Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1897-12-25
GOODBYE TOGOTHAM
Impressive Ceremonies to Attend the
Old Towns Passing.
HAIL THE GREATER new YORK |!
Brooklyn Will Also Join Mildly in
the Celebration.
CURRENT POLITICAL CHAT
Special Correspondence OF The Evening Star.

1
ments are making, in fact, are nearly COM
pleted. to wake" the old Dutch town and
| to herald the birth of the greater city in a
| most fitting manner.
/ One of the customs of the METROPOLIS. ex-
| tending back to time whereof the memo
ry OF man runneth not to the contrary"
mas been the march of its Inhabitants, in
all walks OF life. radiating toward the low
| er END OF the island to hear the chimes of
| TRINITY ring out the old year and ring in
the new. On New Year eve from the hour
! before to the hour after midnight the side
walks and roadway of Broadway are pack
ed with noisy, din-making. horn blowing
mass OF humanity pushing it's way past
! Old Trinity to the Battery and returning
after they have heard the bells.
Inc side streets leading into the great
thoroughfare are jamEaeG with people
peicHeO upon wagons and other Temporary
points OF vantage to see the Gro vrls 10 by
otreet car traffic is suspended and all is
gwen over to the welcoming Of the new
year. When Mayor Strong's contemnIa tod
wake was given up a shrewd newspaper
proprietor, with a knowledge of this chs
ton' MT upon the idea of turning this
voluntary outpouring of the people to the
account of a mammoth celebration of tbo
ueath OF the old city and the birth OF the
new. 1t was a clever piece of work. Com
peuIlon prizes were offered sor societies
pands. etc, as an incentive for Their ,.rn-
Ing out, until now responses have been re-
ceived in sufficient numbers to insure a
mammoth parade, great exhibition of red
ile, eiaporate decorations, bursts of music
anu me gathering OF great concourse of
peUpie TO take part in a demonstration that
VIII De suited to the occa sion.
City Hall Park a Center.
City Hall Park will be the center of the
Joliihcatlon. Exactly at the stroke of mid
hI2ht the park and the neighbour hood there
Hoouts Will be lit up with the glare of red
'ire' searchllghts will be concentrated upon
the city hall and the flag of Greater New
iorh VIII be slowly hoisted on its Flagstaff
IN response to an electrical signal which
II Is now proposed. to invite President Nc
kinley to give from the White House at
washington. Then will come the roar of
artlllery from the boroughs of Manhattan
and Brooklyn--a hundred guns in honor of
the birth OF the new metropolis. Manhat-
tan ana brooklyn, it is proposed, will fire
alternate guns in salute-city speakin, to
city the nail and farewell TO municipal his
tory. AS the white and blue banner of the
Greater New York futters upward in the
hood OF lights. united bands and giant
cnorus VIII begin a hymn to the Greater
New YORK. composed for the occasion, and
at the same time it is proposed that one OF
the most magnificent displays of fireworks
VIII begin and will last for fifteen or TWEEN
~ minutes. 1t is expected that the specta-
Will be waved at this time in order to
helghten the spectacular effect OF the scene
as whole. Add TO this thousands OF tin
horns in the hands of enthusiastic specta-
TORS, and the picture will be complete.
The parade, starting at an hour which
will bring it to the City Hall Park before
the midnight celebration, promises to be q
gorgeous affair. Already numerous uni
termed societies have entered their names
upon the parade roster and numerous floats
of beautiful design have been promised
There will be several military bands hut
the place of honor has been given to the
list Regiment Band. Under the leadership
OF Professor Fanciull, recently the leader of
the Marine Band at Washington this mag
nliicent organization will head the process
sion, and with Shannon's 23d Regiment
Band of Brooklyn, furnish the music at the
city Hall demonstration.
Celebration in BROOKLYN,
Over in Brooklyn they are arranging for
a celebration, but in a more modest way.
The idea at present is to have the city hall
brightly lighted on New Years eve-not
Illuminated, but just lighted up all over
In the mayors office will be, it is hoped
all the living eX-mayors of the city There
are eight who may be present. In the con-
t1ollers Office will be all the eX-controIers.
ana IN the city auditors room will be all
the eX-city auditors, and so on through
the executive departments. In fact the
mayor has been furnished with lists of all
the cabinets for years back, and all who
are living will be invited to attend Then
there is to be provided an orator for the
occasion.
One thing at least is now settled, and that
IS that there Is to be an observance, ard
the society of old Brooklynites is to play
large part in 1t. In all probability there
will be handsome souvenir issued giving
brief history of the past year of the city
with pictures of the officials and speciaI
scenes and institutions. There may also be
medals struck off, but this will all depend
upon whether the committee decides 10
raise h:ue money toward the event, as at
present there is TO fund, and there is n
feeling again st raising one
Or course all this has no political aspect
IL mas nothing to do with the Tammany
blowouts scheduled for New Year day
power. In assuming this power, no city
government has made fairer pledges than
Tamm2ny. IAN honest efficient and popu-
:ar government worthy of the greatest
municipality of the western world sounds
well, but it doesn't ring true. Take the adj
dress Of the general committee at its re-
cent meeting, where John C. Sheehan sat
in the background in the spectators sec.
tlon, and thereby bore evidence to his
passing"
The address appears to foreshadow an at
tempt to make political capital by pur-
suing policies opposite to those pursued bv
Mayor Strong's administration. For in,
stance, there is promise that waste
shall give way to prudence extravagance
" Wiue HDerallty, intolerance to liberty and
the alien office holders to our own resi-
dents. This plan is unoriginal and bar
rem. If the new administration is approved
1t will be approved on it's own merits. NOT
because 1t is unlike Mayor Strone's ad-
ministration.
Brookiyn's Share of the Offices.
1t was stated by a returned Tammany-
lite who had been present at the Lakewood
conference that the Brooklyn situation has
Deen adjusted about as follows: Brooklyn
VIII get no representation in the board of
health or in the board of docks. In the de-
partment Of public improvement II is to
nave two Of the seven commissionershins
In the municipal assembly it is to have
one-third of the patronage that goes with
the city clerks office and with the cIerk-
snip OF the toard of aldermen 1t will have
ene.third of the new patronage in the con-
troIiers office and all that shall come 10 #
by the establishment of borough bureaus
In BROOKLYN. The deputies for each de-.
partnent for Brooklyn and their assistants
are to be selected by q committee on ma
tronage. After this committee has PASSED |
upon applications for minor offices in |
Brooklyn, Mr.. Hugh McLaughlin's o. X
Will be necessary il order to insure the an |
pointment.
The heads of denartran+.