The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1890-12-26
CHRISTMAS A JOLLY DAY.
IT WAS UNANIMOUSLY CELE-
DRAFTED IN SAVANNAH.

Christmas Cheer, Fireworks, Field
Sports and Good Time Generally
the Order of the Day-The Churches
Well Attended, but They Couldn't
Hold All the People-The Day on the
River, at the Asylums. Hospitals and
Homes and in the Field.
Christmas day was unanimously OBJ
served in Savannah according to the per-
sonal inclinations OF the people Inclina-
tons differed very widely, too. Some went
to church in the morning and then went
home TO enjoy hearty Christmas diuner.
A great many went TO the races and backed
their favorites to their Joy or sorrow 40
cording to the result.
Tue younger population and a consider
able proportion of the older people
enjoyed themselves in throwing pop
pers promiscuol:sly in the streets and
squares and making uproarious merriment
generally. The unfortunate few who re-
eeived peppers in the face, to the injury If
eyes aud ears. or scorcbed their fingers, do
not regard this portion of the days ceIebra-
ton as success.
THE DAY OUT OF TOWN.
Hundreds Of people spent the
town resorts Numbers of Savannah
nimrods roamed the fields Of Chatham
and neighboring counties in quest of game
and a days sport, and no doubt they found
both.
The large number who put in the day in
circulating from one barroom to another.
and getting outside of as many drinks
as they could hold, was very notice
able, and ELECTED frequent comment
1t was commonly said that there were more
drunken men on the streets yesterday than
on any preceding Christmas within the
memory of those who remarked it. The
association of whisky and fireworks in the
person of the same individual |
The jewellers seemed to be en- |
joying the day in their way, however, |
and perhaps they did.
NOISY DAY.
The bang and pop of the frecrackers be- |
gan with the break of day, and was still |
going on at midnight last night. The |
children were up early to see what Santa |
Claus had brought them, and filing the dir |
with their merry shouts. The old
people could not well lie abed amid /
all the racket that was raised around them,
80 they. toe, were up early and joined in
with the merrymakers. A spirit Of good |
humor and jollity seemed TO prevail through
out the city, and it was Merry Christmas
and a Happy New Year" with every one.
1ne attcu0huCO al SeTVlC6e
in the morning was large. number
of the evangelical churches had no services.
Large crowds went to the races in the |
afternoon. The matinee Of Primrose &
Vests Ministries at the theater was very
largely attended. The arrivals at the hotels
during the day were very few, every
body who could possibly do so
preferring to spend Christmas at home.
The hotels gave their guests elegant din
ners, with special bills of fare.
THE SQUARES ABLAzE.
The spirit of mirth and hilarity prevail
ing among the youth during the day and
on Christmas eve was entirely collapsed by
their demonstrations last night. Bon
fires begun TO blaze by 5 o'clock,
and by O'Clock an observer from any ele-
waited point could see hundreds of blazing
fires, many of the streets presenting long
arrays OF blazing barrels, with clusters of |
them in every square. Added to thi was
the constant banging Of cannon crackers
and the shooting of candles and sky rockets
1t looked as if a battle of the fire fieuds
was in progress. The boys everywhere
turned themselves loose. and hundreds of |
barrels which have been saving for weeks |
went up in smoke. The ordinance restrict |
ing the use Of fireworks to the streets |
md squares south of Liberty was |
lisregarded, south of Congress |
street anyway, notwithstanding the efforts |
were made for throwing frecrackers within |
the forbidden limits, but it was a mighty |
hard thing for q policeman to tell who |
threw a cracker, and on a long beat the |
policeman simply was not in It,
TIE POLICE NOT IN 1T,
The boys on South Broad and other resi-
deEce streets between Broughton and Lib
erty were not going to be defraujed of the
right to burn their barrels, and burn them
they did. Frequently a policeman would
rush up to a burning barrel and threaten
the little rascals if they could only catch
them, but the boys were inside the
adjacent houses before be could make them
out. The policeman usually turned the
barrel over, but this made no difference, as
it burned almost IS we'll on its side as ON
end. In case it happened to be tar barrel
the cop was invited to 'kick it" by the
boys, which he wisely refrained from doing.
Some of the police just winked at them
selves when they saw a barrel being placed
in the street, and went around convenient
corner. The greatest display of fireworks
was in the squares south of Liberty
street. specially in the neighborhood
of the De Soto. The finest display of
fireworks in the city was in Troupe
square, and was furnished by Alderman
John j. McDonough, whose house is near
the square. The alderman was boy him
self once and puts good sized sum in fire.
works every Christmas for the boys in his