The Idaho Springs siftings-news., 1919-12-26


couples and parties and even in droves of 30 or
more remaining as short time at each stopping
place possible and announcing everywhere how
many calls they had already made and how many
they expected to make before they finished
At every place they drank. The result
most appalling assortment of "jags" long before
sundown.
Late In the fifties the abuse came to be SO great
that the newspapers and the ministers took 1t up.
and many were the editorials written and many the
sermons preached against 1t. This crusade speedi-
ly brought results.
1t not many years before the smart set of
young men in most cities stopped calling. The
hospitable door that had been open from morning
to evening was adorned with basket for cards.
Gentlemen driven all over town deposting
their visiting cards in these baskets. In year or
so servants delivering these cards. Then
the baskets disappeared and the mail carrier de-
livered the few cards sent out. OF course this
process was not at all uniform 1t was fast In
some cities, slow in others.
belle of the eighties, sitting in her easy chair.
thumbing old scrapbook filled with faded
cuttings from the newspapers of those days; her
husband beau of the same period, In slippers
and dressing gown, smoking and listening as she
spoke and read, and then nodding his head
and smiling at some memory recalled; and the
daughters of the house, planning for the watch
party festivities of 1920, listening with curious in
terest and laughing and chatting about how odd 1t
all seemed now-such a scene doubtless to be
witnessed In many city all the country
with the closing days of 1919.
1--WE didn't go in so much for the watch parties
in those days. the matron said. "The whistles
blew and there some noise, 1t is true, among
the downtown folk, but we girls as rule, retired
earIy-we had to ourselves for the trying
ordeal of the next day. for New Years day
the great social event of the year. 1t was receiv
ing day in all the homes of the town. We called
it Keeping open house
"It was day of lavish entertainment and the
yp q
called whether friend or stranger We prepared
for 1t weeks in advance. 1t was period of great
convivality. Aside from the fact that the
vivialty was somewhat overdone at times that old
custom of the New Years open house quite
oldfashioned, sincere expression of good fellow
ship to friend and neighbOr and visiting strangers
opening the portals of the New Year, 1t
we're with greeting and home welcome. And
as a social function, it most delightful-it
helped to bring people together.
'It was the fashion to give each of the callers a
souvenir to carry away with them and all sorts
of ingenious little devices were used. Some had
silk badges with the names of the girl painted
them some had dainty metal souvenirs specially
struck off others ornate cards with notices, and
some went in for the oddities, like the clay pipes
that papa tells about l remember the gentlemen
used to wear these souvenirs pnned or tied with
ribbons TO their coats-as the knights of old
their ladies' favors-tnd late in the evening the
callers looked like foreign diplomats, with all their
decorations or perhaps, like South African chiefs
would be the better smile
DOf course only the gentlemen caled-they
were never accompanied by ladies. The ladies re-
NAMED in their homes to receive them. The gen
tlemen were supposed to be In full dress-the
Younger set wore swallowtas and crush hats, and
the older gentlemen Prince Albert coats and light
gray. pin-striped trOusers-that was the vogue.
The old timers. I remember, did not take very
kindly to the crush hats And everybody, of
course had to have hack sleigh.
1.-THE hostess of the house usually called to her
assistance bevy of the young girls who made up