Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1890-12-24
THE CHRISTMAS CROWDS.
The Streets and Stores Thronged With
People.

THE HOLIDAY SPIRIT ABROAD POCKET BOOKS
OPEN AND ARMS FILLID WITH BUNDLEs-soME
OF THE REFLECTIONS OF THE HoUR-scENEs IN
THE BUSINESS SECTIONS OF THE CITY.
If there 10 any one who does not realize that
Christmas is here it must be because such a per-
son has been secluded or has chosen retired
streets when abroad. No one that has mingled
In the crowds that swarm up and down the ave-
nue. and along street and It'll street and other
streets in the business centers of the city can
fail to catch something Of the holiday feeling
that is in the air. 1t is the animating principle
of all this life and movement. People leave
their regular occupations and devote their en-
tire time to shopping. They rush from store
to store, and the depleted stock of the mer-
chants is convincing evidence that something
is accomplished by this busting. hurrying
throng. As might naturally be inferred by
some guileless foreigner to whom Christmas is
an unknown holiday, all this sudden interest in
shopping indicates that Christmas is kind of
an arbitrary holiday and its exact date is made
known with only few days notice. contrast
III the appearance of our business streets this
week with that of last week seems to confirm
this theory. There were no such crowds in
the streets and in the stores few days ago.and
hence il might reasonably be inferred that peo-
pie did not know that Christmas was coming.
PUTTING THINGS OFF.
Whatever conclusions the foreigner might
reach the facts are undisputed and everybody
knows that every one puts off the preparation
for Christmas until the last few days. As a re-
suit the entire town is poured out over the
business sections of the city and the merchants
are plunged into the midst of a rush of trade
that fairly makes their eyes beam. Every re-
source OF a business establishment is taxed to
meet the demands. and how well it is all done
In spite of difficulties is credtabie to the
tive management of those at the head OF the
business houses of this city.
why people who know that Christmas is
coming as sure as the 25th of December rolls
a19und delay their preparations until the last
y MINUS ~ one OF those perplexing problems
which remain unsolved.
PEOPLE WHO DIDN'T DO IT.
or course there are people, and very supe-
rior air they have az a rule, not only at Christ
mas time but all the year around, who are wont
to tell their friends that they made their pur-
chases several weeks ago. TT is SO much bet
ter, they add in an Eiffel tower tone, ITO do
your Christmas shopping early and then you
avoid the crowd and have the pick of the
stock. 1t is q significant fact, however. that
this information is usually impaired in a
crowded store or street right in the midst of
the Christmas battle. ''Oh! no." they are
heard to say, Il am not here shopping. I got
through several weeks ago. but thought that
l would come out and attend TO some odds and
ends" This latter duty requires several hours
a day Tor several days, DIS Il rule. and friends
wonder why they don't do their shopping
during Christmas week and attend to the odds
and ends early in the fall.
THE GREAT MAJORITY.
However, admitting for the sake Of argu-
ment that some other time than Christmas
week is the best time to shop. yet the fact re-
mains that the vast majority of people in this
particular. as well in others of greater i'm
portance. don't always do the best thing. The
result IL that the streets are filed with busy
things and the stores are crowded that it is
difficult to get in and when you are in ii is
hard to get out But still people some how or
other manage to get around these difficulties
and they attend to the business of the hour and
toward evening they find their way home laden
down with packages.
CARRYING BUNDLES.
1t is great time for packages Usually
prescribed by the mandates of polite society,
during Christmas week the brown paper pack
age is allowed to show itself on the public
streets and may be seen nesting against seal
skins and silks and all sorts of fine clothes that
fine ladies wear. and there is no one to make
unklnd remarks. great deal pleasanter it
must be to be carried home in this way than to
be thrown in the dark recesses of an old store
wagon and to be delivered at ths basement
door. Whatever aristocratic propensities a
brown paper package has, and there is no rea-
son to suppose that it has not aspirations, they
are not allowed to be INDUCED except during
the holiday season. Then. as every one knows,
it is no disgrace to be seen on the streets car
rying paper bundle.
GOOD NATURE RULES.
Whether it is the real spirit of Christmas
time. which is one Of good will and peace. or
whether it is the excitement of members and
the pleasurable anticipation that inspires every
one who Ia bent on making some one else glad,
Christmas crowd is essentially a goOd-na-
tured crowd. People are jammed together.
they are hustled in the stores. they are unable
to find always exactly what they want and other
yexations spring up along the pathway of the
Christmas shopper. But all these trials are
met with such cherry determination. such in
vincible good humOr, that they become mere
phere is not chilled by clouds and tempest5. If
the street scenes are animated during the day
THE STREETS AT NIGHT.
What are they at night when the stores are
flooded with light and the streets CLEAN in the
bright, clear radiance of the electric lamps?
The thrOngs are perhaps more dense than dur
ing the day and there is noticeable an element
in the crowd that does not devote the entire
time to shopping They are out to mingle with
others. to see what is to be seen and to have
good time generally. They succeed as a rule
and their presence gives IA festive appearance
to the animated streets-as if great fair was
in progress. The street fakirs do good bust
ness at night and, like all successful men they
arc anxious that the whole world should know
exactly where they are located and what they
are doing. Their voices add to the Christmas
anthem of good will and good cheer which the
crowded streets are just now rendering to the
spirit of the season.
Let Us Have More Competing Roads.
To the Editor Of The Evening Star:
great and growing demand now exists for
additional outlets of communication by rail
with the outside world.
The Norfolk and Western railroad is asking
Of Congress authority to extend its lines into
the District. The Washington and Western
Railroad Company of Virginia has been char
tered to run from Front ROYAL. on the Shenan-
dOah Valley railroad. through the beautiful and
rich counties of Fairfax and Loudoun to Wash
ingtOn, and asks authority to enter the District
This company has recently. by consolidation
and purchase, become part of the Norfolk and
Western system, and all the advantages of that
system are thus brought to our doors.
The citizens of Virginia along its route have,
through petitions to Congress-. asked for the