Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1910-10-31
HALLOWEEN HERE
Night of Spooks and Spirits
Brings Frolcs to Young
sters of the Land.
PERMIT HARMLESS FUN
But Police Officers Will Keep an Eye
Open for Acts of Destruction and
Punishment Is Promised.

Halloween, the night on which
! spooks and mysterious spirits are sup
posed to prowl about the land perform
| ing all sorts of direful and mischievous
stunts, is with us. Whether the spirits
will indulge in any midnight revelries
/ is not certain, but il is safe to say to-
morrow morning will reveal sights
/ which would lend some credulence to
| the mythical and ancient belief. What
the spooks fail to do to get the humble
! citizen somewhat peeved the small boy
most efficiently attends to. The lads
are already preparing for the festival
and the tick-tack has been rugged up
and all loose corn is being picked up.
! Following the usual custom, the citi
zens of Rock Island can look for the
youngsters to go forth into the night
and under cover of darkness perpe
trate many pTanks and practical jokes
Police on Guard.
While the seeker of harmless fun
will be permitted to operate unmolest
ed. those who would wilfully and ma
liciOusly damage property had best be-
ware, according to the police. who will
probably do a little sleuthing this ev-
! ening. In late years the spirit of the
eve has become quite sane and ii is
/ hoped that those who celebrate this
! year will resist the temptation to do
/ damage, even though the way be
strewn with loose gates and hitching
posts and not a policeman in sight.
/ The change of conditions, may be in
/ part Influenced by the inconvenience
of past Halloween repairs. will thwart
/ this years wOuld-be damage-doers.
/ Because of the increasing popularity
| of the automobile, hitching posts are
/ becoming scarce and loose ones are
almost extinct. Concrete sidewalks
have supplanted the old wooden walks.
/ the joy of the Hallowe'ener in years
gone by. Picket fences have almost
disappeared from the Rock Island
landscape, and the old-fashioned swing
| ing gates that were so easily lifted
from the hinges will no longer tempt
! the nocturnal wrecker of havoc.
Halloween is always hailed with JOY
! by the hostess who wishes to entertain
informally and without frou-frous. Dec
orative schemes. bringing into use au-
tumn leaves and fall colors. afford a
pleasing change and are easily worked
! out.
| Origin of Halloween.
| Halloween is the popular name for
the Eve of Vigil of All Hallows, of the
Festival of All Saints. AS the date of
that festival is Nov. ]. Halloween, or
| Halloween eve, is observed on the ev-
ening of Oct 81.
Historical adyiCes regarding Hollow
cen are uncertain in naming the date
OF origin. 1t is practically certain
/ that the festival of Halloween was in
! a heathenish form observed by the
! Celtic races as early as the third cen
fury, when rites of fire worship were
performed and human lives offered up
| in sacrifice to the heather fire gods.
! Anciently the most essential cere-
mOny seems to have been the lighting
of bonfires by ever household. In Scot
| land in the ancient days there were
many superstitions concerning Hal
/ loween. The evening was thought TO
have brought a charm that enabled
Fevery maid and man to discover his or
! her wife or husband. In England it
! has long been the custom to gather
around the fire, crack nuts, duck for
apples in water and perform other
! harmless fireside revelries.