The Hayti herald. (Hayti, Mo.) 1908-1922, 1919-12-25
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2RkMbNG& of powder and much intoxca-
M6NWbE&%NBsH ton, with the bad practices and
&NMMS5@ESS3A bad accidents; therefore we
expressly forbid any firing Of
guns and beating of drums :"
This is the beginning of of the many New
Years proclamations of Peter Stuyvesant director
general of New Netherlands-his farm, the
"Bouwerij," on Manhattan island gave the Bowery
Its namely which he hoped to prevent more
SINS debaucheries and calamties" in New Am
sterdam during his II years of administration,
1647-64. For it in old New York that the
American custom of New Years calls had it's be-
ginning And when the fun got too bosterous old
Peter would come stumping along 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 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 a handy town. Anyone who did
not live over the way was to be found round the
corner" SO the making of New Years calls
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
BATTERY TO do the governor the same honor. Ever
since daybreak noiser element has reveled up
and down the narrow lanes and by the banks of
the canal (now Broad street), shouting greetings
beating drums, firing muskets blowing horns
shaking "rumbllng-pos" and drinking rivers Of
Deer group of young burghers, with some
clumsy firearm Snaphance or q murtherer have
goRe from door to door of each corbel-roofed
h6Hse firing blank volleys gathering recruits
drinking more beer till all repair to Beekman's
Swamp (known to this day in New York the
Swamp to fire at target.
Noise and New Years continued to be closely
connected in the days of the American colonies.
New Years day was favorte day for shooting
at mark, for shooting for prizes, and target
companies" Of very respectable citizens early
In the morning for these contests. For ie was
deemed most selfish and rather disreputable for
a man to spend the entire day in such shooting.
He could so 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 a 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 kinsfollI, old neighbors, hilarious
mob of men allied in politcS-or some target
company" or "band of old firemen." The
squalntances of each called upon In turn.
IT was about the beginning of the nineteenth
servance to one of pure fashion began In ali the
large cities. The younger women Of such house
holds as had daughters were hostesses, and great
was their rivalry, with another, In respect to
richly loaded refreshment tables and elegance of
toilet The dudes of those days-they called them
@beaux" and CANDLES and "gallants"-attired
themselves In their best and started out early In
the morning 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 dandies of New
York and other large cities rivaled one another In
the length of their calling lists and the calls soon
came TO be nothing more than hasty stops-mere
rapid gorgings of cake and gulpings of wine-in-
stead of the old-time friendly calls of men upon
the families of their friends and acquaintances.
Then the ladies-the matrons as we'll as the
young women-began to vie with one another In
the number of their callers This led to the
most extraordinary practices Callers were re-
cruited indeed much as customers are drummed
up by dealers I'm soap Cards announcing that
Miss ThIs-or-That would be sat home" on January
were sent out almost indscriminately.
Then the Sunday papers of the time began to
,urint lists of those who would receive and the
ghouses of those mentioned In the lists were sure
10 be besieged by numbers of men whom the
&adies had never met or heard OF and desired
aayer To meet again. Men would go calling In