The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1899-12-31
OLD YEARS CLOSING DAY.
TONIGHT FATHER TIME WILL
USHER IN THE YEAR 1900.


Newcomer to he SaIuted With Ring
ing of Bells and Explosion of Fire
works by the Many and Prayer
fully and ThoughtfuIIy by the Rev
crent FeVv-The old Year, Though,
VIII Not Die without Many a
Sigh From Those Whom He Has
BIessed-ISoo Has Been "a Prosper
Gus and Successful Year for sn-
vannah and Savannah's Business
Men-Ths Last of the Holidays.
The Old Year this morning shows signs
of age, and though it is hale and hearty
and vigorous, the signs are nevertheless
plainly apparent. At y of the clock to-
night the Old year viii breathe his last
and his young and sprightly successor will
be introduced by Father Time TO the peo-
pies of the earth. and take the vacant
throne his predecessor mas so well and
comfortably filed
AS is customary when a sovereign be-
gins his reign, there will be ringing of bells
IL the street and the plaudits of an un-
thinking populace. 1.-THE king is dead
Long live the kingg' will be the cry, taken
up by every member of the crowds and
echoed from every house and every corr
ner of the streets of the city. Some few.
though. will watch the death of the Old
year and the birth Of the new reveFently
and prayerfully, and even the most care
less and care-free of their subjects in Sa-
vannah will view the passing away OF the
good year 1889 with tinge of deep and
profound regret
For the year has been a good one in Sa-
a solid and growing prosperity and on al
most every face the evidence of satisfie-
ton with the world and the conditions in
which the burghers live and have thriven.
The merchants report that the business
has been all that they could reasonably
ask and more than they had reason TO eX-
pect, that the year has been the best they
have passed through, in business sense,
I for nearly q decade The city has ex-
tended her limits and the new territory in
the southern section has been rapidly &C,
cupied by tasty, and in many cases, by
handsome dwellings. Extensive works of
public improvement have been carried to
successful conclusions and others are be-
ing rapidly urged toward the same end.
with all the speed that capital and energy
and brains can lend to their movements.
| The diseases that have ravaged other Cit
les in the South have passed Savannah by
and the health that is rightfully hers ha
been constantly with her people Hence 1t
is that there will be a sigh of regret for
the passing Of the Old Year
| Mr.. b. II. Levy, in speaking of the bus
| mess conditions of the city, said they had
| not been better for ten years For four
| or five years" said Mr.. Levy, I'VE have
| been merely managing TO hold our own and
! TO make a little. This year we have done a
respectable business, more than we had
| expected and we are more than satisfied
/ he hoo
would seem TO evidence the fact that the
/ prosperity of the city is general and that
/ money is much more easily 20 be had than
| has been the case in the past five years. ]
| think our experience is not unusual, but
! that il is fairly representative of that OF
| most of the city's business men,"
| Other merchants who were spoken to or
the subject had about the same thing te
say. While the profits for the year have
not been remarkably large, they have beer
! nevertheless in remarkable contrast with
| those of the past four or five years. anC
the good business man is pleased and hap
| by, seeing in the coming year but goot
| reason to hope and expect that sales anC
receipts will be even better than those o.
the year that viii pass Tonight. tt9@ ti'2
The scenes of Christmas Eve were re
| peated on the streets, in a minor key ant
with less of enthusiasm, last night Man,
| were out TO purchase delicacies for tn
New year dnnef, ana others to max
selection of gifts for those of their friend
whom they had been unable to reach 81
Christmas. There were still others, VIII
were mere lookers-on and sightseers, desir
| GUS of finding out and witnessing all tina
transpired and 10 enjoy themselves a
well and as noisily as they could on thi
evening of the holidays wane. But tn
crowd was quiet and peaceahle and dis
! persed al a reasonably early hour.
gTo-Y11orrOm will no the Ham Of al
holidays for many of the young men am
maidens, who have spent them in Savan
nah. On the next day they win begin t
return to the schools and colleges wher
they are entered and the city will be miss
ing their presence, the bright smiles of tn
girls and even the boisterous noise of tn
boys. Day after tomorrow, too, the cit,
will get hard down to work again bust
ness men will return to the city, the oil
grind will be taken up and the hollda,
season a thing of the past 1t is possibl,
Just as we'll, in some respects at least
that Christmas and New Year come bu
once a year"