The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1886-12-26
Purchasers of Toys and Presents Exhaust the
Stocks of Dealers, Who Have a Season of
Unprecedented Holiday Prosperity.
Some of the Artistic Gifts of Unique
Design Made by Feminine Fingers.
The Tendency Of Lovers to Marry in Holiday
Seasons-Services and Entertainments at
the hurches-Christmas Incidents.
A MERRY CHRISTMAS.
How the Day Was Generally Observed and
Enjoyed In the City.

Enjoyed In the City.
The many tokens the preceding weeks have
given as to what Christmas this year would be
In the wishes OF every one TO enjoy himself as
he best could, brought the fullest realization yes
terday. The weather was not the pleasantest,
for clouds were threatening and the air raw,
with now and then mist OF probable snow or
rain. But it could not keep people bent upon a
holiday within doors. for there never has been a
Christmas when so many promenaders appeared
upon the streets. It seemed as il the city had
turned out to see and to be seen. And the per-
sonnet Of the crowds was of the class who can in
simple pleasures make the most of holiday.
There were few dimes and dollars left to 60
for gifts and the stores that had them for sale
enjoyed a Christmas-day trade something bet
ter than usual Unexpected meetings of long
separated friends would lead to the purchase OF
tribes irterchanged as mementoes of the season
when the whole world is happy. Merry Christ.
rang along the line of the never ending holt
day parade and warmed hearts that hardly ever
respond to anything higher than selfish pur
pose Wherever enjoyment could be had there
Che people went. AS usual. small minority
sought to give it the boom and noise of Fourth
habit of firing off Christmas day. Crackers,
eannons and pistols belong exclusively to Inde-
pendence Day. and the custom is growing to
give Christmas the quieter and more appropriate
observance of doing things befttiug the beauti-
full sentiment or heartfelt devotion from which
Christmas arises
OF course. large proportion of holiday seek
ers are in for frolic whether not it passes the
dead-line of sobriety This class had it's repre-
sensatves among the promenaders, and amusing
instances were not wanting. A gentleman well
known in the hotel Hobbies whenever any poltl-
cal excitement is abroad, dallied with the infu-
ence of the spreeing Christmas. His legs
shaky, his brain active and heart genial. Meet
ing an old friend he exchanged the courtesies of
the time. and reeollected when the wife of the
friend and verbose gentleman were playmates in
satchel and apron days The latter insisted on
calling on the lady. whom he had not seen for
years. as the bearer of Christmas token. In
required fifteen minutes to talk him oft
Of il. This suggests that the saloons
were open. Many of them assumed that privi-
lege, and made no effort to conceal It, 1t was
trouble to get egg-nogs, hot whiskies and the
usual run of sample room beverages There is
a demand for this kind of a holiday, the saloon
keepers seem to think, and they took the risk
Customers came and went as freely day
mp to nightfa but of the airing dispensers
of liquors had been registered at the station
house. and he Was not of sufficient influence
bis arrest to check the trade. Pool tables
In constant use, and were billiards. but
the law takes cogniZance of these Christmas
means of killing time. queer fellow had been
marketing and his variety of purchases filed his
arms and pockets. There were oranges, candies
nuts, celery wreath of holly, and all the what
not of confection fruit and vegetable stands to
christmas a mr.
get into paper bag or pocket he put down his
throat, and ludicrousy he sought
the place of destination. A gentle
man found recource In quoting Shakespeare
and airing his knowledge of English literature,
and another less finely grained or intellectually
endowed thought it would be good thing TO
round tho day off with row. There were three
fights Of sufficient Importance to demand the
notice of the police, but the participants came
from a class with whom al overdose of whisky
means an incipient riot Yet the day, in these
unAttractive features, had less of them than
usual There was so little of outward inebriety
that the police looked upon themselves as hav-
ing quiet time.
The home Christmas was Of the customary
character that is so prettily pictured IN the
legends of Santa Claus while the older folks en-
joyed the Injuries of the table and social amen
tiles. A holiday dinner never varies, except in
the bountifuness of viands. Rich and poor.
nowadays, have them, and, whether it is fowl,
pig or roast beef as the piece de resistance
each has the Christmas flavor about il.
The hotels and restaurants show on such
occasions the richness OF their larders Yester-
day they kept to the record of their former
feasts, and guests with regular patrons relished
them with keen appeties and flattering comment
on the ability of the chefs. The menus were
elegant specimens of the printer and engravers
art 1t has become custom for the semi-home
less and others to take their holiday dinners at
these places. At the tables there were very few
transient people, for the hotel registers showed
not more than a dozen arrivals clerk at
one Of the leading hotels said: ut does
not paw us to give these expensive
holiday dinners for at that time we have but
few transients. To-day there not more
than four, but our regular boarders expect to
invite friends, and city people come in to get
fine dpner. We are compelled to keep up the
custom"
The theaer audiences. except where cheap
prices are the rule, showed remarkable falling
off, but the various entertainments OF church
and charity organizations found large crowds to
enjoy them. Legitimate business outside Of
the toy and candy shops. stopped entirely. 1t
was Christmas of prosperous year. when
everyone appeared to have resources large or
small. to draw upon in observing it.