The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1899-03-29
JOKES TO play. !.
On April FOOLS day How Endless
Amusement can be Obtained In an
Innocent Way p-to-Datel Hits

Innocent Way Up-to-Datoi Hits
That Score. w
Chicago Times-Herald: To the small
boy April FOOLS day ranks next to
Christmas for real live fun-that kind
Of fun for which he might be punished
on any other day Of the year should he
attempt to act thus. But the jokes he
can perpetrate on April FOOLS day are
always huge successes. Older people,
when caught. usually remember their
youthful days, and laugh over the fun
OF real good April fool.
Not infrequently these older folks are
apt to take advantage Of the day. too.
Instance the fellow who inserted an
advertisement in the paper for q friend
OF his to the effect that an unlimited
number Of black cats were wanted and
would be literally paid for at q certain
Office on South Water street. The cats
were brought in by the scores. and there
was heap Of fun around there that
day. al
Even such great thinker as Dean
Swift applied himself to getting up an
April fools joke. In his journal to
Stella" March 81, 17l3. he tells how he
and Lady Musham spent an amusing
evening contriving q lie for the morrow.
The scheme was that e.and his friends
should circulate the report that man
who had been hanged had come to life
again. and could be viewed In the flesh
at the Black Swan inn, Holburn. Mine
host had his hands full on the follow
Ing day with an influx Of curious Wis
itors.
In 1860 some gay spirits In London
put their heads together and perpe-
trated 4 successful piece of tomfoolery
on the wholesale plan. Toward the lat
ter part Of March many noted people
received invitations which would adj
nit them to the tower OF London on
April !. to View the washing of the
white lions; admittance, at the white
gate. 1t was requested that no fees be
given to the wardens or attendants.
The ruse worked so well that cabs
rolled up Tower hill all the morning,
and the cabmen made frantic efforts to
find the white gate. No such gate ex-
isted.
1t was on April / that the duke of
Lorraine and his wife escaped from
captivity at Nantes. Dressed as peas
ants they. managed to pass the sentry
at the gates, and whensa keen-eyed
passer-by called to the guards that
those peasants were in reality the duke
and his wife the guard answered con-
temptuously. That's an April fool"
The custom OF fooling people on this
day Is so old that its origin Is lost In
the myths Of antiquity. 1t Is probable
that 1t became generally adopted at this
season on account of the feast of Hull
In iindustan, which Is the New Years
celebration Of that people. The chief
diversion Of the day is to send people
on errands which are sure to end in
disappointment for the sendse and mer-
riment for the sender and HIS friends.
The gentle art of fooling people was at
Its height in England in the eighteenth
century. when a local poet wrote:
No soone- doth all FOOLS morn approach
But ways. ere Phcebus mounts his yell
low coach.
In sholes assemble to employ their sense
In sending fools 10 get intelligence.
Endless was their JOY IL rustic could
be found simple enough to be sent to
the book store for "a History OF Ewes
Grandmother" to the grocery store for
pigeons milk" or to the shoemaker's
for strap OIL" in the latter instance
strap oir' meant that the shoemaker
"Oulu lay OH lHe strap
the shape Of a whipping.
Boys are the same the world over,
only in this age of quick results they
like to get up tricks when the Joke will
so off Immediately. like firecracker
when the match Is applied.
y considerable degree OF GOODNESS OF
manner Is necessary for the success OF
practical joke, and some Of the best
have been perpetrated before people
have had chance to remember the
day.
A small boy who worked hard for 4
whole week to get on the right side OF
the cook last year inveigled her into
preparing an April FOOLS breakfast
after his own recipes. The apples had
an extra shiny and inviting look to hide
the fact that the core had been removed
with sharp knife and that red pepper
had been stuffed into the center before
the two ends OF the core had been re-
placed. The oatmeal had -four sauce
Instead OF cream. and the wheat cakes
had layer of cotton batting In each
one. AT the same time the cook made
some April fool candy stuffed with cot
ton. and soEe attractive little cakes
out OF pill boxes iced over. Needless
TO say that the small boy in question
had 10 taste all his concoctions before
the family considered the joke ct an
end.
An old hat on the sidewalk with 4
brick under It is 4 good joke. Endless
amusement. II n person sin the humor
for 1t, may be derived from tying
pocketbook on string and letting 1t fall
on the street. then jerking It away
when anyone goes to pick 1t up. A pull
ley can be arranged on the curb stone
so that a rat can be attached to 4
string and drawn across the sidewalk
when a handsomely dressed party OF
ladies' passes by. a string across the
front door at the height OF a man works
very well when guests who are liable
10 wear silk hats are expected. The
night before the lst It is advisable,
among other things. to sew up the ends
OF trousers or sleeves OF night gowns.
\ smooth surface OF flour on the pillow
and covering OF dough on the door
handle are good recipes, too. To pin n
paper bearing the words. April fool"
on mans coat tails is an old Joke.
To tell him that he has something on
his face IS little newer. After vain
Efforts to wipe of spot OF SCOT, which
Is so apt to fall in Chicago. he may be
told that that something Is his nose.
The only way to make this work is to
keep q straight face. S&IE
The secret of pinnins glass OF water
on the wall IS to get your friends inter-
eSted in the process. Climb up on a
chair with glass OF water in one hand
and pin in the other. Just at the
critical moment, when the glass Is APP
parently going to remain suspended in
midair. drop the pin. and when SYM
pathetic looker-on goes to pick It up
pour some water on him. A cold return,
but good joke.
I HAVE been afflicted with rheuma-
tism for fourteen years. and nothing
seemed TO give me any relief. was able
to be around all the time, but constant