The Telegraph-courier. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1888-1946, 1912-01-04
Din of Whistles, Bells and
Revolver Shots Greet 1912
at Midnight Sunday.
COLD STREETS ARE DESERTED
People Gather in Down Town Places
and Sing Songs as New Year Comes
Many Attend ''Watch Night Serv-
ices Held at the Various Churches.

Kenosha had cold but noisy well
come for 1912 when the infant year
was born at midnight on Sunday night,
and if there was any one in even the
suburban districts of the city that did
not know that a new year had come
into being it was not the fault of the
men who manned the whistles and rang
the bells, for such footing and ring
ing as greeted 1919 was never known
in Kenosha before. The whistles were
footed until the steam gave out and the
bells were rung until the happy men
anu women who tugged at the bell
ropes were either tired out or in their
enthusiasm had turned the bells over.
1t was right royal welcome to the
youngster considering the fact that
the wind was blowing gale from the
northwest and the mercury was how
ering about the zero mark. Theaters,
however, had given late midnight per
formances and other public places had
been kept open unit midnight and
when the new year came along and
drove the old year out the down town
streets We're pretty well filled with
people who held their ears while they
shouted welcome to the new conner. The
whistle at the water works was the
first to sound the welcome and then
every whistle in town took up the din.
The tannery whistle was particularly
enthusiastic and five minutes after
all the other whistles had died out for
lack Of steam the tannery was still
blowing. Out in the foreign districts
of the city the new year was welcomed
by volleys of shots. Men stood in the
street and blazed away with double
barreled shot guns, while revolvers
were brought into play in the down
town districts. John Kramer, who re-
sides on Jenney street, had the honor
of making the first kick to the police
in the new ye3f, nd he objected be-
cause one Of the vagfant revolver shots
crashed through his front window. The
din was sufficient TO awaken people in
all parts of the city and it was kept
up long enough to make Kenosha
sleepy on the first morning of the
new year.
1t was too cold for the water wagon
and the men who had planned to ride
on it were informed that the water had
frozen up and they were forced to coast
the new year and their New Year res
olutions with hot toddy and Tom and
Jerry. There was no lack of flowing
bowls for the event and the Tom and
jerry and all other sorts Of hot drinks
were kept working over time.
There were few GASES in the des-
ert for at the churches of the city
watch night meetings were held and in
these places the new year was greet
ed with gladstone songs of praise and
with prayers for the conversion of the
world during the year. The watch
night meetings were largely attended
and in nearly every church it was a
capacity audience that greeted the
new year.
BY four O'Clock the merry jewellers
had deserted the streets and gone home
to early breakfasts and all day sleeps
and it is pretty certain that goodly
portion of Kenosha spent lot of the
first day snoozing in warm beds.
The new year brought with it
change in the wind and as the wind
died down the cold grew more severe
and at eight o'clock New Year s
morning the mercury was down to zero.
The cold brought ice on the ponds for
he use of the skaters, but it was so
severe that it made the attendance at
New Year S services and receptions
rather small. There were many happy
family reunions in the city during the
day. The Elks kept open house for
scores of visitors and the Y. M. G. A.
had one of the most notable days of
its years. An all day program was
provided and the rooms were well
filled by the members and their friends
during the entire day.
There was no New Year S crime this
year and the only arrests reported by
the police We're a few arrests for in
toxication and these were men who
were too enthusiastic in their greeting
of the year. They were released early
Monday morning, but number of them
came into court this morning and made
possible the opening of new ledger
at the municipal court.
If all of the followers of Dowie IS
church obey the orders of TING General
Overseer or any considerable part of
them and come to Zion to make their
homes Yoliva viii be stronger in Zion