[Pages 192-196:]
I have enumerated in the foregoing list, the names of representative men, that lived here during the decade of the thirties, from 1830 to 1840 between those years our population increased from six to eighteen thousand. Most of these men were quite prominent citizens, all well known as good citizens. The writer as a boy knew them all, has written them without aid or dictation directly from memory and could add many more. Seventy-five percent of all were exceptionally fine looking men of which any city might be proud. Where, today, could you in this city with twenty times the number of its inhabitants find an equal number to compare with them in all respects? Men who would stand as well in the estimation of our people.

The good old custom of making New Year calls, visits and annual gifts on the first day of January, was generally indulged in and heartily and liberally enjoyed in the days of the thirties throughout the State of New york. It was especially a current custom in the cities of New York, Albany, Schenectady and through the Dutch settlements of the State among the descendants of the early Hollanders.

In Buffalo it was spontaneously and fully adopted, and for good reasons, as I have elsewhere shown. We were confined in winter to our own resources for occupation, entertainment and amusement; the business of the year and annual accounts were supposed to be satisfactorily adjusted and closed by January, and all were looking forward to a lively holiday and to wishing each others' wives and daughters "A Happy New Year;" which, with the hearty good-will in the unctious manner of saying it, imparted kind feelings, but afterwards as the custom waned, it deteriorated into that mincing, stand off, perfunctory mode of address, "The Compliments of the Season." And on that day it was considered the yearly privilege, among both young and old, to salute your female friends with a good, hearty kiss, without guile, but freely and honestly as an expression of friendly regard.

These New Year customs emanated and were brought over from Holland, though its more original records were from among the people under the rule of the early Roman Emperors. But at that time the pleasant custom of visiting and making complimentary gifts, especially to the Emperor, after a time descended into the abuse of the custom, it became an onerous tax on the people in exacting costly gifts in money and other valuables from them, as proofs of loyalty; and the custom became"more honor'd in the breach than the observance." Of Old Peter STUYVESANT [Governor of New Amsterdam], Irving says: "New Year's was his favorite festival and was ushered in by the ringing of bells and firing of guns. On that genial day the fountains of hospitality were broken up and the whole community was deluged with cherry brandy, true Hollands and mulled cider; every house was a temple to the jolly God, and many a provident vagabond got drunk out of pure economy, taking in liquor enough gratis to serve him half a year afterwards."

"The great assemblage, however, was at the governor's house, whither repaired all the burghers of New Amsterdam, with their wives and daughters, pranked out in their best attire. On this occasion the good Peter was devoutly observant of the pious Dutch rite of kissing the womankind for a Happy New Year, and it is traditional that Anthony the Trumpeter, who acted as gentleman usher, took toll of all who were young and handsome, as they passed through the ante-chamber. This venerable custom thus happily introduced was followed with such zeal by high and low that on New Year's day during the reign of Peter STUYVESANT, New Amsterdam was the most thoroughly be-kissed community in all Christendom."

This custom of visiting the Chief Magistrate, was followed later, even to our times, by the universal calls of all citizens upon the executive ruler of the bergh or town to partake of his good cheer, be he styled Governor or Burgomeister, and therefore it would have been deemed rude and disrespectful not to have called upon our Mayor, who expected, and was expected to keep open house to all comers on that day, and be fully provided with an abundance of substantial good cheer for his guests.

The Mayor's table was supposed to take the lead in abundance and variety, but all citizens and housewives gave the most ample and liberal spreads their means permitted; even the poorest tried to show their hospitality. The temperance question was not then in vogue.

It is not necessary to go into lengthy details as to the character of the viands on those well appointed tables. Of course there were boiled and baked hams pictured with rosettes, and punctured and speckled with cloves, roasted brown turkeys, varnished with basting gravy, bursting with savory stuffing, with Dutch pudding and sausages nestled under the biped's drumsticks and pinions to support the equilibrium of the bird, on its back, and all around the rise of the platter was an aureole of lemons, intermingled with confections; little roasted pigs with ears of corn in their mouths. I think I can hear them squeal! or perhaps it is the brown skin cracking as they are stabbed with the fork. Game was plentiful hereabouts, and of course we had it. There were doughnuts, modernized into crullers, and mulled cider, cracked hickory nuts near by; pound cake, "old south-side" madeira, and walnuts, mince pies and pumpkin ditto. At each end of the lengthened table were a brace of steaming urns with hot coffee and boiling water, which held the fort all day long and far into the night from which you could take your cafe au lait at will, or mix your hot brandy sling or Scotch toddy. Did we take any common-place dinners or suppers at home on New Year's day? Not if the court knew itself!

If the sleighing was good, and it usually was fifty years ago, all the two, four and six horse turn-outs, with harnesses covered with bells, were engaged for use on that day, days and weeks beforehand.

An amusing incident connected with the engaging of sleighs for New Year's calls was related to me by one of the Stevenson's, who managed an extensive livery establishment during the decade of the thirties. A well-known merchant, Erastus SPARROW, engaged of Mr. Geo. P. STEVENSON a specially fine turn-out with six bright bays, for New Year day calls, to be at his door at nine o'clock sharp. When the day and hour came, the sleigh and horses were not forthcoming. Full of wrath and fortiter in re, SPARROW went next day to blow up George; who, after listening to SPARROW's forcible arguments for some time, said to him, "Look here! You will be glad enough to have one horse to drag you around before another New Year." SPARROW came to STEVENSON a few days after his failure that year and said, "I guess George, I'll take that one horse concern to 'drag' me that you spoke of last New Year. If you'll let me have it, it's good enough for me!"

The young "bloods" of the young city of course secured all the choice turn-outs. The usual custom of those young gentlemen who were au fait in the manner of making New Year calls was to dress themselves in their best suits, as if for an evening party, having their teams, with coachman, and boy "tiger" covered with bell buttons, and provided with a pack of "visiting cards," as they were then called, all ready at nine o'clock, and then drive to the house of some particular friend, famous for her French coffee, and loosen up their tongues for the day's encounters, thence to the Parson's, to pay their annual respects to him, while in good condition, after that calling upon the staid, elderly and observing matrons while still able to maintain a dignified and cautious reserve. Then to the Mayor's for your first indulgence, after that to your choicest favorites among the married women and maidens. As the gloaming comes on, you become a little more promiscuous in your calls; then jollity and fun begin and the time-honored custom of osculation is not forgotten, sometimes you will duplicate your calls, faintly remembering that you have seen that face before, that day, and to be sure, you take close inspection, and finally after completing your hundred calls, the number en régle, you finish up the night at some friend's gay ball -- a little town up, and with drooping costume, go home, drop asleep and dream of dancing, music, girls and sleigh bells.

It was not uncommon in the afternoon to see a party of well-known gentlemen of six to a dozen, all hilarious, enter a lady's house, perhaps Mrs. FILLMORE's or Mrs. CLARY's, wholly unknown to the ladies, introducing themselves and wishing the ladies a Happy New Year and taking a glass of wine without giving offense.

Note: Punctuation, spelling and grammar were all copied as written.

End~