The Black Hills union. [volume] (Rapid City, Pennington County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1889-1904, 1898-12-16
VERSES ON S

Two thousand reams Of kiss mot
toes. or verses. 10000 to a ream. are
turned out annually at the New York
headquarters for confectioners' wares,
says the Sun of that city. A large
proportion Of these notices are used
in the United States: the rest are dis
tributed to the four winds, some to
New Zealand. Canada, Cuba, South
America. wherever English or French
or German Is spoken, for only in those
tongues are the notices printed. The
kiss verse is entirely impartial and
no repsecter Of persons. for the little
conceits that attend on Essex street
functions are a prompter to Bowery So
liability. and figure at Thanksgiving
and holiday parties away off in Sc
Questered country homes, are served
up in expensive bonbon holders at
fashionable %luncheons and supper par
ties given at Fifth avenue assembly
rooms, and at private dwellings. The
one factory is the author of them all.
who makes the kiss verses?" was
asked of the superintendent Of these
peculiar wares.
Il don't know" was the reply. "They
have been on our plates for years. We
never change them. I think Adam had
something to do with h original man.
uscript, and perhaps Noah took care
Of it along with the other things that
he tucked into the ark. It's possible
that We will GOT ont q fou, motto for~e
next year, but simply because the old
plates are wearing out from constant
use. Kiss verses are the one thing
in the trade that need not keep up
with the procession. People buy them
just the same whether they're old or
not.
when I first came into the bust
ness twelve years ago, and noticed how
musty and archaic the notices were. I
suggested to my uncle, who was then
in charge. hat we have some new
things written that would be more up
to date, but he said there was no need,
that these would do as we'll. Ny uncle
was hen quite an dc man and had
been superintendent here for years. He
a no more idea where the verses
came from than I have now, but he
thought they came from the other side
somewhere, and maybe had been a
little tinkered up here in the house
to make them shorter and more SER
viceable. Nv had a notion two or
three times Of getting some new mes
written. with some hits on wheeling
or golf, and with, maybe, some of the
taking slang phrases that people use
now, but I never got round to it, and
I notice hat the French and German
notices that come to us from abroad
are nc more up-to-date than ours; are
exactly the same as when I was a boy,
and, for that matter, as were used
when my father or my grandfather was
a boy. They answer just as we'll and
people read them, and laugh, n joke
over them at parties just as they ever
did. They are an important part of
the candy business, at least the motto
papers and ornaments are. We ship
thousands of packages Of these in the
gross and every paper has to have a
verse folded away in it."
DO we use many kiss verses now?''
repeated the manager of a big catering
establishment which makes a business
of having unique and entertaining de-
vices. 90, yes, just as many as ever.
See those cracker bonbons with the
horses on them, and crops and riding
hats. got up especially for horse show
week. They go off with a snap when
pulled, n have a paper cap or a
tinsel favor inside. Every one Of them
has a verse in it. Meant for children's
parties? BY no means. They are used
though many of our prettiest motto de-
vices are got up for that purpose. 1
have an order for a private dinner to-
morrow night. a dinner for men. 1
shall use the motto bonbons as a part
Of the decorations, which will be the
most unique we have worked out yet
this season."
On certain of the motto papers not
yet irrevocably tucked away in these
up-to-date bonbon devices the follow
ing sentiments are inscribed:
| To chaff with a belle I like very well,
But to marry I'm not quite so hasty;
AS well as unfurl both ringlet and curl
My wife must learn to make pastry.
And this:
II love- whene'er thou lowest" too,
1--WE love-" then We'll say and prove,
The echoes shall repeat anew
The blissful tale Of mutual love.
Two employees of the place, young