Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1884-11-01
the USUAL RACKET,
Attends HalIoW Fen Observance
in Wheeling,
But Not the Usual Social Affairs The
Night, in a Church Sense and from
a Small Boy View.

Last night was Hallow Zen, or "Holler
Eve" as the small boy calls it. 1t was
about the same as usual, in Wheeling, with
nothing serious 10 complain Of. The pranks
showed nothing ingenious, in the line of
mischief, though something new was de-
.yeloped in the way of defense. A certain
druggist drove several tacks through a piece
of leather, which he put on his bell knob,
with the business ends of the lacks out. If
your boy has a lacerated hand, this morn
ing, you may know he grabbed that knob
in an upguarded moment, last night. But
All Hallow Fen has an entirely different
significance to the religious world.
A GREAT CHURCH DAY.
1t precedes the festival in honor of all
the Saints, to-day, which is observed in the
Protestant Episcopal and the Lutheran
churches. 1t was instituted in Christen-
dom so early as the beginning of the Seventh
century by Pope Boniface ", on the dedi-
ication of the Pantheon to the worship of
The true God. The reader. need hardly be
reminded that the Pantheon was built B.
c. -, by Marcus Agrippa, in honor Of all
tie Gods, but to Jupiter the Ayenger in
particular. Marcus Of course did not
know any better, having come to the front
before the Christian era, and no doubt did
he best he could with the lights
he had, but all the same Pope Boni-
face was right in rending the noble
pile from heather service, and devoting
It with ceremonious formality in the way he
did. That he accomplished this well is eyi-
denCed by the fact that the occasion is still
celebrated, though considerably more than
eleven hundred years since the dedication.
However the feast Of All HalIows was pare
Iv local to Rome for nearly two hundred
years. and it was not until the ninth cen
turv that it became general. All Saints
Dar TO-DAY will be followed Oh Sunday
BY All Sous Day, which is set apart in the
Roman Catholic Church for the commem-
Grafton of all the faithful departed, for whom
the mass 0! requiem is said, and the Office
of the dead recited. In some countries,
notably Germany, the people, both Catholic
and Protestant, visit The graveyards on this
day, and Strew flowers on the graves of
friends.
THE SMALL. HoYs' HAPPY VI
There is a marked difference between
llallow Eve or HalIowmas Eve, or Hallow-
cen, as it is called in Scotland, and the
Hollow Eve known TO the small boy of
America. The religious observance of the
Dre gives way to the mischief trimmings Of
he C,Ler, and to the evening party amuse-
merits Of adolescence; adult age, however,
ylcn net regarding the occasion piously,
r&leEGs the hours in Cynicailv watching
lie front gate that it may not be deported
rem he hinges and waited hence. or in
hacking nuts and jokes in the family cir
lie. This yea, as may be said of every
qraGrennial on which the Presiden.
;ial election occurs, is a leap year
in the history of Hollow Ewes, mas
nue., as the exuberance of boyhood is pref
ty well expended by previous excuses ia
Junior club marching and counter marching.
The lads who have been burning the 10
p. nj. oil tWenty-siX nights per month since
the cam paign began, have. very little genius
left for deyising those pranks usually re-
garded as eNcUsable on the last night Of
October, and perhaps not enough energy
left over 10 execute the old tricks with suili-
cicnt vigor to make them satisfactory to
themselves. The removal of gates, and
imilar stupid tricks, are old and worn out,
Gnd unworthy clever boys; the changing Of
signs is permissible only if the tricksters
ere talented enough in that line to
make the combinations amusing.
M~ALiClOrSNESS H. prpARprn
fem the operations of all reputable young
sters. The inconvenience to the victim, OF
course. is a secondary consideration, but it
is fair that a balance should be struck be.
tween the Inconvenience and the fun, and
unless the latter predominateS palpably the
prank should be ruthlessly set aside. What
with the weather and what with the canvass,
The bows did not likely have one of those
rol!icking times that signalizes the
off" years in politics and the "on" yearsin
Hollow eve. The boys are probably
rot aware whom they represent in
;heir Hollow eve diversions. In the
o!den days, when superstition ruled the
mind, Halloween was thought to be a night
given over to devils, witches, and mischief.
making elfs, who flew abroad on their bane-
tul errands; particularly the fairies, especial
ly the bad ones, were supposed to meet in
annual convention that n,ght-most likely
10 nominate a ticket and give the delegates
opportunity TO bring to q head their faction
fights. The boys Of thee modern days who
! rrsue a mischievous gait on that night
rnwillingly represent those devils hobgob-
bIirs ard other spirits OF the air who were
IN the earlier times supposed to be too OBJ
;eoriOnable for rest in heaven, or who were
/, Ioose from Hadcs one night in the year
20 giyc Tie Gcn;zens Of earth a foretaste Of
he worst crd of the hereafter.