The Dolores star., 1919-12-26
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guns and beating of drums. :"
This is the beginning of one of the many New
Years proclnmations 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 calamites" in New Am
sterdam during his II years of administration
16lI-G4. For it was in old New York that the
American custom of New Years calls had its be-
ginning And when the fun got too boisterous old
Peter would come stumpng 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 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
sighhcance Washington Irving has said: New
York was then a handy town. Anyone who did
not live over the way 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
Battery to do the governor the same honor. Ever
since dnybreak 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 "rumbling-pots" and drinking rivers of
beer. group of young burghers, with some
clumsy frearm, a snaphance or murtherer have
gone from door to door of each corbe-roofed
house firing blank vOlleys, gathering recruits.
drinking more beer, till all repair to Beekmans
Swamp (inown 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 favorite day for shooting
at n 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 disreputable for
Il man to spend the entire day in such shooting.
He could go with his "target company" in the
morning bur 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 bosterous delight
Shops were lighted. windows garlanded streets
crowled Great vans-stages with four and six
horses-were crowded with groups of men, often
group of knsfolk, or old neighbors. or n hilarious
mob of men allied in pOlitics-or some target
company" or "bnnd of old firemen.' The ac-
ouaintances of each were called upon in turn.
IT was about the beginning of the nineteenth
century that the change from neighborly OBJ
seryance to of pure fashion began In all the
large cities. The younger women OF such house.
holds as had daughters were hostesses and great
their rivalry, one WIFI unotHer, III respect "
richly loaded refreshment tables and elegance of
toilet. The dudes of those days-they called them
"beauy" and "dandies' and "gallants'-attred
themselves in their best and started out early in
the morning on their calls
II was not until about the middle of the century
tbot 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
come to be nothing more than hasty stops-mere
ronid rorcings of cake and gupngs of wine-in-
steod of the old-time friendly calls of men upon
tba families of their friends and acQuaintances.
Then the ladies-the matrons as well as the
vounc women-begnn to vie with one another in
tho number of their callers. This led to the
most extraordinary practices. Callers were re.
cr,,ited indeed much as customers are drummed
nm Inv dealers in soap Cards announcing that
Miss Tbis-or-Thnt would be "at home on January
we're sent out almost indiscrmnately.
Then the Sunday papers of the time began to
r,nt lists of those who would receive and the
houses of those mentioned In the lists were sure
-. ~, bosicred hy numbers of men whom the
,nd,ea had never met or heard of ana desired
awe, 20 meet again. Men would go calling In