will permit. Mr. Bullen has been all over the western front during the last few weeks and he predicts nothing but anger, irritation and despair as the lot of any visitors who trust to luck to aecure hotel accommodatlonfk No 8teps Yst Taken. ,-rkln The difficulty of the situation v^fll be realized when It to remembered that the usual flow of tourists to Europe has been completely suspended during the war and that only those among the wealthiest will have the first chance of securing hotel accommodation when the bars against tour-s 1st travel shall have been removed. So far no steps whatsoever have been taken abroad to meet an unusual influx of visitors. Mr. Bullen was so impressed with the difficulty threatened In London that he prepared a memorandum on the subject, which he submitted at a recent meeting'of the Royal Colonial Institute lu London. In the discussion which ensued it was proposed that steps be taken for the formation in London of a national committee of reception. As a nucleus of the organization it was proposed that representatives of the various Anglo-American societies should meet, with power to add to their number various representatives whose experience would be useful in solving the Sightseers problem now presented. Snch persons would Include members of the American Chamber of Commerce In, London and other Americans, besides leading BHttshers. Plan Suggested. The first essential step hi to mobilise and list all available accommodation provided by hotels and boarding houses, and then enlist the assistance of every householder willing to place a room at the disposal of the committee of reception. If this plan matures London will keep in touch with New York on the question of accommodations and people In the United States will be advised as to ttoe ' s best time to travel and the cl securing accommodation at if. rates. At the time Mr. Bulled I erpool nothing atitdaSy had except to caH attention to the lera and the dissatisfaction which will ensue if American visitors tfl and France next year find themselves absolutely stranded, as is threatened. Belgium is apparently well able to take care of visitors to the Belgian battlefields, mainly because Ypres* Dixmude and the much battered coast towns are all within easy range at Ostend, Bruges and Ghent Of all the battlefields visited, Mr. Bullen declares Ypres Is the "most devastated," but. with its memories of heroic fighting extending from Ypres down the Mennen and Poelcappelle roads, "Is beautiful Mn Its ruins." Ostend Is probably the best center for autosse bile parties, and the burgomaster of Ostend Is one of the few men preparing to deal with an unexampled da* inand for hotel accommodations- v mi m in Big German Plot Berlin --Communists of a dangerous i against the regtrinr military--partletype are afoot in Germany. Their ularly against monarchist officers; <d> plots for the winter are coming to light. These range from mild demonstrations to organized murder. And, while leaders are Innocently declaring that the intentions of both independent socialists and communists are peaceful, the government Is constantly rounding up documents proving that at least among certain groups of communists there exist plans of the bloodiest nature. Government disclosures leave little room for doubt that some of the wilder spirits among the Spartacans proposed to form a murderbund that would do away with political opponents. Dire Work Projected. For Instance, Munich newspapers, Prussian Minister-President Hlrsch and the military are authority for revelations in the closing days of September, showing that, amoifg other things, the Spartaclsts planned the following: (a) To do away with a large number of officers and soldiers In Munich, slaying them as they slept; (b) that a group of reds from Munich proposed to blacklist a number of prominent officials, draw lots, and then "put away" the condemned; (c) that, particularly In Munich, plans were afoot for creation of red "shock troops.1* to use SUGAR SHORTAGE HITS THEM ALStt the receiving line and helped to dispense the hospitality of the home. I remember one season when we had more than 200 callers. The custom was to stay a few moments only, chat, drink and eat, and then go on to the next house. One of the rooms, however, was cleared for dancing and in the late hours the callers would select partners and whirl through a waits, a polka or a schottishe, or perhaps n set of the quadrille. Every house had a band of musicians. •The 'open house' function .was a very elaborate dress affair--the women vied with one another in beautiful costuming and the month before New Year's was a harvest for the dressmakers. "From 2 o'clock until late in the night the parlors were filled with guests. The lower portion of the house had been previously beautifully decorated with flowers and exotics and all who called were made to feel perfectly at home. In the dining room was a table with all sorts of eatables and dainties, with rare wines and punches. At 2 o'clock, when the reception opened, the blinds were drawn and the gas lighted. During the day favored callers were invited to return at night for a dance." With the gradual abandoning of New Year's calls came in the gradual growth of the eating, drinking and revelry that before the war and prohibition marked New Year's eve In the cities. Here Is a glimpse of Philadelphia in 1804: "After the reserves njjfe the Third district policemen had taken their pojntions the enormous crowd began to swell in slxe. In front of Independence hall, filling