Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1902-01-02
Rock Island People Sit Up and
Watch for the New
Year.
oBsERvANoEs OF THE FIRST DAY
Dances and Entertainments Are
Numerous-Masons Have
Open House.

tiOn, eitncT On the part OF the ele-
ments or of man. \ blast of the
waterworks whistle, momentary
bable of sound on the night air and
the transition had been effected.
The watch meetings New Years eve
at the First Methodist, First Baptist,
Memorial Christian and Broadway,
Central and United Presbyterian
churches were attended by many be-
tween the hours of 8 and II. Each
pastor, after formally opening the
services at his own church. visited
each of the other churches and deliv-
cred short addresses, the variety thus
offered to the several congregations
causing the evening to pass quickly.
At midnight each minister was with
his own flock to dismiss them with
his benediction as the new year broke
upon them.
There We're several balls and many
private watch parties. At Indus
trial hall the Thirty club gave one of
its enjoyable dancing parties. The
Old Time club met at Turner hall and
danced as of yore to the tunes of two
decades ago. The naval reserves i'm
proved the occasion of the regular BIZ
weekly dance by extending the hours
into the new year.
The high school club known as
the l.. +. C.'s met at the home of
Miss Cora Van Glader. 754 Seven
teenth street, and entertained a party
of high school boys at n watch par
ty. The evening was devoted to
games and refreshments were served
Sheridan Club Banquet.
The annual stag banquet of the
Sheridan club, held New Years eve
in the club quarters in the Masonic
temple, proved n most happy event,
IS members being seated around the
board. The menu, tempting one,
was carried out under the direction
of Caterer j. w. Linn. and at its con-
clusion the annual address of the
president, II. \. Fender, was deliver
ed, a program of toasts and music
following. with j. j. La Nelle offici-
ating as toastmaster. Those respond
ing with speeches were: j. W. Cava-
naugh. whose subject was the ''Sheri-
dan Club" J. F. Murphy, 'Single
Blessedness;" f. c. Berry, Married
Bliss T. J. Murray. who read pa
per prepared by NJ. ii. Sexton on
Rock Island" and Il. +. La Nelle,
"Reminiscences" The toasts were in
terspersed with piano solos by w. \.
Totten. vocal numbers by DIR. NJ. Lee
Gallagher. l.. \. Larkin, +. Il. Ma
loney and j. NJ. Colligan, and stories
by Tim Collins.
Quiet Holiday.
a in
Rock Island. During the day there
were very few functions of public
nature Many went to church, the
Catholic churches holding the regu-
las New Years mass and Trinity
Episcopal church mathis in the morn
ing. Some kept open house. others
went calling and the majority, after
all, probably just stayed at home.
Very few followed their daily voca-
tions or, attempted to transact bus
mess.
Skating was the favorite diversion
of the young. Although the sport
was not of the best, there were hun
dreds upon the ice at Sylvan water,
the canal at Milan and such ponds
and pools as happened to have been
formed by the late thaw. This species
of activity served very well to stimu
late an appetite for the fowl that es-
capped the Thanksgiving day and
Christmas. or to dispel that uncom-
Portable feeling of fullness after the
feast.
The quietness of the day was con-
ducive to the formation of many and
elaborate New Years resolutions, as
well as favorable to the effort to
keep them at least for the first "a
hours. Many n leaf was turned in
Rock Island, and without doubt the
good intentions of the principals will
be as effective as in former years.
At the Y. NJ CA.
The day was well filled with the
program carried out at the Y. NJ. c.
A. The morning was set apart for
the juniors and the afternoon for
men, whether members or not. y
substantial free lunch was
served from $3.50 till and the even
ing was devoted TO captivating fun
making contest, in which the partic-
ipants, members of the young mems
class. were divided into equal sides,
and caused much merriment in a
series of unusual contests.
Masons Keep Open House.
The Masons of the city held open
house at Masonic hall from . till 5
Yesterday afternoon, the affair being
after the nature of a smoker. In the
evening probably the largest crowd
that ever assembled in the hall gath
cred to enjoy an entertainment that
had been jointly arranged by Rock
Island commandery, Barrett chap
ter and Rock Island and Trio lodges.
ID. j. Sears. high priest of Barrett
chapter, officiated as master of cere-
monies. The program presented
opened with music by Bluer's orches-
ira. Then followed in order vocal
solo by H. X. Collins, piano duet by
the Misses Sears and Swayne; vocal
solo, Miss Yeager; vocal solo, j. A.