Wessington Springs herald. (Wessington Springs, Aurora County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1891, 1884-05-09
April Fooling.

The LIST of April, of all days in the
year, enjoys a character OF it's own, in !
as far as it, and it alone, is c~onsecrated
to practical joking. On this day it be-
comes the business of y vast number of
people, especially the younger sort, to
practice innocent impostures upon their !
unsuspicious neighbors, by way of MAX
ING them what in France are called
poissons dc AUril, and with us April
fools.
Sometimes the opportunity is taken
by ultra-iocular persons to carry out
some extensive hoax upon society. For
example, in March, 1860, a vast null
titude of people received through the !
post a card having the following in
scription, with q seal marked by an in !
verified sixpence at one OF the angles,
thus having to superficial observation
an official appearances: Clover of Lon
don-Admit the bearer and friend to
view the annual ceremony of Washing
1860. Admit only at the White Gate.
1t is particularly requested that no graz
tuities be given to the wardens or their
assistants" The trick is said to have
been highly successful. Cabs were rat
Ting about Tower Hill all that Sunday
morning, vainly en%deayoring to discov-
err the White Gate. 1t is the more re-
markable that any such trick should
have succeeded, when we reflect how
identified the 1st of April has become
| with the idea of imposture and unre-
atty. So much is this the case, that if
one were about to be married, or to
launch some new and speculative
proposition or enterprise, n Would
hesitate to select April l for the pur-
pose. On the other hand, if one hadto
issue a document of any kind With
the desire of its being accepted in the
proper character, he could not better
insure the joke being seen than by dat
! ing it the LIST of April.
The literature of the last century,
from the Spectator downward has many
illusions to April-fooling; no references
to it in IL earlier literature have as yet
been pointed out. English antiquaries
appear unable to trace the origin OF the
custom or to say how long it hes existed
among us. In the Catholic Church
there was the Feast of the Ass on the
Twelfth Day, and various mummings
about Christmas. but April-fooling
stands apart from these dates. There
is but one plausible-looking suggestion
from Mr.. Pegge, to the effect that, the
25th of March being, in one respect,
New Years day, the 1st of April was
it's octave and the ending of its celebra-
tions; but this idea is not very satisfac-
tory. There is much more importance
in the fact that the Hindoos have, in
their Hull, which terminates with the
31st of March, a precisely similar festi-
val, during which the great aim is to
send persons away with messages to
ideal individuals, or individuals sure to
be from home, and enjoy a laugh at
their disappointment. To find the prac-
tice SO widely prevalent over the earth,
and with SO near coincidence of the day,
seems to indicate that it had q. very
early origin among mankind.
April-fooling is a very noted practice
in France, and we get traces of its pre-
v%alence there at an earlier period than
is the case in England. For instance,
it is related that Francis. Duke of Lor-
raine, and his wife, being in captivity
at Nantes, effected their escape in con
sequence of the attempt being made on
the .1st of April" Disguised as peas
ants, the n bearing a hod on his
shoulders, the other carrying a basket
Of rubbish at her back, they both at an
early hour of the day passed through
the gates of the city. A woman, hav-
ing knowledge of their persons, ran
to the guard to give notice to the sem
try. ''April fool?' cried the soldier;
and all the guard, to man, shouted out:
"April fooln' beginning with the ser
geant in charge Of the post. The Gov
ernor to whom the story was told as a
Jest conceived some suspicion, and or
dered the fact to be proved; but it was
too late, for in the meantime the Duke
and his wife we've we'll on their way.
The 1st Of April saved them.-ProW-
dence Telegram.