Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1885-12-25
CHRISTMAS EVE CROWDS.
THE CITY PREPARED TO CEuE-
BRATE THE JOYOUS DAY.

The Last GIFTS Pureh ased snd the Last
Turkey Taken Home-ElabnrateD Deco
rations aud Brilliant Programme OF
Music IN the Observation-Disclosures Mass
at the CathedraI-Street Scenes and In
eidents.
Flzz. Crack! Bang! Md the pop
fping Of fire crackers, the footing Of horns,
the glare and crackle OF dozens OF bon
fires, the eve Of s'Merrie Christmas" was
celebrated, and the day itself was ushered
IN. In the small boys calendar no days
are printed in letters half so red as the
two star days Of Christmastide. When
tired eyes closed last night the last sounds
that greeted the ears came from midnight
jewellers. This morning the first words
were christmas gift"
Yesterday dawned with frowning lead
,en-hued skies and unwelcome showers
seemed imminent. In few hours,
though, the gruesome clouds drtted out
of sight and the sun shOne down brightly
and cheerily. Christmas was Ia the air.
Much OF preparation was yet to be done,
and the trades people had another busy
day. Many a little present was unpur-
chased. and there was still some market
ing to do. Early in the morningt the streets
took on the appearance of busy thorough
fares. lie the afternoon the crowd doubled
and one could have compiled tolerably
accurate list of Savannah's residents
could the name of every passer along
Brought0n street have been obtained. The
stores were crowded. the market was
thronged, and the streets were alive with
shoppers. Everything indicated the com
ing holiday. Hardly any one but seemed
i'm good spirits. and bright ribbons and
dresses were only in harmony with the
smiles.
In honor Of the season store windows,
big and little. were gaily decked out with
the prettiest things in stock Just as on
SUNDAY big and little folks put on their
tbest suits. The clinking Of the dollars
ltold that they we're not less nimble than
Sin years gone by. AS the pOcketbOoks
were emptied shelves were depleted. But
bit was in the market and in the grocery
stores that the purses suffered the most.
Hundreds Of turkeys and barrels OF cram
berries were transferred from the cOun-
tiers and stalls to the kitchens. To many
doubtless Christmas means the one salts
factory dinner Of the year. 70 all it
means dinner measured only by the
length of the purse. Turkeys, wild
and d0mesticated, ducks partridges,
Yenison meats Of almost every kind, veg
etables, fruits and nuts were displayed TO
the hest possible advantage. For two
or three days the supply had been replen-
AoACA ACdA ~ GHNAJ AibuA " ttiC dtAAN al VI
wagons from the country. Vehicles OF as
many patterns as there are weeks in a
year, and drawn mostly by mules were
backed up around the market house.
Stands were extempOriZed from the tail
boards, and over them customers and
hdealers haggled about the price per pound
of the wares. Rapidly, nevertheless, the
big heaps of lusciOusness which the mar
ketmen piled up in their stalls in the
morning melted away before the ceaseless
stream Of purchasers, and at dusk, when
the working people went h0meward,
everybody carried a brown paper parcel,
or some other symbol Of the season.
Al night Br0ughtOn street was brilliant
with electric lights and the stores were
all ablaze with gas jets. Until late the
payements were thronged with men,
women and children, now hurrying
along, and the next moment stopping to
watch some curious automaton in a
window. Errand boys said their arms
ached long before the last parcel was de-
1iyered.