Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1907-03-30
Day of Jest Follows
Glad Easter Sunday

date when, for the space of twenty-four
hours, they are freely licensed by tradi-
tional custom to indulge in all sorts of
amiable imbecilities and to increase the
normal amount of folly at the expense of
their neighbors
The origin of All-foois' day is lost in OBJ
security, and there is no satisfying reason
as to why this one day In al the year is re-
served for playing pranks.
All sorts of conjectures have been ad-
vanced to account for the day. and the
generally accepted one is that which as
signs the origin of the custom to France.
March % used to be New Year day. France
took the lead in commencing the New Year
on January l, instead of March % Be
fore the change was made the festivities of
the season eliminated on the octave of the
feast. April l. when visits We're made and
gifts bestowed With the adoption of the
reformed calendar In 1864, New Year day
was carried back to January /. and only
pretended gifts and mock ceremonial visits
were made on April l, with the intention of
making fools of those who had forgotten
the change of date. The custom once
started was kept up after its origin had
been forgotten. 1t is certain that in mod
capers to be found I'm France. but in
all countries all ranks and classes. ages
and conditions, have since entered into it
with zest becoming better cause.
4
Allfoos' day is not so generally observed
in the United States now as a quarter CEN
fury ago. The custom is dying out, and
the April Fool pranks are now almost
exclusively played by children grown peo-
pie only occasionally taking a hand. Time
was, however, when the 'old folks played
the leading part, many of the so-called
jokes being costly Understanding invitations
fol darce at certain home, and the
guests finding the house closed and locked :
an undertaken receiving orders for a coffin
to be sent to some residence, and when he
reached there to find other undertakers had
been fooled In the same way. Invitations
have been sent to a feast when there was
no feast, and many a doctor has been
called 10 see patient when there was no
patient. OF course, these kinds of 'jokes''
are not relished by the ones upon whom
the burden falls, and are not only silly but
expensive.
Yet from one of these foolish April fool
FRANKS resulted one of the most beautiful
inventions of the age. Frenchman had
heard much of the eagerness with which
the London public jumped at new things
the greediness with which they ran after
yerything which appeared wonderful. The
Frenchman caused to be inserted advertise
mepts in a number of papers of the great
city setting forth a newly invented process
for making portraits. The advertisement
stated that the work was to be done by
placing the subject before a mirror, and
then by a process known only to the ad-
vertiser he would make the portrait per-
manent upon the mirror. All who desired
to see the demonstration were invited to
call at 10 o'clock at certain number on
the Strand. This was a BARRIERS shop, op-
posite the windows of his lodgings, where
he sat on the first day of April and laughed
at the crowds who focked in carriages and
on foot, to the dtsmay Of the barber. who
was amazed at the rush to his shop. and
who finally realized that it was the 1st of
April! What this April fooling Frenchman
played as a joke was In a few years re-
duced into an actually and gave immor-
Atty to the name of Deguerre.