New-York tribune., 1900-01-02
IT SEOULD BE


No new century began yesterday. Avoid al
deIuSiors on that head. BuJ those who had 70
date anything found that there was a queer
ssrsatin in writing 1896" and they felt that
something momentoCs had happened % the cal
ec5a-. The yoUnE and The middle agce people
VIII Sc, used 20 the new aSure in the hundreds
place as years so by. buJ just now il looks
wrons- The change in the manner % writing
the date was much more violent yesterday than
it VIII be a year from yesterday, when the new
Centv- win begin indeed
II is becoming obvious and the fact may as
vel lie faced. that New Years Day Is getting
To be worn out holiday. It has beer decayins.
apparently for a good many years, and there
IS now little hope OF arrestinS the process. In
the old days people made calls but now the
generation that is OF calling aEe scarcely
remembers II. Then 10 be sober on New Years
night was - argue ones self unknown But
there arose iconOCIaSts who said that for good
men TO be turned into beasts through the hos
pitality Of gOCd women was not in consonance
with the highest ideals OF modern society And
these prudes who could not teH SIX bottle man
from punChbovL were allowed 10 have their
way. and now calls on New Years Day. unless
previously arranged. are actually avoided.
What was to be done now? The hotel keepers
whose philanthropy as class has never been
appreciated -Ieaped into the breach Iney
spread in their barrooms on New Years Day
bounti5Ul repasts. free for every conner. Any one
who came was fed ard no questions were asked.
although those who had any decency about
them or any thirst-the same thing on New
Years Day-feIt bound or impeIled TO buy some
thing TO drink. And SO there was stuI no need
for any -Amsterdamer TO disgrace his city
by going to he'd sober.
And now what has befallen? The hotel keep
ers are getting thrifty or weary or poor-though
that cannot be-and the great. gOpd spreads are
getting few. There We're some OF them yesterday
at some Of the hotels. for there are those who
stiH honor an old custom. like good men and
true; but in most of the barrooms the daily
crackers and cheese held their place against the
smoking oyster stew. the noble salmon hidden
under yellow sauce. the sugar cured ham with
the number Of the new year worked on it in
bits of black trufle on a white ground. the
great ribs Of beef the turkey that weighed
fabulous pounds while it yet lived, and the
salads without number. There were many peO-
pie in the barrooms 1t is true. and a few OF the
plainest drunks We're 10 be met in the streets.
but over the most of the populace there was
spread a pitiful sobriety. The great Observ-
ance of New Years now - the foolish din at
midnight when it arrives. And thus gradually
has vulgar noise displaced stately tipping
Instead Of the comfort of the time hOnCrsd
egEnog taken IN dignded leisure az home OF in
some warm barrOOm. hundreds endured the Bit
CoOness as much in winter as in summer. 10 see
two persons thump each other with gloves
They a good fight but the tight was not the
boxing match; it was only about the boxing
match. The hghJ went on for long time v lille
the people who had paid their money and err
dured the cold waited Then the boxing match
took place, and il lasted for five minutes. more
less. and not a good boxing match at
that But everybody knows that the next box
ing match, whenever or wherever II is viii be
a good one. and the minute the time and place
are announced the sensible people win crush
one another to buy tickets
The skies did their duty by the new year bet
ter than they did by Christmas II was a cold
day as il should be, and the clouds IN the early
morning sifted little snow upon the ground,
as was also right There not much busi-
ness done through the day. Some OF the shops
were open and some were shut. but people do
not start out extensive shopping tours on
DAYS when they do not know what doors viii
he closed against them. II something OF
holiday. bUt New Years Day is not what X
used 10 be. If some measures are not taken to
preserve Il there viii be little left OF the observ-
ance of the day on January l. 2OOO