the street, was a jostling mob that became noisier the nearer the hands of the clock came to the midnight hour. Up Chestnut street there were two black masses that moved victoriously toward the statehouse. "The gay and comic 'shooter' (mummer) did not put In appearance to any considerable extent until about 11 o'clock. Then he came from all directions. "The thousands packed in the roadway sent up an answering cry to the first stroke of the big bell, and the rattle of pistol shots, despite the police orders against using weapons, was like the sound of musketry. The screams of whistles added to the din and on every side through the miles that the eyes coald pierce fireworks went biasing upward." And here Is a glimpse of New York in 1900: "AH New York came out to celebrate the birth of the new year. Nothing like it was ever seen before for numbers or for enthusiasm. From the hour after dinner until long after midnight the celebration lasted. It consisted of noise, eating and drinking, with noise by far the predominating element. Men born in New York, who have lived here all their lives, looked at the carnival in wideeyed astonishment . "At least 50.000 men and women packed Broadway and the side streets near Trinity church from half past eleven o'clock until long after midnight. To hear the chimes? Oh, no. To blow horns and whistles and spring rattles and yell and thus drown out the very pretty chimes of old Trinity that welcomed In the New Year. Every table in every big restaurant was taken weeks in advance." In 1914 the poliee in most of the large cities ordered "sane" New Year's celebrations. In consequence there was a marked diminution of the revelry; in many cities midnight closing and communlty celebrations marked the occasion. Thus the celebration of New Year's day in noise, drinking, eating and calling--has grown to be a climax and become "sane." What next? Even the treasury department's store In Washington, where treasury employees can buy almost everything from edibles to automobile tires, is advertising Its lack of sugar. This store has 17.000 possible customers and helps materially in cutting down tb^cost of living. that In cases of demonstrations, en and children were to be put In-the fore ranks to shield the cowards behind from the machine guns of the government troops; (e) that the communist government should ally Itself with the anarchist-syndicalist groups. All evidence at hand in the last few weeks has shown quite conclusively that the Spartaclsts and the independents were endeavoring to prove conclusively to Germany and to the world that they had moderated. Certainly, in general, they adopted a new course of tactics from that pursued last winter and spring, when rioting and blood» shed were the order of the day. Their new course appeared to consist In fomentation of strikes and other Internal troubles with a view to embarrassing the government and hampering the national life that the existing regime would be overthrown. Now, 'lowever, the evidence of the government contained In documents seized from Imprisoned Spartaclsts shows that whereas sabotage and kindred weapons ; were probably favored by the bulk of the communists, there was another group that believed in "direct action" ot the worst sort The murder of Government Inspector Blau in August led the government to probe even more deeply than before Into the secret workings of the communist group. • v Many Arrests Made. ^ - ' This general investigation led ^0 number of arrests. Including the hanl ; ;it Halle, wherein about a dozen of very radical stripe were captured. It also proved to the government's satisfaction that Blau was killed by reds. Munich continues to be a fruitful source of communist agitation. Some of the reddest of the reds have their headquarters there. From these headquarters Issue secret orders which every now and then fall Into government hands and prove that not only are these agitators willing to harm, and even halt the national Industrial llfSb hut have no really sincere desire he benefit the laboring man. Instead^ it has been shown, the agitators are fattening on proletarian funds, some of which emanate directly from bolshevik Russia and others oic which are collected from the "brethren" in Germany, Austria and Caccho Slovakia. .. /• ' - f l ; • > ' Ants Eat Cowrthouss. Constantlne, Mich.--Ravenous safehave eaten their way through prae tically all the baseboards In the cellar of the courthouse at Centerville, St Joseph county. Sashes and doors have also been destroyed. • DEER BEG FOR FOOD Invade Houses in Yellowstone in v Search of 'ir.-U Aftlmais So Tawed by U I. They Follow People Around. Denver.--Deer, which Invade kitchens of houses In search of food, and beggar bears, which waylay automobile tourists and pedestrians along the roadp, are examples of the extent to which the protection furnished by the government to the wild game within the boundaries of the various national parks has tamed the animals, according to Horace M. Albright, superintendent of Yellowstone National park, and assistant to Stephen M. Mather, director of national parks, who came to Denver recently to attend the meeting of park officials. "One night shortly before I left, I wept to a dance," said Mr. Albright "r took home a pitcher of cider and a plate of doughnuts. When I reached the house I placed them on a back step, while I unlocked the door. A noise behind me caused me to look around and there was a big mule deer with his nose hurled In the pitcher of cider. He followed me Into the house for one of the doughnuts, and when I gave it to him, he trotted off." It is no unusual sight, declared Albright. to see deer entering and leaving a house In Yellowstone. Sutall children feed them from their hands, and beggar bears, he declared, have come to be one of the biggest attractions of the park. "They wait beside the road until an auto or party of pedestrians approach. pen to stray beyond the park darlea. J Woman Dog Catcllifc':^.f"^a"; Denver. Colo.