New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1888-12-25
IN HOLIDAY GARB.
NF,wyoRK,s FEsTAL PREPARATIONS.
PLANS FOR OBSERVING cuEIsrMAs-PRo
eRAMMEs FOR THBMIssIoNs AND FRIEND
LIZ socIETIEs-How THE CITY
LOOKED YESTERDAY.

j.
LOOKED YESTERDAY.
The day dawncd bright and fair yesterday anu .n'
hrlebtncss of thu winters reflected the GENIAL
ol al and tlndv feelings which mark the day before
Chrstmas and which reign supreme on Christmas
DAY. Tho crisp, inyIgorating atmosphere OF the aaS
Was wanting but perhaps that feature OF inc uaS,
tno has fallen into suse like others no" uauiona
and NEUROLOGICAL The oll-tinIe Chfls'mas-u"
Iinccrs yet however, because 1t is surrounded "h SD
many assocat which people oil all Nations @'.
Ioatb 20 surrender Tho Oh stmas OF to-day Is iooKeu
fovrard 70 inst as eagerly as IT in oldcn tines
ard the world continues to put It's brightest smiles
and eayest ribbons and holiday clothes for that DAY OF
universal thanksgiving and peace SANTA 'iaus nS'
| botbcd up I'm another form and Is Keeping aDfcas,
with tie spirit Of the times. Many people syn
cling to the legends of Santa Claus, ann the perSohay
~ the good old saint Is with their Children an assurcu
fact Others forget their younger days, but are never
cIcss willing 10 bring an alleged old ST. Nic' into
the festivities of the Christmas tree. And there are
those who say that Santa Claus must CO. but an
seem willing to make Christmas day Of festivities
of klndness and Of goodwill
Everybody wore cheerful look yesterday and the
town was out in full force. The horoughfares and by
WAYS were crowded with Christmas shoppers all
| electric with eagcrncss, pleasure and excitement
loaded with mysterious packages, beamlng with smiles
and profsc with expressions OF Merry Christmas and
a Happy New Year" Tho art Of the storekeeper
blossomed In his window. Perhaps there was not
such variety of novelties In toys His
year as usual. but there was larger
| supply of staple articles than ever be-
fore Other kinds OF gifts were more diversheo ana
costly In some of tho principal streets, like Four
tecnth and Twenty third sts.. the display OF holiday
gifts was most varied and attractive. TbrongS OF
people invaded the stores. pushed along the streets
and blocked up the sidewalks before windows The
trains on the elevated railroads were crowued all
day and the hotels were filed. The superntendcnts
Of the American Express and the Adams Express com
NAMES said that their companies had been buster this
year than ever before. Tho markets did rushing
! business The only lowering cloud today Is that
rain is predicted. But 1T is thought that cold snap
VIII follow which will bring skating before Now
Years Day.
| FEWER CHRISTMAS CARDS THAN USUAL"
Tho Post Office carrier, the modern Santa Claus,
made his rounds under load of parcels, large anu
small The number Of Christmas cards sent through
| the mails was smaller than usual The flmsy en-
welcomes which were formerly used TO great extent
| for cards OF the cheaper grades were a constant
source OF trouble to the carriers, and they welcome
the decline in the custom Of sending cards The num-
Der Of gifts sent through tho mails was, however,
greater than that at previous holiday season.
| MANY of these gifts were inclosed in oddly shaped
packages which slipped easily from the grasp OF the
carriers and made the attempt to deliver them duh
cult The clerks I'm the Post Office have been work
| ing double time for two three days. On Friday
night they were kept to late hour, and on sunday
night and all day yesterday they were all employed
The work Of distribution completed in time for tho
last delivery. The morning delivery to-day VIII
carry the belaed cards and gifts which were received
last evening
The inquiry department. Of the Post Office to which
arc sent letters and packages which have been torn
or have lost their wrappers, has been busy secuoh
OF the office for several days Handsome cards, pieces
Of ewelry plush boxes and various valuable and
ornamental gifts are stored In the rooms where super
intendent Jones and his clerks at work The
cnders Of these gifts have either wrapped the pack
ages so carclesly that the outside covering has fallen
OIL or they have neglected to address them properly
They will be cared fo- until their owners are dis
covered.
