NEW ULM. A city and the county-seat of Brown County, Minn., 26 miles west by north of Mankato; on the Minnesota River, and on the Chicago and Northwestern and the Minneapolis and Saint Louis railroads (Map: Minnesota, D 6). It has a handsome court house, Saint Alexander Hospital, a public library and high school and Turnverein libraries, Saint Michael's Academy, and Dr. Martin Luther College (Lutheran). New Ulm is the centre of a rich agricultural and stock-raising section, and carries on considerable trade. Its industrial establishments comprise grain elevators and flour mills, breweries, cigar factories, brick plants, machine shops, cooperage shops, and manufactories of pipe organs, woolens, pottery, and creamery products. Under a revised charter of 1891, the government is vested in a mayor, elected biennially, and a council. There are municipal water-works and electric-light plants. Settled in 1854, New Ulm was incorporated in 1876. It was in 1862 the scene of an Indian massacre. A memorial has been erected to the citizen soldiers killed by the Indians, and on Hermann Heights is a fine monument in honor of Hermann (Arminius). Population, in 1890, 3741; in 1900, 5403.
NEW WAY TO PAY OLD DEBTS, A. A play by Massinger, printed in 1632. It was written probably in 1625. Fletcher has been credited with a share in it, but his part, if any, was slight. It was the most popular of Massinger's plays, and was acted until recent times.
NEW WEST′MINSTER. The former capital and one of the chief cities of the Province of British Columbia, Canada, on Fraser River, in the midst of the gold region, 15 miles above the mouth of the river, 75 miles northeast of Victoria (Map: British Columbia, E 5). The river at this point is about a mile wide and contains several inhabited islands. The terminus of the Great Northern Railway via Blaine is on the opposite bank. The city is the centre of considerable tracts of arable land, is delightfully located, has a fine climate, and a heavy rainfall. Its leading industry is salmon fishing, several establishments exporting the fish in cans and barrels. Other kinds of fish are caught for this trade. Fish oil is manufactured. New Westminster has also a large traffic in lumber and furs, a woolen mill, foundries, iron works, machine and carriage factories, etc. Anthracite and bituminous coal are exported. There are, in the city, Methodist and Roman Catholic colleges, the provincial asylum for the insane, the Dominion penitentiary, and public library; and New Westminster has municipal water-works, electric lights, an electric street railroad, and public parks. Population, in 1891, 6678; in 1901, 6499.
NEW YEAR'S DAY. The first day of the year. The custom of celebrating by some religious observance, generally accompanied by festive rejoicing, the first day of the year, appears to have prevailed among most of the ancient nations. The Jews, the Egyptians, the Chinese, the Romans, and the Mohammedans, although differing as to the time from which they reckoned the commencement of the year, all regarded it as a day of special interest. In Rome the year anciently began in March; and when Numa, according to the ancient legend, made the year begin on January 1st, that day was held sacred to Janus Bifrons, who was thus supposed to turn at once back upon the old year and forward into the new. On the establishment of Christianity, the usage of a solemn inauguration of the new year was retained; but considerable variety prevailed, both as to the time and as to the manner of its celebration. Christmas Day, the Annunciation (March 25th), Easter Day, and March 1st have all, at different times or places, shared with January 1st the honor of opening the new year; nor was it till late in the sixteenth century that January 1st was in most countries accepted as the first day of the new year. The early fathers—Chrysostom, Ambrose, Augustine, Peter Chrysologus, and others—in reprobation of the immoral and superstitious observances of the pagan festival, prohibited in Christian use all festive celebration; and, on the contrary, directed that the Christian year should be opened with a day of prayer, fasting, and humiliation. The mandate, however, was but partially observed.
The social observances of the first day of the new year appear to have been in substance the same in all ages. From the earliest recorded celebration we find notice of feasting and the interchange of presents. Tradition referred the origin of New Year's gifts among the Romans to Tatius, King of the Sabines (B.C. 747). Branches cut from the wood consecrated to Strenia, the goddess of strength, were received by him on the first day of the new year as presents of good omen. He sanctioned the custom and called the gifts strenæ (cf. French jour d'étrennes). In later times in Rome similar practices attended the worship of Salus. Simple strenæ, consisting of branches of bay and of palm, sweetmeats made of honey, figs, or dates as a good omen that the year might bring only joy and happiness (Ovid, Fasti, i., 185-190), finally gave way to gifts of more elaborate character. The custom of presenting gifts to the Emperor became so general that the people went en masse to carry him presents and to wish him a happy new year. The writers of the Empire describe other observances—exchanging visits, masquerading, and feasting—which characterized the day. The festival held by the Druids at the opening of the year resembles the worship of Salus by the Romans. The priests cut the sacred plant and distributed the sprays. In many countries the night before New Year's, ‘Saint Sylvester's Eve,’ was celebrated with great festivity, which was prolonged till after twelve o'clock, when the new year was ushered in with congratulations, visits, and mutual wishes for a happy new year. This is an ancient Scottish custom, which also prevails in many parts of Germany, where the form of wish—“Prosst- (for the Lat. prosit) Neu-jahr”—“May the new year be happy”—attests the antiquity of the custom. In many places the practice of tolling bells at midnight, and thus ‘ringing in the new year,’ is still observed. Many religious communions are wont to celebrate it with a special service or watch night. In the Roman Catholic Church the Te Deum is often sung at the close of the old year in thanksgiving for the blessings granted during its course, and New Year's Day is a holy day of obligation, because on it falls the Feast of the Circumcision.
NEW YORK (popularly called the ‘Empire State’). A North Atlantic State of the United