--"The only woman dog catcher In the world" Is the title applied to Mrs. Laura Dietrich, deputy pound mistress at the dog pound ber& Mrs. Dietrich Is highly efficient in the nnusual role, according to William C Fox. superintendent, who declared that he had misgivings at first as to the advisability of securing a woman for the position, as he thought It would be too difficult "However, I soon discovered that dogs resist a woman much less than a man." he said. "They are handled by Mrs. Dietrich with urach less trouble than by a maa¥ '••5s Pearls In Oyster®. * ^ Belolt. Wis.--Forrest Wilson bought a quart of oysters for 50 cents. When entitle them he bit on something hard and then get up on their hind legs snd j and found It to be a Pe®r!- A few extend their front paws for contribu- | seconds later his son had a similar eatlons," Albright said. ! perience. The stones had not bee. The tameness of the animals has its j cooked enough to harm them. jTho drawbacks as well, because It makes j largest one• s them easy for pot hunters If they hap- j er $10. making $60 In t«o bites. SOME "BEST WISHES" "I hope you learn the value of mfeiey," said one well-wisher. "I hope you may forget the value of money, nid another. "Money Is a handy thing to have. If you don't have to count It; but no one can get much fun spending It if he has t,o consider the cost. Self-made millionaires never enjoy theiif Wealth, because they had to become mechanical calculators in order to get it; or els$ they had to develop a psychology that caused a broken hear| cvery t1^ they kissed a dollar $ood-t>y. Thel# children generally inherit the wealth without Inheriting the handicap; they don't know whet "money costs, but they're pretty wise to *fca| lt %rfll buy. Successful and Uninteresting. "I Hit«»lr the word success will cover It" SSld a* Intimate friend. * _ "No," he added, after a moment's reflection, Td Itete to see you successful. I never met a successful person yet who was the least bit interesting. They're all too busy. Besides, no one can meet socially any person not his equal; and they have turn equals that ilia ®»st become W1 «H lonesome. Here's hoping that you fall mostly-- Just enough to keep In touch with humanity-- and succeed once In a while--just enough to scrape an acquaintance with the gods."' "Root of All Evil." \\ 5, '*Tly best wish." said a disciple of Tolstoy, la •that • yon will see the poverty of riches and the riches of being poor. The love of money is the root of all evil. There is no happiness except in freedom. Ownership and the struggle for ownership both mean slavery. Nearly all people are miserable, either because they have money or be» caasetheywantlt" Broadway's Latest Is Rag Doll on Arm $iipr York.--With a rag doll. 12 Inches long, dangling to a ribbon from her arm, Mrs. Carl Lamb. Philadelphia, wife of Lieutenant Lamb, D. S. N.. created a small-sized sensation on Broadway recently. The doll. "Patsy Dooley" by name, was brought along, said Mrs. Lamb, "to keep me company." She Is going to China soon, she -said, and will take "Thomas Squeelix." a brother to "Patsy," along with her. FINDS LOST PICTURE Artist Discovers Painting at Art! Dealer's Taken From His 8tudlo 16 Years Ago. New York.--Among the product* of his own brush prized most highly by Chllde Hassain. was a picture wh'.ch he painted when beginning his career In the Latin quarter of Paris three decades ago, and although It disappeared 16 years ago, wheii he was demurred against giving it back without being reimbursed. Mr. Hassnm begitn an action tn the supreme court for the recovery 9t te picture or $1,000. Timber Wolf Killed. Madisonville, Ky.--After terrorising the Inhabitants Of Marion county for many months, the timber wolf that has killed sheep, calves and dogs was killed t»y Isaiah Burden one morning recently on "The Point," near Pink Nail's fua, h Britons Lack Chorus Girls. London.--England is experiencing • shortage of chorus girls, according to theatrical agents and stage managers. Plenty of young women are still anxious to get into the limelight, bat moving from one apartment to anoth- ^ <>Xperj,,n<.tMl girds are said to be far er in this city, his recollection of it ; jess plentiful than they were. One thenever faded entirely. ! atrlcal ageut has explained the sltna- **•:.*-i *' Recently Frank K. M. Rehn. son of an artist and himself a dealer hi' art at 6 West Fiftieth street, called on Mr. Hassum to inquire as to the authenticity of a picture attributed to tion thus: "During the war a large number of chorus girls, show girls and other •small part ladles' left the stage for other work. Some are remaining In it him and previously acquired by the |-permanently; others have not yet come dealer. When Mr. Hassam entered the i back to the theater. Many girls, too. dealer's gallery and viewed "Flower j were married to officers during the Girl Selling I'eouies." he at once rec- I war. Even salaries of four pound* ognized his long-missing painting. As ; ($10.40) are not tempting girls to go llr. Rehn had bought the painting he jout ot Lendo*" tj