The Oroville weekly gazette. [volume] (Oroville, Wash.) 1905-19??, 1922-01-13

The holidays have come and gone
and Spokane will now settle back to
normalcy, there or thereabouts. Jan.
uary in the business world is looked
upon as the dull month of the year.
The month comes along Immediately
after the spendthrift and the near
spendthrift have passed through the
thrOes of the Christmas squandering,
during which even the moderately
provided become reckless in the mat
ter of spending, and purses generally
close like a steel trap until the tine
ture of spring in the air broadens the
vision and revivifies the temporarily
benumbed disposition to hang on to
what is left. Then, January is the
time for taking stock of the past
present and future The business man
takes inventory, figuring out his los
ses and gains for the year just past,
and large per cent of the people in
dulge in that ancient jest of making
good resolutions which are shattered
.sc. Z.
The old parties responsible for the
naming of the months are to be con-
graduated upon the keen shrew edness
displayed in the selection of a name
with which to open the new year. Jan
uary is merely prOlongation of the
name of Janus, the god of mythology
as is familiar to every school boy
Some Of the deities to whom the heath
en- birds bowed down and worsheped
nrfpv pv11
structed and Mr.. Janus was no excep.
ton to the rule. In order to the bet
ter carry out the activities that were
sawed off on him he was provided
with two heads. so arranged that he
could watch the coming up and going
down of the sun without the incOn-
cenience of turning around, although
it was not particularly his province
to KEEP tab on the orb of day. But the
fact of his being a double header was
particularly appropriate for selecting
Janus to be perpetuated to this more
or less CIVILIZED age as designating the
first month Of the year. For 1t is but
natural sequence with the coming
of new year for the average individ-
ual to cast glance backward over
the year just past, taking an inven-
| tory of the mistakes made or the
chances taken. advantage of, of the
sorrows and Joys, that like ashes or
flowers have strewn the pathway over
which the individual has travelled of
the success or failures that have re-
warded or followed efforts, of the loss
of friends of the securing of new ones,
of the thousand and one things that
have an Influence directly or indi-
rectly upon the current of ones be-
ing which are inseparable from the
lives of one and all, no matter how
humble or how exaulted. And on tn
other hand it is just as natural for
the minds eye influenced through
hope. that sheet anchor that keeps the
craft from total wreckage in the tu-
multuous storms of life, to try and
visualize the future. trusting for bet
ter things to come and figuring out
how to do the other fellow before the
other fellow does you. and to do II
as painlessly as possible to the per-
son or persons to be done. with an ac.
cruing profit of large proportions
Thus Janus is helping out in the
scheme of things.
Now it was not the intention to drift
off in this rhapsodical vein. but Jan.
uary suggested Janus and Janus one
thing after another until we lost sight
of what was in our mind when firs
taking the typewriter in hand. The
purpose was to say something about
the holidays in Spokane.
Mention. we believe. has already
been made Of the prodigality' display
ed by the people of this city in theil
Christmas shopping Merchants deal
ing in those lines that could be ap
piled as holiday gifts or rememb
RANGES state that they did larger
business than during any previou.
holiday season, which was a crafty
ing revelation in the face of what il
considered as pretty crimpy times
But. to the great credit of the peopl,
of this municipality. let it be said tina
the spirit of giving was not confined
to those upon whom fortune has smil
ed during the past twelve months
nor those who have been near tina
smile. The spirit of Christmas, an,