The Washington herald., 1909-05-09
AN ANCIENT TAG DAY"
Prototype of Tfme-hOnOred Custom
at EtOR school.

TrOtotype OF Itme-honOred Custom
at EtOR school.
From the Youth's Coupanioa.
Nothing is new. Even the tag day, u
which has swept through the land. gath
ering IN its hosts OF contributions. bears
many Of the marks OF the old "montem' -
Of Eton fame. This tirne-honored custom
Of the great English public school died
out or was suppressed some sixty-odd
years ago. yet the modern "hold-up'' has
Its prototype in the method OF getting
money practiced by the "eoIlegers" and
'opp!dians'' Of Eton. Arthur Duke Cole
ridge gives an account Of montem in his
'Eton n the Forties"
The origin OF montem is buried in obliv-
lon The first accounts Of its practice
date back TO the tine Of Henry VIII
Its object was TO gather contributions
10 aid the lucky 'colleger who led his
class, and who was called "captaln Of
mOntem.- The "cOlIegers" Of Eton are
the students preparing for Kings College,
on the foundation established by the
royal endower Of the school
On WhiJsun Tuesday the boys OF the
school dressed In picturesque costumes.
formed procession 10 escort the heroes
OF the day The chief hero was. Of
course. the montem captain, whose cleo
tiOa had taken place twelve days before.
in the evening Cf "Montem Sure Night" q"
To him all the funds collected through
montem day were given.
Il was in the gathering Of these funds
that We can see the trace OF resemblance
20 the modern tag day. Certain bows
were chosen as collectors: two OF these
were called salt bearers" and command
ed a force Of twelve boys called nun
ners. All were dressed in gay. and often
beautiful. costumes. Each boy carried
a painted stan and a satin money bag.
and vas stationed on some point OF the
road, with orders 20 demand Of every
passerby a toll Of money
IN Olden lines a pinch OF salt was given
as a rece Dt for every tax thus levied.
IN later years a ticket was given instead
and the money itself was called salt"
The cry OF the tax gatherers was salt,
Saltt''
The two salt bearers had the more dig
nified duty OF collecting from the college
authorities and guests. Each OF the
twelve runners was accompanied 10 his
post by a hired attendant, who was
armed. Such precaution was necessary.
especially for the boys stationed al any
distance from the college. fer such a
runner might be in possession OF several
hundred pounds before the day was over.
An average days collection amounted
10 Sl.0o0 or more. This was all turned
over 10 the captain Of monten. Out OF
this the favored one had to pay for
breakfast for the first 100 BOYS, and
dinner for the Whole school. II the cap
tain did not happer 70 be entirely popu-
lar, these meals were made as expensive
as possible BY the boys. through wiIlful
breakage Of dishes and recklessness OF
waste Besides these expenses. the cap
tains had 70 pay the salt bearers and
runners and their attendants Often II
was anything but a large portion Of the
sum which finally found It's way to the
captains pocket
Montem is now forgotten save by the
oldest Etonian. The spirit Of the ad-
vanced age called more and more loudly
that Il involved a great waste OF time
and money. One OF the strokes which
killed the custom was the opening of a
railway that brought q promiscuous
crowd Of SPECTATORS gathering impos-
sible TO control