The Hays free press. [volume] (Hays, Kan.) 1908-1924, 1920-01-01
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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 calamities" in New Ann
sterdam during his IL years Of administration,
1647-64. 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 stumping along his silver
banded wooden leg and try to make an unwilling
rattie-watch enforce his proclamation
New Years day the holiday par excellence
In ola New York 1t was day peculiarly dedt-
Gated to family congratulations and the renewal
or 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 handy town. Anyone who did
not live over the way 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
lori 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 reveled up
and down the 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
q o
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 as the
Swamp to fire at a target.
Noise and New Years continued to be closely
connected in the days of the American colonies.
New Years day a favorite day for shooting
at mark. for shooting for prizes and target
companies of very respectable citizens early
IN the morning for these contests. For it
selfish rather diSroDutaDia
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 We'd with the other in bosterOus 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 kinsfolk. old neghbOrs. hilarious
mob of men allied in poitics-or some target
company" "band of old iremen" The
quaintanceS of each were called upon In turn.
II was about the beginning of the nineteenth
century that the change from neighbOrly OBJ
servance to of pure fashion began in all 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 on their calls.
It was not until about the middle Of the century
TINT the abuse which finally led to the customs
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
came to be nothing than hasty stops-mere
rarid gorgings 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
voune women-began to vie with one another In
tho number of their callers. This led to the
most extraordinary practices Callers were re-
,r,,;ted indeed much as customers are drummed
mn nv dealers in soap. Cards announcing that
Miss This-or-That would be cat home" on January
I we're sent out almost indiscriminately
Then the Sunday papers of the time began to
,r,p+ lists of those who would receive and the
houses of those mentioned in the lists were sure
to he besieged by numbers OF men whom the
ladies' had never met heard of and desired
never to meet again. Men would go calling In