February 29 – Leap Year
Leap year every year divisible by four
Except centuries which are both
divisible by 100 and not divisible by 400.
2000 was a leap year, but the years
1700, 1800, and 1900 were not.
Makes up for the fact that one extra day every four years is slightly too
much correction
Started marking days with Julian calendar in 46 BC.
Included leap year – but…
10 BC discovered priests in charge of computing the calendar had been adding
leap years every three years
No more leap years were added until 8 AD.
Gregorian calendar - currently in use worldwide (except perhaps the Russian
and Iran)
Leap Year Traditions – Basically,
this is the reverse year in romance
Women propose marriage – English
Bad luck to marry in Leap Year - Greece
Dances where girls invite the boys
Sadie Hawkins Day Races in Li’l Abner
What has happened in Kearney during
Leap Years?
1888 – Midway Hotel had an informal opening on Feb. 18
Formal opening Feb. 22
Leap year party on Feb. 24 “given by the young ladies of Kearney.
This was the first of many elaborate social functions.
Described in detail by Maud Marston, society editor of the Enterprise.”
1890 December 4 (Boom Period) – Not leap
year but…
Good Templars lodge, young people, known
for their sociability
Social gathering at the residence of W. C. Holden
The ladies invited the gentlemen to supper and promptly paid for the
same.
1892 – January 13
A MEMORABLE OCCASION
Leap Year Party at the Midway Hotel Last Night
An Occasion Long to be Remembered
--A Few Original Suggestions Given the Gentlemen
--Magnificent Floral Decorations
In some cases for the first time, the ladies took the gentlemen’s places and
the gentlemen were forced whether or not to accept the situation gracefully
or with as much grace as possible.
Gentlemen arrived in their carriages,
carefully covered up with buffalo robes by their escorts.
At the Midway hotel they were shown
to a dressing room.
As a substitute for corsage or hair
decoration his lady presented him with a button-hole bouquet consisting of a
beautiful tea rose or carnation pink with smilax.
Gentlemen were ushered to seats where
the draft would not strike them
Ladies with fan in hand stood over
them
Made flattering remarks about the elegant costumes
Gushingly remarked on their beautiful appearance.
Gentlemen smiled, became hysterical,
hid their blushes behind lapels of suit jackets
Had dance cards – 16 dances
Music - home talent - violin, piano,
cornet, clarinet
Forty-four couples
Monday, February 29, 1892 – no Hub
Tuesday, March 1, 1892 (two events reported)
1. Dancing party at the opera house, large room on 5th floor
Hosted by two Kearney society couples
50 couples attended
Many ladies in formal evening dress
[means men did not wear tux’s]
Music by the Midway orchestra.
2. Leap year surprise party given at a home in honor of one of the
daughters.
Dancing, visiting, card playing until
11 when a supper was served.
Attendees – The honoree and 7 other
girls, 8 boys, and others
[chaperones??]
July 19 - A Summer event
--This is leap year. Girls, set the
boys a good example
Invite them to an ice cream social on
the Baptist church lawn.
A New Years Eve social event
(December 22 (Thursday))
--The social event of the season will
be given at the Midway hotel Saturday evening [Christmas Eve or New Years
Eve the following Saturday?]
A grand leap year ball.
Invitations were out, and the
dressmakers and tailors were busy.
December 31
Closing Leap Year Party
This evening a few young people will
meet at the home of Miss Emma Lindgren, on third avenue and go to the lake
the old year out and the new year in. As soon as 1893 is firmly established
and old Father Time has given the glass another turn, the party will return
to Miss Lindgren’s and have refreshments. From all indications at present it
will be a very pleasant time.
1896 – No Leap year activities reported [depression year]
1900 – Not a leap year
1904 – January
LADIES GIVE BOWLING PARTY
At the Miller alleys.
Attended by 14 young ladies and
gentlemen
Played a couple games of ten pins and
one of four back
After bowl they went to the Holt
café, where the tables had been previously decorated by the young ladies and
had supper.
April
YOUNG LADIES ENTERTAIN
Give Leap Year Ball at Midway Tuesday
Evening
Another great social event
October
Gibbon - The young ladies gave a leap year dance at the opera house.
Hobart Swan of Kearney furnished the
music.
November 21
Miller -The Leap year party at the residence of one of the leading citizens
in Miller
Return to 1896
Contents of a patent medicine were listed
Sparagus Kidney Pills - prescribed by doctors for kidney and urinary tract
troubles.
Contents:
Extract of asparagus
Extract of buchu [boo-chew] – native bush of South Africa
leaves dried and used for urinary,
kidney, & prostate disorders.
A diuretic.
Aromatic – also used in perfumes & to
flavor wines and brandies.
Extract of pareira [par-e-ira’] brava – A woody climbing vine from
Brazil,
Yields a petroleum-ether [oily]
Extract used for kidney stimulation
and urinary tract irritation,
A diuretic
Extract of juniper berries – diuretic.
Gin was developed in the Netherlands
in 1600’s
Intended to be a medication.
Besides being a diuretic, the berries
were thought to be appetite stimulant and remedy for rheumatism and
arthritis.
Name “gin” comes from French (genièvre)
& Dutch (jenever) words for juniper
Extract of Uva Ural – a bush with leaves which are a weak diuretic
Extract of corn silk – a diuretic, used for treatment of inflamed
urinary tract
[Flush those kidneys & bladder, wash out the irritation]
Monday, March 2, 1896 – Three Miscellaneous items
William Woodburn of Shelton was summoned for jury duty. He had lived in
Shelton for nearly four years and this was the first time he had been to
Kearney.
[We just keep moving those building around]
Parties arrested about a week ago for contempt of court were arraigned in
district court today and were released on condition that they remove the
building which they were enjoined from moving to its former location by
Saturday night.
[Tweak your curiosity]
Undertaker Costello is still in ignorance of what he is to do with the
remains of Morris Newberg.
Wednesday, Feb. 26, 1896 [Five days
earlier]
“Death on a Train
Morris Newberg,
a young
gentleman apparently between twenty-five and thirty years of age,
died suddenly on the fast mail at Elm
Creek at 11:45 this morning.
Deceased was a victim of consumption.
He was traveling alone from Denver to
Winona, Wisconsin.
There was found on his person $10.85
in money and a silver watch and chain.
Undertaker Costello was telegraphed
from Elm Creek to meet the remains upon their arrival in Kearney.
Mr. Costello took charge of the
remains and will await further orders from the Union Pacific before
burial.”
[Morris Newberg was buried March 4 in the
Kearney cemetery]
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