Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1914-12-29
oLD.TIME HOLIDAY ADDRESSES"
Night Watchmen of Philadelphia Used to Pre-
sent New Year Verses to the Householders.

Night Watchmen of Philadelphia Used to Pre-
sent New Year Verses to the Householders.
THERE is a species Of native poetry that
i has completely passed into eclipse and
though to a large extent it was rather crude
in style and not very lofty in its homely
sentiments, It seems pity that 1t is no
more. For many years the native muse used
to find expression in the addresses" which
were distributed by the newspaper carriers
and by the city's night watchmen, before the
days of the police.
The annual addresses which the watch
men used to present to householders in eX-
pectation of a gratuity at Christmas went,
of course, into oblivion when the city was
consolidated and the watchmen gave place
to more less regular police. But the
newspaper carriers continued the custom un-
til about the end of the Civil War; That
was a period of reconstruction in this city,
as we'll as in the South. The old times and
old customs were beginning to give way to
newer ideas and practices.
There was something delightful about the
unabashed way in which the watchmen and
the newspaper carriers offered in verse their
claims to be remembered at the festive sea-
son of Christmas and New Years. In the
eighteenth century. when the carriers then
containing a poetical description of world
enveopng events of the year coming to a
close, the verses were of a higher type than
in the last century, when in all of the watch
mems addresses a decidedly mercenary note
was struck. In the carriers addresses, al
most until the custom died, the verses were
more of an offering than a deliberate de-
mand for a gift.
A few of these ancient addresses still re-
main in the collections of aptquaries and
they give fairly lively impression of just
what the custom was. The newsboys of the
eighteenth century, did their successors,
the carriers of the nineteenth, usually Sc
lected some writer with a poetical gift who
would agree to write the verses for a small
sum, or, perhaps, would do It as a con-
tribution to the cause.
In the collected works of the young Penn
sylvania poet, Nathaniel Evans. who died in
1857, in his 25th var, there will be found a
copy Of the address he wrote for the news
boys to give to their customers at New
Years, 1852. Evans was a young minister
who had decided poetcal gifts, and no one
who reads his "Verses for the New Year
1882" will doubt that probably not one OF
his young newsboys had any very clear idea
Of what he was driving at. The verses ara
filled with poetical SMILES, which must have
entirely passed over the heads Of those
whom they were intended TO profit 1t was,
in short rather high flight.
The addresses of the time watchmen
went right to the point, and even debated
it with the prospective gver. The address
of the Philadelphia watchmen for the year
1918 is an excellent example of the STYLE
both of the verses and OF the rather humor-
Gus audacity of the petition.
In the course OF a dialogue between a
watchmsn and citizen this occurs:
CITIZEN.
You've no title OF me to expect a reward
With all the appearance and pride OF a lord.
For watching Philadelphia. there's taxes APP
Yet you must come round at the close Of
each year
WATCHAIAN
l beg your forgiveness II have offended
l. Is not by amy means what I intended.
I'm sorry I'm sure to grieve you today
And put you IN mind Of the taxes you pay
CITIZEN.
/ never refuse to be liberal and kind
When any good reason at All Is assigned
wATcHMAN
I'm confident then you'll be ikafal TO me.
AS I'm sure can offer q very Bood plea.
The Watehman's hard lott Is frequently
IN bolstsrops night when he has to 80
Is nara one ipassd-for through han rain
Ana TIE Night Ger 50 dark he must con.
Whilst the aiumperins citizen rests al his
Ever on the alert e save you from harn
should fire break ous he giYes the aiarm
Ana th9e properly fezeHes ffesss- consequences
Ara aaiE tie town fba ~ nsafs