New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1886-12-25
SANTA CLAUS CONES IN A RAIN STORM.
OUT DOOR FESTIVITIES DECIDEDLY DAMPENED ALL
. OVER THE CITY.

OUT DOOR FESTIVITIES DECIDEDLY DAMPENED ALL
OVER THE CITY.
Christmas Eve on the East side OF New-York and In
strips Ike seyenthave the West Side is usually the
gala night year. Then the beer shops that dot the
streets everywhere dressed out in the greenes OF
bushes pine and laurel strung along therfrons and fresh
clean sawdust sprned the floor Then the butchers
and the bakers turn on to the full the last available
jet, flooding their stalls with gayety and light The
"cheapJohn man burns his maodorus torch on every
cubstone and throws his stock before the passersby
with the ardor and importantly of Salvation Army cap
tain cunning for the unconvorted Then tho solid Ger
citizen and his harl-worldng frau" don
their Sunday suits and make their Christmas
purchases. while all about them Of excited small
boys blowing tin horns and beating drums, dressed out
in old masks and cownlike motley. make mimic car
nval with their shouts and peng and noisy horse play
And things were just reaching this interesting pitch last
night when the rain that had been holding of so long.
down in and the street festivities had to be
abruptly abandoned.
few people, of course. reckless enough TO wade
along the sidewalk under the fanced shelter OF an UNI
brela Purchases that were put of until the last moment
had 10 DO made and carried home dripping But the bulk
Of the promenadeIs beat hasy retreat to their homes
TO friendly shop nearby and the "cheap-
johns " snufred their lamps In disgust and any
thing but Christmas Eve language. The beershops
got a tremendous patronage. but the markemen were
nuous gasjes pued by and only the duller
glare OF the street lamps left 70 light the stray small
boys home with their dropping pimes and bedragged
costumes.
The rain began little before o'clock and did not
sacken until nearly 10 The stores uptown In Fourteenth
and Twenty third SITS open that long, but few shop
pers went In except where candles and fruits
sale Cabs were In great demand In upper Broadway
and the elevated looked tle more crowded than
usual There were other signs abroad however of an
approaching holiday, much less the Jolly sights and
sounds the gayety and cheer and outdoor Oancy which
are supposed to mark this merry winter festival
The iiveicst spot down town last night Washington
Mrrket the market building itself rows OF turkeys and
geese picked and unpicked. still hung and buyers
chaerng with the tired marketmen noisy tones through
all the passage ways. Outside under the long
line OF pent-roos that stretches up Veseyst toward
Broadway all sorts OF wares, groceries, poultry teas
and the sale and In the middle OF the
pine and fir and laurel were piled high in confusion
safe from the rain the noise aud hustle were kept up all
the evening. till Mt last the supply OF scrawny turkeys
seemed threatened with exhaustion.
Lower Broadway no quieter, perhaps than on any
evening 10 O'clock and the Fourth and Sixth Wards
no liveier What biary there went on behind
the doors OF the beershops in the houses The rain
fell only in infrequen showers toward midnight bat IL
Santa Claus made his annual tour he Must have
his urs and taken TO macintosh coat and big family
umbrella.