Wausau pilot. [volume] (Wausau, Wis.) 1896-1940, 1919-12-30
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expressly forbid any firing of
guns and beating of drums. :"
This is the beginning of one of the many New
Years proclamatons of Peter Stuyvesant director
general of New Netherlands-his farm, the
"BOuwerij," on Manhattan island gave the Bowery
it's namely which he hoped to prevent more
sins, debaucheTies and calamities" in New Am
sterdam during his II years of administration,
1647-64. For it was in old New York that the.
American custom of New Years calls had it's be-
ginning And when the fun got too boisterous old
Peter would come stumping along on his silver
banded wooden leg and try to make an unwilling
rattle-watch enforce his proclamation.
New Years day was the holiday par excellence
In Old New York 1t was day peculiarly dedi-
Gated to family congratulations and the renewal
of friendships in expressions of sympathy and
good will, which, following so closely the sacred
FESTIVAL of Christmas, inspired all with peculiar
significance. Washington Irving has said: New
York was then handy town. Anyone who did
not live over the way was to be found round the
corner" So the making of New Years calls was
easy. Let us glance at the New Amsterdam of
that day on the first day of the new year.
The sober. older citizens, sturdy figures, richly
and warmly clothed, walk, slowly smoking, to the
fort TO render New Years wishes to the officers
OF the garrison and then to the White Hall by the
BaHery 10 do the q vernon the same honor Ever
since daybreak nOisier element has reveed up
and down the narrow lanes and by the banks of
tne canal (nOW broad street,, shouting greetings
beating drums, firing muskets blowing HORNS
shaking 'Tumbfng-pots" aad drinking rivers of
beer group of young burghers, with some
clumsy frearm, snaphance or murderer. have
gone from door to door of each corbel-roofed
house firing blank voleys, gathering recruits
drinking more beer, till all repair to Beekman's
Swamp (known to this day in New York the
Swamp 10 fire at target.
Noise and New Years continued to be closely
pODn oil i'm no DAVIS Of no
New Years day favorite day for shooting
at a mark for shooting for prizes, and target
companies of very respectable citizens rose early
in the morning for these contests For it was
deemed most selfish and rather disreputabe for
man to spend the entire day in such shooting.
He could go with his target company" in the
morning but he must pay round of calls to the
fair in the afternoon
In the days of New Years celebration in New
York in the first half of the nineteenth century,
the town seemed great family reunion, in which
each man We'd with the other in boisterous delight.
Shops were. lighted windows garlanded streets
crowded. Great vans-stages with four and six
horses-were crowded with groups of men. often
group of kinsfOlk, OF old neighbors or q hilarious
mob of men allied in politics-Or some target
company or "band of old fremen." Ne
quaintances OF each were called upon in turn.
1t was about the beginning of the nineteenth
century that the change from neighbory OBJ
servance to one of pure fashion began in all the
large cities. The younger women of such house
holds rs had daughters were hostesses, and great
was their rivalry. one with another, in respect to
richly loaded refreshment tables and elegance OF
toilet The dudes of those days-they called them
s'beaux" and "dandes" and "gallants"-attired
themselves in their best and started out early In
the morning on their calls.
1t was not until about the middle of the century
that the abuse which finally led to the customs
decline began. For years the handles of New
York and other large cities rivaled one another in
the length of their calling lists. and the calls
came to be nothing more than hasty stops-mere
rapid gurgings of cake and gulpings of wne-in-
stead of the old-time friendly calls of men upon
he families of their friends ana acquaintance.
Then the Iadies-the matrons as well the
Young women-began to vie with Zone another In
the number of their callers. This led to the
most extraordinary practices. Callers were re-
cruited indeed much customers are drummed
IN by dealers in soap. Cards announcing that
Miss This-or-That weuld be rat home" on January
we're sent out almost Unfortunately.
Then the Sunday papers of the time began to
arint lists of those who would receive and the
houses of those mentioned in the lists were sure
10 be besieged by numbers of men whom the
adde's had never met or heard of and desired
aever To meeC again Men would so calling in