The Bismarck tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, N.D.) 1916-current, 1920-12-31
DRY AGENTS TO
WATCH PLACES
/. ON WHITE WAY
Chicago and New York New
Years Enforcement Is
Planned
@ N E CHIEF REFUSES
Fitzmorris, of Chicago, Says
His Business Is to Get
Criminals

Chicago, Dee. 31.-AlthOugh the
staff of Frank ID. Richardson,
supervising prohibition agent, is
too limited to keep watch on all
places where celebratOrs will
gather tonight to welcome the new
year every effort will be made, he
said, to keep the lid down. Fifty
agents, men and women, have
been mustered into service.
Chief OF Police FitzmorriS, in
refusing mid 10 Richardson, said:
II believe a gun in IL mans
pocket is more OF II menace to
society than q flask. Ii anyone
wants 70 celebrate the passing OF
the Old year anu the beginning
OF the new with o headache and
Il dark brown taste | can't stop
him. Oi course ! will enforce the
law 10 the best Of my ability but
consider II my urine dnty 10
detcc! crime ana arrest Grim.
inuIS."
Portland, Gre, Dee. 31.-Thc
year 1921 will be ushered in at
Portland with unaceustOmcd de-
: COrum, according 10 orders issued
by the city council and posted ut
the police station. Unusual noises
will he barred. There must be no
ringing OF bells or blowing OF
horns. No firearms may be dis
charged or explosives set Oit No
confetti NAY be THROWN
New York Dec. 31.--Onc hum
dred prohibition agents will
lningle among the crowds i'll
hotels and restaurants along the
"White way" and "asslst" ccI"-
orators to extend a dry welcome
to the New Year. The agents,
WHO will be split up in small fly.
ing squads, have been instructed
to enforce the law.
New York, Decy 31.-New Years
Day isn't what it used to be. This Is
n small way attributable to the
addition to the Constitution Of some
Try reading matter. In still greater
part it is because the international
1bsession for celebrating whenever
Father Time takes fresh start W
plotting the earth around the sun is
thousands Of, years old. The manner
If observing the day has changed
greatly through the centuries. il
The urge to give presents at least
,nce year was felt even before
Christmas and Santa Claus came into
he scheme Of things, and the ancient
ireeks, Chinese. Egyptians and Ro-
mans rendered their Gifts to one an
,ther on the first day Of the year.
Kings got into the habit of receiving
extra gifts from their subjects on
hese days and liked it so we'll they
began extorting larger and larger
sums The practice got so bad in
Rome under the Caesars that Claud-
us called a halt.
1t spread to other countries, how
,ver, and the English had their New
Years celebration spoiled annually
~ rapacious sovereigns until Queen
modest demands of her
subjects cut gifts down to mini
mum. In those days the celebration
If New Years Day had become world
vide. With variations to suit all ma
it consisted everywhere OF
eating, drinking and motley merri-
nent.
First TO Celebrate
Christopher Columbus, SO far as is
<nown, was the first white man to
ubilate on New Years Day in the
Western Hemisphere. While his
ships were undergoing repairs on jan
lary /, 1893, he enjoyed sumptuods
Inner with two savage monarchs on
he island Of Haiti. After this meal,
history says, the discoverer of Amer
ca had his first smoke of tobacco.
Whether he enjoyed it is not recorded,
,ut he left it to later generation
Sir Walter Raleigh is generally cred
ted with the function-to introduce
:obacco in Europe.
The Pilgrim Fathers and the first
antilles of the older states of the un--
On enjoyed a quit holiday as each
5ear came around They feasted. but
lot until they had attended religious
In the 18th century people
with big houses and flowing side
boards held open house on New Years
Day and from all over friends came
foot, on bicycles and in surreys and
stanhopes to pay short visits and
sample the contents Of wine cellars.
Then they went off to call on other
friends. Popular maidens in those
lays witnessed traffic jams in front
If their homes. so prevalent was the
,enchant for short calls on young wo-
nen during the afternoon of the years
inst day This custom began to pass
nut quitelv with the dawn Of the Goth
century, automobiles, and cabarets.
It was succeeded by nothing but
vine" habits amid the thousands who
.requented cafes and grill rooms in
he cities on New Years Eve.
For 25 years up to the dawn Of
1920 and the era Of wartime prOhi-
nition, the celebration in New York
became noisier and more expensive
each year. Thousands used to crow,i
into places of merriment while Broad
way was packed with a surging
throng Of merrymakers with squak-
ars. clappers, bells, ticklers and CO.
fetti.
famed With Diners
Every hotel and most of the res
taurants were jamed with gay diners.
In 1908 it was estimated that $1,000-
300 was spent in the white-light dis
trict on New Years Eve After that
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