Los Angeles herald., 1908-11-02
OBSERVE HALLOWEEN
IN ROMANTIC STYLE
MEMBERS OF PRESBYTERIAN
CHURCH ON FR0LIC
Los Angeles River Visited After
NghtfaII, and All Ceremonies
Observed, but Ghosts Fail
to Materialze

1.-The ghosts command you to come
and bury care by the silent waters in
the misty vale. Bring your pet horror
with you"
This command of the ghosts was not
to be overlooked by the recipients, for
any one knows If you refuse the COM
mand of a ghost the "Goblins IL get
you if you don't watch out" Besides
ii would have been a shame to let the
poor old ghosts wander about all alone
on their one night off in the whole year.
At least so thought the young people
of the Central Presbyterian church
when they received the silent command
of the big ghost to come to the silent
waters in the misty vale"
The event should also go down in the
history of Los Angeles as giving a
waters" of the Los Angeles river for
last night they were commanded to
disappear, that inquisitive ones might
not cross the river (StyX, of course.)
and peer into the other world, from
which came the ghosts.
If you ask any historian he will tell
you that what is now known by the
name of the Los Angeles river was
originally christened by the early
padres "Portiuncula," in honor of that
feast, and that it's use had been for
gotten along with the early name. Any
Angeleno would tell you that 1t was
simply a name, and that there is Moth
ing in name, which would be quite
right. The tourist would tell you that
it was all a myth. But last night the
real discovery was made-it is the
Styx, an old-fashioned way of spelling,
used some millions of years ago by
the gods away off in Olympia. This
discovery was made certain, for it was
full of sticks.
All had been we'll planned by the
ghosts and several had returned during
the day and assumed the forms of well
known people to guide the party to the
getting off place" In order to facili-
tate matters and not attract too much
attention the party took a prosaic cleo
trio car and alighted at what the co.I-
ductor called Ivanhoe, but he was not of
the elect and did not know the regions
of Pluto.
From this point the party started out
to find the silent river. For fear they
might stray, ghosts were stationed at
different points, ever pointing onward.
Candles were placed so as to show off
these ghosts, that they might not be
overlooked. AS the party made it's way
along this silent path the young women
became frightened at some of the sem
tinels, but there were plenty of brave
young men, good looking ones, too, to
cain liitlE ltdTS.
Arriving at the destination, some said
half mile away and some a biscuits
throw (but it was according to who did
the throwing) they found a halting
place Charon, the grim boatman, did
not intend them to cross the Styx, for
this was a night off with the ghosts,
and they did not mean to receive Wis
! itors in their own particular realm.
A great campfire was built and pota-
toes and apples were roasted. Accord
ing to the old-fashioned ways the furies
should have snatched these away, but
they, too, were taking a day off, and
let the party rest in peace.
Fortunes were tackled to the trees
settling forever the fate of the persons
reading them. Some remembered thai
it was on October 81 that Martin
Luther nailed his famous edict on tho
church door, but that had little to dt
with the settling of fates-and severa
were settled Saturday night.
After interviewing all the power.
that were regarded the past, present
and future, and when the thrill had al
been used up, the most timid being, m
longer afraid of silent ghosts treadins
around, the party wended it's way bacl
to the getting off place, again accom-
panied by the band of ghosts, and wer,
quickly conveyed back to the city.
There were no serious accidents, ant
no one was drowned in the Styx,