The central record. (Lancaster, Ky.) 18??-current, 1916-12-14
A New Year
Day Contest
By F. a. Mitchell

II is now something like forty years
since the custom OF making calls on
New Years day died suddenly. II be
gan IN New Amsterjam-now New
York having been brought over from
Holland when Manhattan Island was
settled by the Dutch.
About the middle OF the nineteenth
II century, when the custom OF calling
on the LIST Of January was observed by
all classes, two colored gentlemen OF
the blue grass region OF Kentucky
were rivals for the hand OF the same
dusky girl They happened to make
up their minds to propose to her on
II the same evening. Nose links was In
the act OF declaring himself when In
came Pete Carpenter for the same pur-
pose and surprised his rival pouring
forth his love.
"Yo git right out o. heyer," said
Pete "wha' 20 thlnk-dat Sarah
AIMS gwine TO put up with any sich
slggah as your
"Do you spect dat Sarah AIMS gwine
10 take up with field hand LAX you
/ DAT house sarvent-a lady's maid,
tools gwlne to marry a good for moth.
In con hoerf'
Reckon Sarah Ann knows what
she's about"
spec she does. She's gwine TO tax
me-"
"She's gwine TO TAX me-"
Il Meanwhile Sarah Ann stood a spec.
tator TO this struggle for her hand
But at this point both sultors looked at
her appeallngly. Finding herself call
ed upon TO decide between her two
suitors. she said:
IL feels mighty complerented at be
I'm axed by two slch gemmelen aud 20
bofe so fine that don know which TO
II take"
TAX one or de udder," said Nose.
TAX de udder; dat's me-" said Pete.
IL tell yo' what I do. Tomorry's
/ New Years day. You two come here
tomorry AFTERNOON at fou' o'clock, and
de one what's made de mos calls /
take"
Oats far enough" said Pete
"IIuh, IL yo' hadn't interfcared Id
been engaged by dis time" said Nose.
However, Sarah Ann would not de-
eide between them In any other way.
and Nose was obliged to consent. IL
was arranged that a committee Of
three be appointed by the lady TO ar.
range the terms OF the contest. This
Il committee decided that the contestants
start at IL o'clock In the morning and
finish at 4. Each was to carry a pa.
DER on which the names OF the women
he called on were TO he entered by
some one who knew how to write or
by making mark.
| Naturally the contest excited a great
deal OF attention, for It was known
far md wide that the two suitors for
Sarah AIMS hand were to contest for
II by making calls ON New Years day
| Each had his adhercnts, and there was
a determination on the part OF these
persons 10 aid their favorite.
The rivals were started on opposite
extremities Of the field of operations.
| Each selected friend who cofld write
to attend him so that lie might be sure
all the calls he made We're recorded
As the morning wore away, however,
each had train of followers that was
constantly increasing. At o'clock
the bride to be sent out friend TO
bring her a report as TO how the affair
stood She learned to her satisfaction
that Nose was seven calls ahead. At
o'clock-an hour before time would
be called-she sent out another inquiry
and learned that Nose had lost his
oveIplus and six calls besides.
"Jlm," she said TO her messenger
cant yo' fix Pete SOS hen fall behind