The true northerner. [volume] (Paw Paw, Mich.) 1855-1920, 1901-12-27

- INCE the birth of Jesus Of
- Nazareth the beginning Of the
~ year has been variously fixed
at Dec %, the anniversary OF
his birth; Jan. l, the anniversary OF
his circumcision; AIarch %, the ami
versary of his conception, and on
Easter Sunday. In the British isles
the date most preferred was Dec. %,
and ii was not until after Hastings
that the present day was chosen. VIII
liam the Conqueror was crowned on
Jan. /; whether because he honestly
deemed the date, which was then in
use in Normandy, the most convenient,
or whether he wished to thus signalize
his victory, the day was then first
used, and has since been used.
The day is set aside for feasting and
merriment all over the Christian
world. 1t is said that In Paris over
$150,OO0 is spent on sweetmeats alone,
while IL is far from uncommon for a
man TO expend on one New Years pres
ent as much as one-tifteenth OF his in
come In Scotland so universal is the
custom of giving up the entire season
to the duties of the trencher and the
cup that the day Is known as Daft
day" touching allusion to the state
TO which. after morning has come, the
majority of the celebrators are reduc-
ed. New Years eve Is known as Hog
manay, supposed To be derived from
the old Saxon hog night, the time for
killing hogs for eating and sacrifice.
In the rural districts Of England
there existed until very late day a
custom, which probably came from the
Greeks, on down through the Romans
and the Germans, Of eating on this day
a species Of sacrifice cake known as
God cakes-small, triangular buns half
an inch thick and filled with mince-
meat. while the famous Boxing day,
with it's attendant custom Of stephen
ing" are all through the isles the chief
event of the rural year.
Americans in spite of the fact that
the day is less distinguished than
Christmas day. owe many Of their
choicest privileges TO events which
transpired on New Years day, says the
Cincinnati Enquirer. 1t was on the
LIST of January, 1916, that Washington
unfurled at Cambridge, Mass, the first
Federal flag, the original emblem with
thirteen stars. In 1919 the first Soci-
ETY. of Universalists met at Gloucester,
Mass, and Major General Benjamin
Lincoln. commanding the Continental
forces in the south, established his first
post at Purysbury, on the Savannah
river. In 1871 occurred the mutiny at
MorristOwn, y. j., the most formidable
movement of it's kind in the military
annals of the nation. Some 1000 of
the New Jersey troops of the llne an
gered by the repeated negligence of
congress, grounded their arms and re-
fused to fight until some further provi-
sion could he guaranteed toward their
maintenance and pay. 1t was indeed a
crisis i'm the conflict, as the outcome of
this bold move must either intimidate
or encourage the entire army, all of
whom were suffering from mucb the
same causes as their brethren from
New Jersey. General Wayne saw al
once that ii was not for him to person
ally deal with this question and sent
Colonies Stewart and Butler to inter
cede. These officers conferred with
the ringleaders at Princeton. and while
the conference was on General Clin on
sent two British officers to coax the
mutineers over to the other sery e.
The prompt manner in which the III H.
tia handed the interlopers over to
Washington had much to do with the
speedy compliance of congress with
their just demands. II was q happy
turn i'm a most embarrassing affair.
On New Years day. 1915, during the
second day of the battle below New
Orleans, the British made the most
determined Of their three assaults and
lost the flower Of their army. From
this day until 1862, from some strange
freak OF fate, which seems to bunch
her important events on certain days,
few things Of note occurred. But in
1862, the second and most critical year
of the civil war, congress enacted some
thing which will forever be memorable
TO many political economists-the sus-
pension of specie payment until further
notice. Just how such a huge machine
managed TO exist until New Years day,
1879, when specie payment was re-
sumed, will be matter of endless COM
ment among the economists of the flu
ture.