Evening star., 1926-10-30

Halloween. with it's eerie festivities.
is here again-not the Halloween of
the Romans. nor the Druids. nor old
England. nor even of the late nine
ties-but a modern, we'll regulated re-
incarnation of the old celebration,
built along louder, frnnier and harm
less lines.
The twentieth century edition of All
Hallows' witch will cast her magic
spell tonight. not with flowing hair
and trailing robes, but with radiant
bobbed tresses and abbreviated skirts.
Instead of muttering incantations
over a bubbling caldron and then far
ing forth on broomSttck for a round
of deViltry, she will nfurmur Hey,
hey" over bowl of cider or some
thing and break forth into a Cha rles-
ton.
Recalls Flour Bags.
The small boy will confine his ex-
uberance to horn blowing, apple
ducking and such. instead of carrying
on in the high handed manner de
scribed by one English writer in 1897
as follows:
I'm the United States 1t is to be
regretted that the spirit of rowdyism
has in a measure superseded the
kindly old customs. In towns and
villages gangs of hoodlums throng
the streets, ringing the door-bells or
wrenching the handles from their
sockets and taking gates from off
their hinges"
And read what he has to say about
the cotemporary Younger generation
Of our own fair city. whose members
since have taken their places among
the respected citiZenry. no doubt:
"In Washington the boys carry
-four in bag. Care is taken TO have
the web Of the bags so worn that A
slight blow will release a generous
supply Of the white powder The bags
are long and narrow. and are handled
as II they were slingshots. These
the boys use upon one another as
well as upon non belligerent passers-
by"
Former Practices Barred
Such practices, OF course. indulged
in by the austere papas of today,
children, are far beneath our dignity
in this enlight ened era, at least while
Major Hesses staid upholders of
lawful and orderly Halloweens and
safe and sane Fourth of Julys. and
so on. happen to be around.
Flour, tick -tacks. bean-shooters and
other weapons used by the aforesaid
"hoodlums" of a quarter of a cen
tury ago are strictly taboo. the police
point out. Gate-removing and the
gentle art of hosting bugEies to the
stable roof also are passe. largely.
perha ps, because of the scarcity now
adays of gates. bugsies and stable
roofs.
The older folks tonight will make
merry. after the dictates OF their own
consciences, at private parties or in
hotels, cafes, night clubs and other
public places. Costumes of an unof-
Tending nature will he permitted on
the downtown streets in connection
with the annual Halloween parade on
Pennsylvania avenue. F street and
other busy thoroughfares.
Many Dances Planned.
Many organizations Of a civic. fra
ternal or social character will stage
masquerade or other appropriate
dances and parties tonight. The Min
nesota State Society will celebrate the
occasion at the Lee House with an
evening Of dancing. The Victory Post
Of the American Legion will hold a
prize costume dance at the Raleigh
Hotel.
An "all nations costume party" will
be given at the town house of the
League for the Larger Life, at 1898
K street The kallipolis Grotto Band
and Drill Corps will sponsor a mask
ball at the Willard. The Junior class
OF the Washington College OF Law
announces a card party and dance at
the college headquarters.
4 prize ma Squerade dance will be
held at the Willard under auspices
Of the local camps Of the Woodmen
Of the World. At the East Wash
ington Community Center. in the audi
torium Of Eastern High School. a spe
cial Halloween motion picture pro-
gram will be put on. followed by a
dance. Members Of the Fellow Craft
Club Of Washington. Federal Lodge.
No. !, r. A A. Nj, will dance in the
ballroom OF Meridian Mansions. 2400
sixteenth street. The Rk Building.
Government Hotels. has planned a
dance in the recrea ton hall of the
hotels.
Ghosts and elves will stalk among
the guests at a masquerade to be
given by the West Washington p. Y.
r. L. in the church at Thirty-fir
and n streets. The James Reese
Europe Post. No. .. American Legion.