Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1889-12-21
TALES OF CHRISTMAS TIME
Men of Varied Experiences Tell
Them to Star" Reporters.
Stories From the Real Life of Promi-
nent Men-Narratives Of Adventures in
Odd Piaces-The Pathos and Humor
of the Merry Season.


life. Since the first and most beautiful OF them
all was told all Christen1om has been enacting
Christmas stories. fuller of adventure, of
pathos, Of tragedy and of pleasure than those
imagination has depicted. Stop most any
stranger on the street and he coud tell you of
some Christmas time in his life that has made a
deep impression on his mind. STAR reporters
have picked up some Christmas stories from
the experience of well-known men. They are
short and simple narratives, but each has an
interest of its own, besides an added interest as
giving peep into the secret sentimentaln nature
Of some public men.
DIR. Marks Christmas in Camp.
''My most memorable Christmas" said DR..
Geo. Marx, the celebrated authority on spiders,
''was passed near Annadale, Va, in 1861. The
men OF our regiment had dug great hole in
the ground as deep as a room, wherein to makea
FIRE and hold festivities appropriate to the day
that comes but once year, the pit being sur
rounded at the edge with hedge of brush to
help prevent the enemy, not far off, from seeing
the smoke. was ON hospital duty at the time,
and it was my task to prepare the Christmas
tree. which was Illuminated with profusion of
ordinary tallow candles. The presents hung
upon the tree we're mostly revolvers, which
were attached to the stronger branches at the
bottom. From the top branches hung lunches
OF cigars and tumblerS IN cases. such things be-
ing highly appreciated by the soldiers OF re-
volvers we had a plentiful stock, inasmuch rs
those useful weapons were never buried
with the men who died in hospital. We
had scraped out with penknife the coffee
kettle, had brewed quantity Of stiff
punch - lots of whisky being avail
able-and we're just enjoying ourselves nicely
when there was a commotion III the camp and
Ill. 49, 81
The boys picked up their guns and dashed out
of the hollow, while / stayed behind and pre-
pared my surgical instruments and plasters for
the wounds that were likely to be received in
the conflict. Fortunately, however, it was
only a false alarm; the men came back, put
away my plasters and instruments. and We spent
Christmas night jollifying, drinking punch.
roasting apples and potatoes IN the ashes and
having an immense tine generally. AS the
pickets were changed the boys cams in by
squads and took their turns at the pickings of
the Christmas tree, the punch bowl and the
edibles.
His First Christmas In America.
'.The most doleful Christmas / have any
recollection Of" said a distinguished German
physician, twas spent in New York city, where
had arrived a few weeks before in company
with half-a-dozen of my compatriots. Of the
party was the only one who understood any
English, and my knowledge OF the language
was limited almost wholly to the declensions
and conjugatIons learned at school But my
companions looked up to me as quite an expert
in the new tongue, ana was too proud of my
superior knowledge TO let 1t appear how really
triling il was. We took cheap lodgings on
Fulton street. and every day when we went out
We invariably got lost. | myself knew very
well how to get home when / had once found
the city hall. and thus 1t happened that
spent most of my time while on my walks
abroad in looking for that important public
edifce.
Zone day the party of US was lost as usual in
maze Of strange streets, and my friends said:
Why do you not ask that policeman on the
corner where the city hall is' l saw / was IN
for it, aud so. going up to the officer, mustered
my vocabulary as best l could and managed to
say: How is the city hallY
The city hall is quite we'll thank you.'
replied the man with the club without smiling
particle.
Il tried to look as if / had got satisfactory
answer, and when my friends asked eagerly
what the policeman had said l replied care
lessly: oh, he told me that the city hall was
two blocks down and then turn to the right ;
By a curious accident this very course brought
u to the place We sought.
However. was going to tell you how, some
time Later, passed my first Christmas in the
metropolis. / got home on the afternoon of
Christmas dav, having experienced nv usual
failure IN trying to obtain employment and was
informed BY my landlord that he did not care
TO have me for a lodgsr any longer. As mat
ter OF convenience 40 myself he had already
had my empty trunk brought down into the
front hall. The trunk was empty because ]
had been living for weeEs back upon what had
been the contents. i took my trunk out on the
pavement in front and sat down upon it to
think. In my pockets 1 found exactly Is cents
and immediately went 10 a neighborinp to-
bacconIst and invested the amount in a Is
cent cigar. went back to my trunk on the pave
nent. and perched myself upon it again to
think some more. While ! was engaged in
thinking l smoked the cigar very slowly.
partly because it might be the last that would
ever have the opportunity of consuming
Among other things, thought how wise l had
been to expend the IS cents as had done, be-
cause, If l was going up altogether then and
there. it was much better TO do so in a respect
able manner with an Havana cigar in NV
mouth. While smoked / reflected that the
cigar was, IN manner, picture of my life
that II was about TO go out. leaving nothine
but ashes behind. II burned away slowly until
there was 50 little LETT of II that / could only
continue my smoke by impai,ng it on the end
OF wooden toothplck. just as was taking the
last possible pun and at precisely the right
dramatic moment. who should come along the
street whlstliHg but man whom I had once
treated TO glass Of beer. He stopped and
looked at mt a moment, then he said: NV dear
fellow, don't say word. know what has han.
Pened as well as If you told me. Come with
mel
empty trunk upon his shoulder and marched
me of TO his lodging house. | slept with hin
that night, and the next morning found at
shop, whittier had directed my letters to be
sent, a draft from Germany for a considerable
amount OF money. which put end to my
difficulties. But that is the way / spent nj
first Chlstmas IN America"
Assistant Secretary WiIlitts' Weird
Christmas.
1.-The weirdest Christmas remember" sale
Assistant Secretary OF Agriculture willitts yes
terday, was spent crossing the great Colorado
desert, IN southern California l had left be-
hind me the semi-tropical vegetation Of the
region about Los Angeles. and, as journeyet
along. observed with interest the luxurian
growtns OF that sunny CLINE gradually thinnin.
out until by the time the San Bordonia pass OF
the San BernardIno mountains was reaches
very little IN the way OF plant life was to bt
seen On lhe east side of the mountain rang,
We descended by the railway to a vast plaII
llhmltaole to the eye, with not much
hliiock anywhere nor even blade Of grass. II
the burning sky aboye-for il was deadly no
even IN mldwnter- there foated not solitar,
bird No sign OF animal life was visible owe
the trackless expanse of desert, though doubt
less at night IL swarmed with scorpions cent?
pedes, serpents OF dangerous bite, and othe
horrible insects and reptiles. Everywhere anc
In every direction stretched the endless vast
of pebbly sand, deposited ages ago bv the Sc,
that once covered this now dry and barrer
basin. the lowest paint of which that W,
reached was not less that $50 feet below tn
laval Lott h. onld ha, L. f.