The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1903-12-31
WASHINGTON TO WATCH
DEATH OF OLD YEAR
Successor Will Be Born
With Noise and Din.
TOMORROW'S RESOLUTIONS
How Holiday Will Be Spent in Official
and Private Life in
Capital City.

When the clock on the parlor mantel
strikes u tonight it will signalize the
death of The old year. one thousand
nine hundred and three, and stimuli
taneously announce the birth Of the
new year. nineteen hundred and four.
When the year now Fastening to take
it's place in the annals of time was in
it's swaddling clothes IL was received
with great acclaim. with shouts of joy
and gladstone greetings ere it was a
moment old. just as is each newborn
babe ushered into the world as the
most wonderful of all living creatures;
neither is there sorrow that it is now
almost departed, even though il may
have brought gray hairs and trouble TO
those who attended both its beginning
and it's end.
So also will its successor in the course
of human events, be received, for is
not all Washington preparing 10 sit up
this night and watch the Old Year out
and the New Year in? And when fl
does dawn-this New Year-the air will
be rent with the sound of changing
bells, the shrill shrek OF engine whis-
ties. the footing of horns, and the
shouts OF many voices. else New ear
Day will be different in Washington
than have been any of its recent pre-
decessors Washington will not sleep,
and could not II it would. until it has
welcomed nineteen hundred and four to
1.-The countless centurN5 Of unrecorded
time"
Day of New Resolutions.
Tomorrow will be noteworthy for the
adoption OF resolutions. including enough
good intentions to keep the street COM
missioner OF Hades supplied with paw
ing material throughout the remainder
OF his term and TO place him In a po-
sition. where he will be entirely indie
pendent of the asphalt trust Tomor-
row will be the day when one squares
ones personal accounts with ones self;
buries the dead past; turns over new
leaf. and begins a new reckoning. which
within a few days or few weeks. al
most. VIII look very much like the old
one. But that is a part Of every New
Year Day observance. Tomorrow Is the
day when checks upon the universal
bank of happiness pass current with
many Endorsements. but the trouble Is
that they cannot always be cashed q
few days hence
New Year Day in Washington will be
celebrated very much as other New
Year Days have been celebrated for sew
eraI decades. The events which take
place here. however. are perhaps more
noteworthy than are the regular occur
rences elsewhere. because OF the Of
| fetal functions which are here perform
ed
At the White House
Following custom. the President vii
keep open house and receive the greet.
| ings and good wishes not only of his
/ own townsmen, but his fellow citizen.
from different parts OF the country il
private and official life. and also SINH
lar expressions OF good feeling and good
fellowship from the representatives d
every civilized nation on earth Thi.
observance OF the day in itself make:
January / in Washington more interest
/ ing than IL Is elsewhere. Then. there
viii be the diplomatic breakfast. mea
which. although 1t may not be extrava
\ CANT. is not to be served elsewhere
The custom Of making New Year calli
will be quite generally observed. ant
many womea Of society viii keep opei
house TO receive their friends, whilets a.
! is usual. others will receive at the head
quarters Of various organizations.
The day will be observed as a public
holiday. All the departments OF tn
/ Government were closed at noon today
and will remain so until Saturday morn
ing. when the clerks will return TO thei
desks to take up the work of the New
| Year Banks, business houses, stores
shops. markets. and general places .
| trade and business viii also be closed
| and only those who are obliged 70 wei
| for the benefit and comfort of oth=r
will depart from the general rule OF 90
servance of the first day OF the year.