The San Juan County index. (Aztec, N.M.) 1890-19??, 1899-05-12
THE DONATION PARTY
AMERICAN INSTITUTIONS LIT
TIE KNOWN.
Was the Result Of Poverfy-Custom
That Has Not Changed In les General
Character since n was introduced
Usually Leaves Hard Feeling.

gheroter since At was ntrooucoa-
Usually Leaves Hard Feeling.
The donation party is one Of the
american institutions which is un-
known to the majority Of "city-bred"
people and known best to those who
have passed beyond that uncertain pc
riod known as middle life, sayu the
New York Tribune. It is a country in
stitution more than a hundred years
old and its origin has been ascribed to
various causes and conditions. II prob
ably originated from the same causes
that made 1t necessary for the early
country school teacher to board
around" The teacher was wanted n
the community, there was little money
Ia induce him or her to remain. and
living was made cheap by the custom
Of boarding around by which the
burden was divided among several
members Of the community. The do
nation party was also the result Of pow
erty and a desire on the part Of the
poor people to help the parson make
ends meet The congregation which
had money enough to do so paid its
minister a living salary, but in coun-
try towns, where there was little
money, the minister usually kept his
eye on the donation, because the reg
ular salary was small and uncertain.
Farm products, hoop-poles and o
skins we're legal tender in the early
days Of the donation party; the con-
gregations were small, money was
scarce. and on the day after the party
the preacher often became a trader
and carted some of his donated goods
to market, where they we're sold or ex-
changed for more desirable merchan-
disc. The articles were. contributed
voluntarily. and in order that there
might be a good show" and that the
element Of good-fellowshlp and the
New England n~eighborly feeling might
eclipse any semblance Of charity, the
donors went to the parsons house in a
body with their gifts and gave him a
surprise party" for which he had
looked %anxiously. While the poor min
lister was usually pleased with the ar
rangement, and accepted with graft
tude and pleasure the gifts OF his
neighbOrs, he often wished that the ar
ticles might have been sent by messen-
ger-a hired man or a hired girl-be-
cause the party often caused more
trouble and entailed more expense
than the donation was worth. The old
custom has not changed in its general
character since it was introduced. 1t
is the same today as it was then. except
that the character of the donations has
changed with the times, and while the
donors of 100 years ago trampled upon
and ruined old-fashioned homemade
rag carpets and criticised the blue
china IN the shelves, the present-time
donors deal in a like manner with
more modern articles. The same diff
ference exists also in the character OF
the donations. The collection of arti-
cles which finds its way into the home
OF the country parson with a donation
party is usually a highly interesting
one because of its variety. There is
everything, from wooden clothespins
and kindling wood to angel cake and
plush albums-clothing. soap, pickles
and live chickens, patent medicines
and wall paper, fruits and vegetables
in cans, and sofa cushions, bags Of
beans and books of poems, things that
are useful In any household, and 9th.
ers that were in the way in the houses
Of the donors, and will remain a nui-
sance in the parsons home until he
changes his field of usefulness, wher
he may forget or lose them without in.
curing the displeasure of a membeNo
his flock. But the donation party
does not end with a donation to th'
minister" said a venerable deacon
who had served his time in New Eng
land. "Those who donate want some
thing for their money, and, not salts
fed with disturbing the peace and quie
Of the parsons home and giving hi
furniture and carpets more wear thar
they would ordinarily have in a year
they stay to have something, and ca
up what they have brought for tn,
minister and what little else there 4
in the house, and go away proud be
cause they did the right thing by tn
dominic"