Evening star. [volume], December 30, 1934, Page 10, Image 68

About Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972

Image provided by: Library of Congress, Washington, DC

                
THOSE WERE THE GREETING CARDS!
BY JOSEPHINE TIGHE WILLIAMS.
AMID the treasure trove In the Library
of Congress are bound or jacketed
original copies of New Year "greet
ings" or "addresses" of many years
back, handed to subscribers by faith
ful newsboys—hopefully in exchange
for small silver offerings. These loose-leaf
greetings, sometimes known as "broadsides,"
carefully preserved and indexed, are to be
found in jackets in the manuscript division, but
more often in bound flies of their particular
newspapers In the periodical division ο I the
Library.
"Take from your friend» 'The Star"
And what remainsΤ
A night, drear glooming far
O'er desert plains;
A wild, surf-beaten shore,
Moaning and chill,
Which phantom clouds glide o'er
Picturing ill.
mBut give 'The Star" and lot
The desert smiles again.
The ocean's sand, agio.
Laughs to her islesI
At every step are shells
With rainbow hues,
And each, in whispers, tells
Some strange, sweet news.
We are the children of 'The Star,'
Who bring its lights on rapid wings,
That so, the sun gone down,
No darkness veil the town!
Is well our mission done? Your kind eyes say;
That shall be answered on New Year day."
A careful search of files, jackets and index
shows that not more than 10 of the local
"Carriers' Greetings'' have been preserved to
Washington posterity. And that The Evening
Β tar is the only Washington newspaper repre
sented in either bound or jacketed files at the
Library of Congress. The greeting or address
In question, a looee-leaf one. was given to sub
scribers on December 16, 1865, when the news
paper was exactly 13 years and 15 days of age.
There were verses, and appended are extracts
selected from it:
'Late in the afternoon or early night,
In Summer courting some luxurious shade,
In Winter, warm before the coal fire's light.
Do we invade your Quietness with ever welcome
noise,
'Great Union Victory,' cry the carrier boys.'"
Almost as far back as American newspapers
can be traced, it was customary to publish, on
January 1, a calendar of the ensuing year.
This was done whether or not the carriers'
greeting was run as a broadside or had place
in news or editorial columns. These "greetings'*
were often used to lambast an administration,
wordily chastise a mayoralty and, on at least
one occasion, promote marriage. But, little by
little, art obtained over literature until today's
greeting is an artistic poster, portrait or scene,
which contains a calendar and sometimes a
short verse or two. Perhaps a century from
now some other reporter will be digging in the
Library of Congress files for an article on the
greeting calendars of long ago.
"THE oldest local "greeting" was found In a
'' Jacket in the manuscript division of the
Library. It Is a well-preserved broadside
headed, "News Carriers' Address to the Sub
scribers of the George-Town Weekly Ledger for
January 1st, 1792." One hundred and forty
two years have passed since that particular
greeting was printed and distributed, and how
old the custom Is. a careful search fails to
reveal. Indeed, the editor or poet of the
George-Town Weekly Ledger is uninformed
on the subject when he writes:
"Kind patron*, your newsboy with heart most
sincere,
Presents you his ιDish for a happy New Year;
'Tis custom established, I know not how long,
Most typos to open the year with a song.
So according to custom 1 take up my quill
To show that I bear you a hearty good will."
This rhyme attacks or lauds conditions in
George-Town and elsewhere and plaintively
States:
"But here is no Congress our market to aid,
Our produce consume end encourage our trade.
But subscribers like these we have in view
Our present dependence it placed upon you."
In 1792 James Doyle was printer-editor of
the George-Town Ledger, and perhaps no edi
tor, before or after Mr. Doyle, has pushed or
promoted for circulation as did he in the follow
ing last four lines of his 1792 greeting:
"May each bachelor take an old maid by the
hand.
And no longer neglect an important command,
And join with the rest to replenish the earth
And give to some hundreds good customers'
birth."
In "Verses by the Carrier Addressed to Their
Patrons on the First of January, 1824," the
writer used 120 lines to express himself In
the Washington Gazette. His introduction was
novel when he wrote:
"All hail this welcome day, my patrons kind;
task pursuing, while methinks you curse,
And cry, "Good heav'ns, is this what he calls
verse?"
From there he travels with Greeks, avenues
M poplars, Spain, sires, France, freedom and
despots, ending sunny side up with:
"Thafs right, your purse is coming forth I tee,
And by your looks there's something good for
me.
Good day, my worthy friend, the best of cheer
Be yours, both this and each returning year.