The warm weather destroyed all prospect Of skat-
ing in Central Park today The lakes in good
condition and everything ready for the skating
but the Ice. Another twenty-four hours with as low
tcmperature as that Of Friday would have been all
that was needed but there was little freezing on
that night II discovered by a careful test OF
the Ice that not strong enough to risk opening
the lakes the large crowds which would hock to
them to-day
WHAT WILL DE DONE TO-DAY.
Christmas Day will be observed by tho churches
, Of course The Tribune printed yesterday some OF
the musical programmes which will DO given In the
churches. Here OF the secular features %
the day. Festivals Will be held In the ihuusulai
schools and lodging houses of the Children5 Aid So
ciety West side kindergarten, Seventh ave; Eigh
tcenth Ward School, East Nineteenthst. sixteenth
Ward School West ElGhteenth-st, Fifty-thirt-st,
Duane-st Fourteenth Ward, No 03 Crosby-st
Eleventh Ward. 10. 127 Avenue b West Side Italian
Monrocst. East Side No. 1S6 Franhlin-st., and The
Newsbovs' Girls and Tompkin's Square houses.
Tho newsboys will be well provided for The
Ncwsboys Lodging House, No. Duane-st., the East
side Lodging House for Boys, No. 267 East Broad
way the West Side Ncwsboys' Home, No, 400 Seventh
ave. and the Tomplns SIuaro Lodging House loI
Boys Will have plenty OF turkey, chicken, mlnct
, pies candy, and other good things. The Chill
dIen's Aid Society will also give dinner to largo
number of bootblacks The boys at No. 314 East
q Thirty ffth-st will also have good dinner william
~ gives the dinner to the boys in the Duanest
house. The dinner takes place at p. The girl:
are not to be forgotten The girls at No. % ST. Mark:
Place and at the Wctmore Home for Girls, No sc
Washington Square, Will enjoy good dinners. The
Fruit and Flower Mission Will make thousands OF chill
drcn happy who live in the tenement houses and vii
also send boxes OF food to the inmates OF forty -s1
hospitals, twcntycight homes and hlry-two missions
william Blake, The genial superintendent ar the Char
files and Correction Building, announced yesterday
thar ia. Commissioners had distributed 14,020 pounds
\ OF chicken end 3,775 pounds OF turkey among TIN
! institutions under their charge.
Other institutions that Will celebrate the day will
feasuns and Other entertainments are the New or!
c cry Mission and lis nurseries, the memorial at 10
| 27J East broadway and the virginia Day, ST. Barna
has Home IN Mulberry ST., the now ara MISSION ah'
| Home for Little Wanderers, No. SO Rivington-st
A | Bellevue Hospital, and the Bellevue Helping Han'
! Association The managers Of the Coloed orphan
ASYLUM One hundred and forty thirds ST., near Tenth
ave, desire TO give the 800 children under their carr
i ! a bounful Christmas dinner, and ask donations o
food toys money TO be sent to Mrs 5. c. Van Duscn
Of No Thirty siXthst. A dinner will be glvei
al O'Clock the members Of the Young Mems Inst
ute No 222 BOwcry. by Cleveland ii. Dodge, Percy
L. Pyne IT,. and ". Taylor Pync.
There VIII not be many sports to-day. The Amer
lean Athletic Club will have crOss-oOuntry run OF
n | staten Island, starting from Four Corners. TIL
Prospect Iiarrlcrs viii have paper chase starting q
> 10 a H. from Manhattan Cottage, COney Island TIL
Al annual tennis tournament OF the 23d Regiment Tcnni
r. cub Will lake place at the Armory. The Thistl
Re VII! play football game at Newark, and there vii
:. he trap-shooting on the grounds OF the New Yor
suburban shooting Grounds Association In ClaremOn
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