Coeur d'Alene evening press. (Coeur d'Alene, Idaho) 1907-1929, 1910-01-21
A NEW YEAR CONTEST
81 ApELAIpE RurH hlLL


York-and II was then a great func-
tion with the Dutch men and Dutch
women OF that town-was at hand. II
was In a transition state The simple
visits Of the inhabitants, where they
made few calls and spent plenty Of
time drinking schnapps at each call,
were passing ont with the growth Of
the place. and already some Of the
fashionable young men were begin
ming to boast Of the number Of visits
they would make.
Miss Kate Van Gaasback was then
the belle Of the town, and two of the
city "bloods." Derrick schermerhorn
and Beekman Van Corlaer, were as
pirants for her hand A few evenings
before the LIST OF January they hap.
pened to meet In Miss Van GAS
backs parlor each hoping for favor
able answer to his suit.
u desire" said the lady, "for a hus-
band one who will join with me in
successful society career. You two
each take notebook with you when
you call on New Years day and have
every lady you call upon enter her
name in It. Begin calling at 10 o'clock
In the morning. ending your rounds
here at in the evening. He who can
show the largest number Of signatures
shall have preference over the other"
Now. 1t was not that the lady had no
preference. She had very strong
preference for Derrick Schermerhorn.
But at times a woman moves like q
crab, backward that is. when she is
expected to go forward she proceeds In
the opposite direction. This, however,
will be recognized at the end OF the
story AT 10 O'Clock on New Years
morning the two suitors. dressed in
the height of the then fashion and each
with big bouquet IN his buttonhole.
started to make the rounds OF their
lady friends. Derrick, who from the
fact that his father was rich brewer
was popular. had been able to make
the larger list. Beekman relied this
and had great fears that his own list
would be exhausted before the limit
Of time had elapsed. However, he
could do only what he could and ac-
cept defeat, II 1t came, like a man.
The first call Derrick made was on
Miss Van Horn. After few remarks
he was bowling himself out when the
lady reminded him that it was not
complimentary that he should hurry
and he must have some refreshment.
He waited half an hour for the re-
freshment to be served, then, after
partaking Of 1t. got away as soon as
possible. At his second call the lady
insisted on reading to him from her fa-
vorite book, and he found 1t impossible
TO leave her under three-quarters Of an
hour. Even then she reproached him.
The third call was made with similar
delay. After this came a number Of
visits which were completed with dis
patch. And so passed the day. About
one in three of those he called on de-
layed him.
Now, 1t happened that about o'clock
In the afternoon the two suitors met
at the house OF Vanderpole Ten Eyck.
a manufacturer Of calico, In King
street There were a number Of girls
In the party. and they had heard that
contest was on between the young
men as to who would make the most
calls. A bevy surrounded each Of
the contestants. testing him to reveal
his score Both refused. Then one Of
the girls snatched Beekman's note
book from his pocket and ran away
with 1t. Having examined it, she sang
out:
"Thirty-twO callsv
/ This was sad news to Derrick. who
/ knew that he had made only twenty
eight. It was half past 4. and even II
Beekman made no more visits Derrick
must make five more to beat him. He
started to so. but the mischievous girls
locked the front door. But a rear door
was open, and he plunged through it,
followed closely by his opponent. This
door led through passageway uniting
the dwelling with the print works.
The two men rushed through this pas
sageway and found themselves NOV
Ing on a raised platform on either side
of which, their upper edges rising
some twelve inches above 1t, were dye
watts. A brilliant idea occurred to Der
rick. Lessening his pace. he permitted
him push. Beekman's heels caught
against the projection OF a dye vat,
and he fell into 1t. catching with his
hands either side OF the vat. Then he
pulled himself out, dripping with a
beautiful yellow dye.
Derrick shot out OF a door at the
other end Of the building at the same
time that the pursuing girls entered
the dye house A merry shout OF
laughter sounded 10 poor Beekman
like funeral knell At any rate. he
knew he had lost the race and the
prize He stood surveying himself,
scraping the thick dyestufG OF one
hand with the other and vice versa,
till Mrs. Ten Eyck took pity on him
and led him away to a place where he
could get OF his clothes and put on a
suit OF her sons.
Derrick Schermerhorn got In i've
more visits aud mounted the stoop of