The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1875-01-02
Installation of Mayor William II
Wickham.
SCENES AT THE CITY HALL
Reception by the Sheriff
and County Clerk.
Immense Throng Of Skaters at tho Gen.
trail Park.
ObserVances at the Public and
Charitable Institutions.


Charitable Institutions.
New Years Day Is one OF the principal red letter
days OF civilization. Like Christmas, it bids all
humanity above savagedom to be joyous and hope
full. Ever since the Romans dedicated January to
Janus 1t has been deemed to be IN harmony with
the eternal fitness OF things that earliest days
should be the season OF good omens and frtendn-
ness and that these should take the form OF visits
between neighbors, OF wishing happiness and OF
New Years gifts. In nearly all the cities OF the
world with the exception OF Paris and New York,
the day obtains only careless observance; it has
recognition, 1t is true, but 1t Is the recognition
OF accident and not that Of universal custom,
whereas with US men leave all meaner things TO
welcome the dawn OF another well-marked period
IN the calendar OF their lives.
In Paris they celebrate the birth Of a new year
bya generous distribution OF. gifts to husbands,
wives, children, more distant relations, and to
friends who are near and dear. It Is a day OF
bonpons and light hearts and night OF pleasure,
gayety and intense enjoyment, at the opera, the
theatre and the cafe. In New York the Partisan
spirit Is toned and sobered by the Knlckerbocker
influence. The celebration takes social turn
and Is less demonstratiye. Journalism and friend
Illness for once meet on a common ground ana
embrace each other 1t is day for formal calls;
but the season, with its significance, and the gen.
erous hospitality lift the Journalism into
1rlendliness, and those who call do
not see each other again until the next
New Year, all down the sunshine and
shadow of the twelve months the visit is one Of
the pleasant memories OF life. 1t was observed
yesterday In New York and Brooklyn after the
same OLD fashion. The day was bright, fine, clear
and cold-pleasant for those who made their calls
either in carriages on loot; Tor the first Draced
the nerves ana gave lightness to the step that
was almost equal to q sixth sense.
BEST SOCIETY VISITATION
Fifth avenue, Murray Hill, Madison avenue. the
neighbornood OF Central Park, and, indeed all the
fashionable region OF both cities, was prolonged
pageant yesterday. On all the sidewalks was the
assembled 1ower OF manhood, and in the parlors
were groups oil budding ana full blown woman
hood, in all the loneliness OF nature and art
the majority OF the callers were young men; some
were OF bldse kind, affecting an elegance OF cos
tune that would indicate that the nobiest study
OF mankind was dress. They had seen enough Of
the world, evidently, to acquire the air and man.
ner OF a luxurious and enervatng Incidence. One
wonders If life ever was to these men real and
earnest whether they were animated in their
earlier days to heroic ambitions and to noble aims.
whether they had ever tried to give this purpose
TO the years of their earlier manhood, and falling
In this had given up the determination to possess
gentle remembrance In some tender heart and
to acquire a dazzling fame among their fellow
men, and lived now content only to eat, drink and
sleep well. These representatives or the youthful
manhood Of vanity Far' found ready admission
to the brown stone palaces OF the ricn, the great
and the good. Fair women, arrayed in toilets OF
SURPRISING rlchness and with natura! beauty OF
feature that in some cases Lad Deen largely as
sisted by art, received these men In their parorS
all the Ss oG
has established the necessity tnat 10 tne pleasant
greetings which the occasion naturally suggests
tally, so the pretty women in the exquisite toilets
offer refreshment, which, thanks TO modern wis.
dom, Is generally toothsome and exhilarating, but
equal n' to the d5inkins Of glass Of
antly compelled to encounter. demoralizing
consequences, and so Fashion and Beauty have
dereed, of late years, that "the lunch counter Of
the drinking saloonn shall no longer desecrate
their drawing rooms. There is discretion as well
as morality In this Ssw xv.n,s NIGHT
The "cals" are generally supplemented by the
evening party and the dance; AL abstinence
their virtues thick upon them. This is greatly
Years. parsles and balls i should be congress
Of the best people In our own set. Instead
OF this 1t is grand display Of dancing. dressing.
and satins are criticslng ladies in gauze and
gossamer. They are all watching with eagle
eyes their marr1ageaDle companions Ol OOtH SeAeS
There Is more calculation than love In their
chances, and great deal OF jealousy II favored
friend seems to obtain monopoly OF the atten-
dancing dowagers and the non-dancing men,
What an effort 1t Is for them to be am1able and
Kill time at one operationl How the elderly gen.
temen twist single gloves In very wretched
manner when they bow TO the dowagers,
and then clutch their hands behind
them and walk away, looking very
miserablel Then the dowagers get OF their little
Jokes the old men as they shuf1e away. But,
thank GOd all these nttlenesses OF humanity can
not spoil the music The airs OF Verdi Mozart.
Wagner that the stringed band IS pouring forth
in all their divine melody no hollow laughter, no
unmeanlng compliments can rob us Of. Tney will
live until the day comes when there are no more
new years to rise and set.
NEW YEARS FOR THE MILLION.
Yesterday was day OF rest for the weary. The
1aboring, the toing poor obtained q rest yester-
day, which, upon the whole, they wisely used. How
soon the poor forget their wretchedDess! Being
only used to live for the present, they make
gain OF every pleasure as soon as 1t offers Itself.
The surfeited rich much more difficult to
satisfy they require time and everything 10 suit
before they can be happy. II It were not for the
clothes That Will wear out, the appctites that grow
larger, and the winter wnen sunshine cannot be
got for nothing. the poor might Danish dull care
away. But this social pressure this enigma OF
life comes TO all OF us, more or less; to the poor
TOO often only the prelude to lie that has much
sorrow and little sunshine
AT THE CITY HALL.
Tho tnanUurat,on of MAYOR William n Wictbo n,