The Oakley herald. [volume] (Oakley, Idaho) 1908-1961, 1920-01-02
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guns and beating Of drums. :"
This is the beginning of one of the many New
Years proclamntons of Peter Stuyvesant, director
general of New Netherands-hs fnrrn. the
"Bouwerij." Manhattan island gave the Bowery
Its namely which he hoped to prevent
SINS debaucheries and calamities' In New Am
sterdam during his II years of administration
1647-64. For 1t 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 stamping along on his silver
banded wooden leg and try to make unwilling
rntte-watch enforce his proclamation
New Years day 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 saldi new
! York was then handy town. Anyone who did
not live over the way to be found round Inc
| 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 daybreak noisier element has reveied 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 A group of young burghers with some
clumsy frearm snaphance or a murtherer. have
gone from door to door of each corbel-roofed
house firing blank volleys gathering recruits
drinking more beer, till all repair to Beekman's
Swamp (known to this day in New York us the
Swamp to fire at q 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 a mark, for shooting for prizes. and target
companies" of very respectable citizens rose early
| in The morning for these contests. For 1t was
deemed most selfish and rather disreputabie for
a 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 yans-stages with TOUR ana SIX
horses-were crowded with groups of men. often
group of kinsfolk, or old neighbors, or hilarious
mob of men allied in politcs-or some target
company" or "band of old firemen." The ac-
ouaintances of each were called upon in turn
II was about the beginning of the nineteenth
century that the change from a nelghborly oD-
servnnce to one of pure fashion began In all the
larae cities. The younger women or sucn mousse
holds ms 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
s.beoux' and "dandies' and "gallants -attreu
themselves In their best and started out early In
the morning their cas-
II was not until about the middle of the century
thot the abuse which finally led to the CUSTOM
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 soon
| t,Ivo
rapid aorgings of cake and gupings of wine-in-
stead of the old-time friendly calls of men upon
the families of their friends and acquantances
Then the ladies--the matrons as well as the
vounc women-began to vie with one another In
the number of their callers. This led to the
! most extraordinary practices. Callers we're re-
cr,,ited indeed much as customers are drummet
n nm hv dealers in soap Cards announcing that
Miss This-or-That would be "at home on Januar,
t I we're sent out almost indscriminately.
Then the Sunday papers of the time began Il
,rnt lists of those who would receive and thu
houses of those mentioned in the lists were SURF
to he besleged by numbers of men whom th'
, Indies had met heard OF ana desired
! never to meet again. Men would go Gazing