St. Johns review. (Saint Johns, Or.) 1904-current, 1914-01-02
A New Amsterdam
New Year
BY F. A. mitchell

New \ earS DAY mas cnangeu IN gen
Grafton from what il was for 300 or
more years Till some thirty years ago
It was devoted to making calls The
Dutchmen who spttled New York, then
called New Amsterdam, early in the
seventeenth century. brought the Gus
tom with them from Holland. On the
first New Years day In the little town
nesting about the fort on the point Of
Manhattan island probably not a hun
dred. possibly not dfty. men made
calls.
From where .he New York Gus
tom house now stands east. west aud
north. for distance perhaps OF 500
yards, which embraced the town. ON
Jan !, the good housewives having
spent the previous week In scruhblng
sweeping. dusting aud polishing their
homes. put on all the pettcoats they
possessed aud In cap ana collar sat
themselves down In their plrors to re-.
ceive callers.
Now. the day before one Of the ear.
Hest Of these New Years days u bar
gain was struck between Katrina Van
Gaasbcck aud her mother Frau Van
GaHsbeck wished her daughter 10 mar.
ry Dledrich Van Duscn, A rich ship
swner. while Kntrlna preferred Az.
thony Van Horn. young fur trndcr
have called the former ~ these men
rich shipowncr, and he certainly was.
for he was the posscssor Of sloop
fully thirty feet long. on which he ur.
ried supplies 10 the settlers along the
East river ns far as Hell Gate aud llong
the North river M far as Spuytcn Duy.
vii
The chickering's between mother aud
daughter had for months past been
embittering the life of the husband
sud father. Peter Van Guusbock No
sooner did he come home from his
work IN the evening. pour out n cap Of
schnnpps and light his pipe than the
clatter commenced. aud he was driven
distracted ON this day before New
Years that has been mentioned when
tho turmoil commenced hc cried out:
settle this matter between you, or.
by st. Nicholas. I Will go back 10 Ilol
land on the next ship that sails. lony.
ing you two here 10 light II outt'
"flow settle. ~" asked mother and
daughter NJ once.
Tomorrow win be New Years day
Some time between morning aud even
Ing Dlcdrich Van Duscn nnd Anthony
Van Horn viii each make call here
lat II be- agreed between you TINT the
ono who cnlls nearest Ia the stroke ~
the town clock at noon shall he the
favored suitor."
Frau Van Gnnsbeck WIS lonth 10 ne.
ccpt this arrangement. for she did not
trust her daughter and Katrina was
loath 10 accept H because she did not
trust her mother. but each consented
thinking herself sufficiently sharp tu
outwit tho other.
Then Peter settled himself 10 hL
bottle Of schnapps aud his pipe with
great contcntment
Before % o'clock that night. when NIL
New Amsterdnmcrs were In bed the
suitors had each been Informed by the
one who favored him ~ the arrange
ment and instructed 10 make his call
nt the moment the clock struck T.
Dledrich Van Dusen arose no cOckcrow
aud spent the time betwccn then aud
noon watching the hands ~ the town
clock AZ y he put on n second pair ~
breeches. aud every hair hour after
that ho put on another pair, 30 that
by N o'clock he was so incnsed that /
he resembed a hogshond ~ gin set
upon end on couple ~ bricks.
At fye minutes NJ - he east last |
glance at the clock aud proceeded "a /
the house OF Frau Van nusen lie was |
receiyed with smiles by both mother |
aud daughter. whlsh made him feel |
very comfortable, Tor his rival was not |
there. it being a minute or two ~ ~ |
o'clock, aud he had certainty won. lie /
did not hear the clock strike. fnr Hs
trina talked 30 loudly that he could not
have heard q gun fired on the Battery.
but hundred yards distant when ne
had been In tho house half an hour he
Withdrew. giving place to other callers
Diedrich Van Dusen went homo and
was taking on some ~ his breeches.
lsughing gleef,ily at having got ahead
OF his rival, when no heard the town
clock strike
"It Is OF the clock" he said
lie had scarcely spoken when there
came another stroke lie stopped, with
= pair Of hreeches half on. ana listen
ed. There was another ana another
sfrnl. Nhau IA huH a,ttut.N .T,K.t, ]
he paled, and when the twelfth came
he was beside himself with anxiety
Pulling on the breeches that he had
half removed bee went outside and
looked az the clock. The hands stood
NJ ~ Running 10 Fran Van Dusen's,
he looked I'm through window and
saw his rival with sausage In one
hand and a cup ~ schnapps In the 9th
er As he looked Anthony swallowed
ihe schnapps.
Dleditch declared that something had
gone wrong with the clock but every.
body said
How many calls had you made,
Dledrlch, and how much schnapps had
Tou drunk"
80 tue poor man eot no satisfaction
After the wedding between Anthony
md Katrina the bride confessed that
ler lover. stationed in the belfry. had
'een Diedrich call and had then set
he clock back, When Diedrich went
way Anthony put the clock at Ave
OF II. then went down, 70 ar
i've al the Van Duseus' exactly al the I
troke OF 10.
4 IOhnS Furniture