The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1908-01-01
NOS|EST NEW YEAR
EVER CELEBRATED
New Workers. Are Allowed to
Turn Themselves Loose
HILARIOUS BUT NOT ROWDY
Police Commissioner Bingham Issues
Orders To Permit Noisy cele-
bration and the Programme
Is Fully Carried Out.

New York, December 31-With hearts
as light the confetti that swirled
blizzard-like about the Broadway revel
route, New Workers tore the last leaf
from the calendar of 1907 tonight and
set their faces toward the New Year
OF all the boisterous New Years there
Early today the word was sent out from
Police Commissioner Bngham's office:
Let the crowds have good time
Suppress rowdyism, but allow them to
make noise.''
In this way General Bingham recog-
niged the fact that the night before New
Years Day in the metropolis is primarily
for hubbub-making, the like of which
can be compared only with the racket
that ushers in the glorious Fourth. 1t
had been promised that tonishts demon
stration would be the noisiest ever and
the whole thing came off as advertised
Early in the evening the fun began,
eardrum splitting horns, COW bells and
every other din-producing device that
the cult of hucksters has discovered
sounded in discordance and increased in
volume until the midnight climax when
whistles and shouts from a million marked
the passage of the old and the ushering
In of the new year.
Tonight's celebration cost New Workers.
about three-quarters of a million dollars
the exact amount will not be known until
tomorrow, But those considered authori-
ties on the subject said that S25000o was
expended In the restaurants and cafes;
that theatres got 100000, and the musi-
clans, florists, cabmen and walters
swelled the amount to $500,000, while club
parties, private parties and the thousand
and one attractions along Broadway put
at leafs a quarter of a million more into
circulation
In the most fashionable places tables
had been engaged weeks in advance and
the aggregation OF diners rivaled each
other In brliance and spectacular gaiety
In most of the places only champagne
was served for drink, and the minimum
charge for each table was 81 a cover.
Delightful music, beautifully gowned
women and the clink of glasses at Mar
tins, Rector's Murray's, Shanley's and
other restaurants gave the approaching
year a rosy tint. The dining rooms of
the big hotels also held thousands A
fusilade of corks popped at the Knicker-
booker, Astor, st. Regis. Imperial, Plaza
and Waldorf-Astoria, just as though there
had never been a financial stringdcy
At Martins an innovation added spice
10 tne inerry-lnaklne- for tne nfst time
and for this night only women Patrons
were allowed to smoke in the public din
ing hall. The scene in the big dining
room of the Plaza was an unusual one
At the stroke of II, Caruso, the tenor,
sang the chimes from the Chimes OF
Normandy"
With glasses poised in the air patrons
shouted good bye to the old year and
greetings to the new.
In marked contrast win these festivi-
ties were the scenes at thousand
churches where congregations gathered
at 10 O'Clock and in silent worship
watched the old year out Especially
largely attended services were held at
Old Trinity, st. Georges, Old First Pres
byterian and st. Patrick's and st. Mich
aevs Above the heads of the worship
pers pealed the chimes in refreshing har-
mony.