New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1860-01-02
CITY ITEMS

Thee al US descended ron AsElo-osX0n aal HERMAN
s;o,k yopsra.c aad perpetr-ie the genial nies OF
Chri-tuas; there among n, too, come wno sal
crown the royal pair OF TselfIL-Sghi. ami cai 11e
csIe.. aid honor the wassal-b0wl. y. fdenlues
na,oe Is q household word anOog our you.ls AMI
msidens The deal I'D New In .and Thanksgiving ha'
OF lass aken = deeper aud wider mold on OR nrAs.s'
Dui slere Is festival which New-lorkeri have
made Pc uiisry their own winch a. - universally
Observed ~ young and old Of AL races Id osloiS-so
eagerly looked for snd joyousy celobTaied's that
which oescen6s straight from Inc HoI tsd an eS-
try; which usbers in the bright New-Yea7, always
frrgted win fresh hopes TO urge tie sirI5 sler On
January, A. d. 1900 How far along II seems 10
what golden era aud bouhteous baud has the flowing
river OF time borne usl and to what stately city
tie tLirs cry Of Christendom-at Whose eAtrens
southern pOn.t, only Two hundred aud Inriy-seVeo
years ago. laid tie FIST stone o. tie rude fora tA
should protect tte Dutch souiemens OF only dozen
qualLty-sabled hoases from tie MohawSs, the Wa
binci auc the Paunaukoes shat hunted the wider
ntss Oh every side, viewing with no friendly eye the
chunky amsterdam vessels and the smoke OF the SET
tiers IRE. Timidly, though. these sayages used to
watch he gigantic arms of the windmill eEected on
high blua and srindipg corn for all the t,so
But let Us, for q mo nent, go back JUST two husdred
vear. Take the first day of the year OF Grace,
1860 when the few houses mad grcwl inso thriving
walled town Of perhaps 1900 souls-au lioh, and
talking the language Of the Netherlands. Three gov
erors had reigBed aed passed away, and now famous
old Peter Stuyyessnt held rule in his grand MANSION
tie pride and boast OF New Amsterdam, As our ci!y
was then called.
In tlose days as row, !ne Nerv Jar was the grant
occasion Of the year Al the stad and thrifty house
wives made huge cakes in preparation Tor the day
Few presents were eA hanged for tie hardy settlers
tad ltte above their own personal needs, But every
house was put in order, every wooden tioor polished
more brightly than usual. The chairs ia the best rooms
were ranged more stity than ever against the four
walls the pewter and slyerwafe glttered on the nut
wood sdebOards. Then, in the Parlors OF the finest
mansions cred grandly the rstocratc hgn-posed
Jedsiead hung with dimiy curtains an! covered with
the jverbia pair Of feather beds. In certain Of she
richer dwellings the hanginss were OF kiileminster
aud sareenet, but few afforded such extrwagance.
After morning psaluls, saueykrant ana bacon, all tho
reotle J,,ook themselves to the CalviGlst Meeting
Hone. and there were seated - hears Low-DIs;h
d.eor.e but not till after he Koeek bei-rnser,
IN solemn procession with his assistants, h1c gone
through with the imposing ceremony Of removing the
en.hios If the burgomastcs from the stadt huy5 TO
the magiaTale pew.
After Tie service, the appropriate business Of the
da, commenced. TIE lldes of every family assem-
bed ia the best room, dressed in the gayes1 fashion OF
the town. At that time it certainly Appropriated very
nearly to the Bloomer costume. saOrt parti-colored
tetiicoat waist jacket with btIie coat-aii oeh'
ha ,r yellow hose, high-heeled shoes, and lavish
si-pay OF Whatever Jewelry Che wearer possessed
tbe,e constituted the irresistible msAe-Ip of the
-, Ill d. Hrii. md tan.
rarely used, were placed the substantial cake, she
queer shared glasses aud ta1kards, the hOme-bfeWed
ale, the pure and genial schDapps.
Thus the danes and daughters. Then the grave
ryrheers betook themselves to their share of the fest;
walls Observance. Clothed in best breeches aud doub-
let i'm cloth coat and silver buttons The elder house
holders walked sobery from door to door, exchanging
oourtly Flemish salutaons of the day. Once withna
dwelling, many the wise saws, and quips and
quirks, and spoken memories of the Faierand tina.
rassed from mouth to mouth, as they betooA of the
hositsbe refreshments 60 suggestive OF the country
len lebnd.
Gladly would he stop to picture the st,lwsr; one
legged Governor, Petr1s Sluyves~nt himself, IA he
STOOD in bis grand hal to receive the ysis q the bur
gomasters keepers add ohrr diut.sies Of tho
:, am-stern bur geniaa bloH ruler, and good one.
Bu, 10; our space is shodi is tLe theme ours to
touch Long ago thu potent magician who sleeps
oaietiy 80 bear the city and river Of his love, aud
whose wand raised nore but kindly visions, with
humor none can equal, took and made the theme his
own.
Tie Young men Of that day Were wont TO sacri-
eeiousy eude the morning ersice, and to wend their
way ty devious PATHS that long afterward marked out
cur city streets to the suburbs outside the wall They
had not far to co. for The p4sade defense that ncDsed
the whole town. stretched from to nyer in THAI
day. along the present line OF Wall street. Once gath
cred IN what was afterwart Beeoamsns meadow they
INDUCED in profane practices Of turAey-shooting-
matches and games Of strength
On the, the 81 Of January, 1860, we shall not bnd
the rring hopes of the eitythe jaunty clubs, dapper
beaux. bl.hesome studens-or even our elder, solid
men aItcg atug in the ancient church seryceor the
pebeian rport of shooting After all said and
written against its e2cesses, what genial, joyia,
kindly frienc retaining Matchmaking festival Is New
Years Dsy IN New-Yorkl How good it ia that, enc
day in tie year men should forget their toilng with
the much rake ana 90 out 10 search Of old friends they
would Lot lore ana old sweeihe.rs almost forgotten
cave ID dresmsl Ii opens the heart; broaiens the
good lines OF the face, and suoOths out the sIeersi u
makes tie New Year sunDy; people 1wardly vow
they will live for Others and less for themselves
during the coming twelyemonthi the eisy loses i's
drcaIiness; Gle finds he has neighbofs than he
thought oF.
And what carnival it is What day Of riding
and waking What brushing up Of memories; what
destruction Of gloves; what wearing Of new hats and
pattern wsisteoats-eating Of cake-drinking of wine
and coffee what bowling, smiling, small-talkng, hand
shaking, dressSpoiling-ou' We stop: everyone VINO
has ever been in New-York on New Years Day knows