Through each vicissitude in life, your barrier
Be heaven, while I remain your faithful
carrier."
The Evening Star "Carriers' Address"of
1865 Is One of the Treasures of the Library
- of Congress—And There fVitis a Day
tVhen Local Editors Resorted to
Rapier Thrusts in Their Poems.
1- . 9^ — wC « . —Λ » â_ _t A V* ^ Λ τ~Γτ ιΛ·*·1
CARRIERS' ADDRESS.
ee
M
"Washington City, «January 1, 1865.
Bail the Ni» Tut, that Wu>g»
Joy on ita nowj «inp !
II.
fart to the Ol* Y ε a ft. dead;
Crftn taure! rrowm kit head ?
Bark through Km reign we took.
And. in U>c solemn book
Of Ilirtory, wnu k« deed*.
Which. now. the prowd world read*
Which, «till, through many an age, ^
From paft te kindling page.
Shall teach that right m .Irong
To crush th* boaity wrung?
III.
But, tht Old Year b History'· now. not our·;
We with the prêtent, only, here to do.
And dedicate, η fall, our humble powers
Deer fnenda. to you !
IT.
Ute ia the afternoon. or earl/ night
la eutamrr, courting some Iuxutmmm shade.
In winter, warn he fere the coal-Area kgbt—
Do we iarade
Tour qweUM·. with erer weleoma noise:
~ G real Union Victory!" cry the Carrier Boy»!
T.
The· what cigar M frngreat. to detaia
You loo gar lounging in Ike dreamful reet?
What wine, what game, what hook, theugh «ought
What charming gueat ?
Yea. the good wilb here·If and pkyfttl ch»l<
Are to yowr rapt. deep reading recvacilad.
Vt
Kor thie alone. though etill aupreme M thie;
Of all thing· hare we eery much to tell:
No corner uf »he huey world we mm,
Where plcMuree dwell
Or profits that may render you ;»ore gay.
More wiae. more nch. ia each decUuing day!
VII
Take from our friend· " TmK Sta*."*
And what remain»?
A aight. drear gloouuug Cat
O'er deaert plaine—
A wild, surf-beaten shore.
Moaning and chill.
Which phantom cloud· glide o'et,
Ρ id una g ill !
VIII
But give ' Tot Sta» —aad lo!
The daeert «mike ?
The ocean· sand, aglow.
Laagha to her «le·!
At «eery step are she 11a.
With rainbow hue·.
And each, im whiapm. tell·
IX.
We are th· Children of " Τ·· St At,"
lis light m rapid wiag.
That ao. the mm gone down.
No darknam red the town!
vko bnog
la well our mia
m T· A? S· AU. I
X.
! Your kind eyee myi
■aoamNiw Yubi Dat?
Y . τ
"Carriers' Address" of The Evening Star newsboys in 1865. Photograph of original
preserved by the Library of Congress.
THAT same newspaper, one year later, in
' its New Year greeting, declared that the
lark was not more gay
Than newsboy is on New Year day.
Altho he rides not on pegasus
He will not detgn to speak of asses.
He pushes forward on his ponev.
To act the part—and take the money."
The National Intelligencer, published In
Washington by Gales & Sea ton, greeted their .
subscribers in a broadside on January 1, 1832,
with 47 verses of six lines each. A few ex
tracts are appended:
"Hail patron»! As the clock struck twelve last
night,
That crazy eloclc that ne'er was right before.
A blooming year teas born—an infant, bright
And then he proceeds to "take a look at
Congress, stating that:
"Tho their speeches often seem quixotic,
This only proves them doubly patriotic.
Their precious country—it is all their care,
And so they speechify from morn to night.
Touching their theme at random, here and
there,
While all their thoughts are like the scattered
flight
Of hostile birds—in which no two agree
To keep each other goodly company.
"1 saw two fight, and ne'er from me will fade
The grand impression that their pistols made.
It was a thrilling sight—the bullets hissed
From out their fiery barrels—
But both escaped with life, one narrowly,
The burning ball passed through his ample
skirt."
Very evidently the poet of this greeting wit
nessed the famous duel between Henry Clay
and John Randolph of Roanoke, when Mr.
Randolph's life was saved by "an unseemly
garment," his flannel dressing gown, which
he had worn to the field of honor and which
made it impossible for his antagonist to locate
the body of the thin, swarthy Senator. In any
event, the creator of the 1832 carriers' address
had quite enough of the code duello and pro
ceeded to poke fun of It In the following six
lines:
*7 would advise those who intend to fight
A duel, when they feel their honor picked,
To use the popgun, 'tis so very light.
And what is more, so safe—none ever kicked
Or burst unless it had too thin α shell
And then the little thing does just as weU.m
HEREWITH Is reprinted In part a "Carriers'
Address" written for New Year day, 1871.
They went in strong for poetry back In those
days of Gov. Shepherd and a District Legisla
ture, and saw to it that their patrons got
plenty. The author of the dramatic lines Is
today unknown. There was no art connected
with the route boy's greeting except the fancy
border of the printer. Today the subecriber
gets both poetic and pictorial effect, together
with a fine calendar.
"1 fly! I flyl" So sings old Time,
And Youth, impatient, chides the song:
"Oh when shall come the day sublime.
The day I languish for so long?"
"I fly! I fly!" And Age looks up.
Aweary of the languid years;
"how would I pass away the cup.
That still o'erbrims ivith bitter tears!"
Let all rejoice today!
The world rolls on!
Those who would bid it stay,
Sink, and are gone!
Brave world, that ever so
Strikes the oppressor low!
And ours—The Evening Star!
Long hath it shone, and far!
Cheering the closing days.
How all men seek its rays!
When faint its light arose,
Struggling through clouds of foet.
The few who answered, "Hail!"'
Whispered the sad rhyme, "Fail!"
Just here, there enters such α clamorous throng
Of royal youths—we cease, perforce, our song.
"Well, in good time!" cries one. What need to
sing
Old songs stai over? CARRIERS! That'» the
thing!
If to you please, what hinders you. we say.
To puff yourselves on every mortal day.
While we, who need the more tome hearty cheer.
Can bring our merits up but once a year!
In the heat of the Summer,
The WinterΊ cold,
Sure and swift-footed,
Eager and bold.
Out through all weathers—
Nothing annoys
In the line of their duty,
The Carrier boys!
Thousands are waiting,
Street looks to street—
Hark! 'Tit the music—
The Carriers' feet!
How the day's trouble
Their coming destroys!
Life is worth living.
With—Carrier boys!
Here, then, we are, again—
Jolly, all here!
Wishing good wishes!
HAPPY NEW YEAR!
Double and treble
AU of your joys
Something o'er/lowing—
For CARRIER BOYS!
Widow of Lenin
Continued From Fourth Page
revolution. His second wife, a 19-year-old office
secretary, not being conspicuous in the Com
munist party, never once appeared in public.
In fact, the public was hardly more than con
scious of her existence until the time ot her
state funeral In 1932. There are rumors that
Stalin has married & third time. But not even
members of the government are sure.
ΓΥΕΝ getting a picture of the late Mrs.
Stalin was a most strenuous undertaking,
for she resolutely, refused to be photographed.
With her two children in government schools,
just like other Communist children, she vu
free to go. Just like other Communist women,
to a textile academy, where she studied th·
process for making rayon. Frequently she
walked home alone from the academy to her
apartment in the Kremlin. And not one per
son in a million recognized her.
But the Associated Press correspondent had
sharper eyes. He got her spotted, and after
several weeks of efforts and defeats finally took
a snapshot of her as she stood on the sidewalk,
waiting for the traffic light. This is the only
picture of the wife of Russia's dictator ever
published. Mrs. Stalin felt she was just one
more member of the Communist party, had as
yet done nothing to distinguish herself, and
consequently deserves no public attention what
soever.
(Copyrlrht, 1034.)
I was sallow
and sort of logy
■MUMWWWBWW^Wvy.v—
• Everything I ate seemed to give me ga·—
I just couldn't get my system regulated
properly. My little bov suffered from con
stipation, too, and didn't like the taste ο(
castor oil. His teacher advised me to give
lu m FEEN -A-MINT. He thought it was
just nice chewing gum and took it without
the usual fuss. It gave him such a prompt
and complete movement that I chewed one
myself. That was over a year ago and I
-want to tell you that FEEN-A-MINT has
been a welcome friend in relieving con
stipation. I wouldn't have any other laxa
tive in the house.
Uaed by over IS,000,000 people
Our files are full of letters telling what
FEEN-A-MINT doe· for people. Doctors know
that FEEN-A-MINT does a more thorough
job. and does it gently. because you must chew
it—and chewing spreads the laxative evenly
through the intestines so that more complete
relief comes without straining and griping.
Try FEEN-A-MINT yourself — you'll join
the 15,000,000 people who are boosters for
FEEN-A-MINT—15 and 25# at any druggist's.
FEEN-A-MINT
THE CHCWINQ-6UM LAXATIVE