Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1890-12-25
SANTA CLAUS ABROAD
Our Rubicund Visitor Turns Literary
This Year and Gives Away
THOUSANDS OF DAINTY BOOKS.
Children of the Twin Cities Made Happy
By Kaufmanns' Gifts.
PTZZLES OF POOR PATERFAMILIAS


physiognomy bent over toyshop counters,
the knick-knack tables of Yule-tide novelty
venders. We are familiar with the question
which sears his brain, that terrible question
What shall 1 buy for the little ones?"
Yesterday morning the various proxies of
Santa Claus set forth, jingling their dearly
bought coins and pondering deeply over the
most suitable presents for their several
home circles. They promenaded through
doll stores, plodded among picture dealers,
in experience, finally decided to buy the
little ones picture book. Goodness only
knows in how many cases this decision was
arrived at A book is, alter all, the very
incest kind of present for all sorts and con-
ditions of men-and babes. The festive
Punchenella, the uproarious drum or brass
trumpet, the old-time rifle, which will not
60 of-all were in turn reviewed and all re-
jected. The unhappy pateriamilias felt
certain that some other well-meaning rela-
tive would undoubtedly present his off
spring with one of the above-named gifts.
What then was paterfamilias to purchase?
SOLVING THE DILEMMA.
In the quandary he CHANGED to pass the
portals of a bookstore. Instantly the
problem was solved Why not give his
children Christmas book? The idea was
certainly good one. Not only would his babes
be gratified by the attractive binding and
pictures of the volume, but old Santa Claus
himself, to whom would of course be given the
of fba oiyh+ pIa
pleasure and passing information from the
volumes committed to his temporary care.
One can imagine the old gentleman, placidly
preparing 10 drift down convenient chimney
stack. and glarcing hurriedly through the
pretty gift books in his satchel. What an
amount of new-worlG IDEAS never dreamt of in
his Schwatzwald solitudes. would Kris Kringle
obtain from the gayly covered books! He
horZoned boyhood! These considerations
usually decided the mind of the wavering
father. In consequence we find that at least
50 per cent OF the gifts bought yesterday were
either books or albums of one kind or another.
KAUFMANNs' BENEVOLENT PLAN.
Now this difficult problem, which so set the
brains of worthy parents on the rack, had been
for some days decided on by the local firm OF ].
Kaufman & Brothers. of Fifth avenue. This
chlldren-loving and benevolent business house
had long made up its mind that books were at
once the most acceptable and the daintiest
present for Christmastide.
kaufmanns always give their little patrons
some remembrances on the eve of Noel. How
ever, this Christmas they surpassed themselves
Ihe very distribution of the gifts must have
been full weeks labor. Every Sunday school
in the Twin Cities was gratified with presents
and not single child was forgotten. At first
kaufmanns thought they could supply, the
immense demand with 81, 1000 books. AS this
was to 30 to over 300 schools, however, the mum
Der was found inadequate, ana another con-
signment OF 10000 had to be ordered. The
manner of the distribution was certainly
worthy CT notice. Any further presentation
OF the sort deserves to be modelled upon
that of Kaufmanns'. The unostenta-
tlousness of the gifts is their princI-
Imar0s+ pal charm; nn;5c. 1t was only by the
tive discovered the benevolence of the Kauf-
mann Brothers. He noticed the heavy wagon
loads OF books which were being conveyed to
their destinations, and of course questioned
the drivers regarding the origin of such mil-
niticent donations.
All the arrangements for the distribution are
made some weeks before Christmas The minis
ters of the various churches are written to ask
ing them what number of books will be
required to supply each pupil of the juvenile
classes with the books, and the reply is entered
up as If it were a business order for goods
Then the day before Christmas the packages
are sent out by the delivery wagons of the
store to the points designated. This is now the
fifth OF their annual distributions, the first one
having occurred on December "a, 1885 In this
time the number of children beneficiaries has
been gradually increasing until now it is one of
the greatest philanthropic works of the city.
ENCOURAGING THE OFFICERS.
1t is rot to the children alone that the splen-
did gifts of kaufmanns give pleasure To the
ministers and superintendents they are espec-
tally grateful, inasmuch as they will encourage
the little ones to attend Sunday school more
frequently during the coming year. Thus, one
rhaf t1ara ,s n e;xl
presentation the good of which cannot be too
highly placed.
The books given are very prettily and strong
ly bound. The subject matter is excellent
and the whole is decidedly substantial and val
liable.
Among the churches whose Sunday schools
receive the books are the following:
St. Paups Lutheran, Allegheny; Second
Presbyterian Church, Allegheny; Island Ave-
nue. Church. Allegheny; Third Evangelical
Lutheran Church, city; Trinity Reformed
Church, city; Mission School. city: Union Bap-
tist Church, city; John Wesley Church, city;
$50 ST. John Episcopal psn1 Misfon Church ALE:
English Lutheran Church, Sharpsburg; Eighth
Presbyterian Churcn, city: Arch Street Nj. E.
Church, Allegheny; School Street Presbyterian
Lutheran Church of New Brighton. New
Brighton; Church of God, city: Reformed Pres
byterian Church, Allegheny; German Evangel-
Presbyterian Church, Allegheny; Third United
Presbyterian Church, city.
ON BOTH SIDES OF THE RIVERS.
German Methodist Church, city; Seventh
United Presbyterian Church, city; Second
U. P. Church. city; St. Johns Lutheran Church.
city; Christian Church, Hazelwood, city:
Union Mission Church, Southside, city; Beth
any Lutheran Church, city; Denny NJ. Z.
Church, city; Simpson NJ. f. Chapel, ALLIE
gheny; st. Thomas Evan. Luth. Church, ALE.
gheny: Southside Presbyterian Church, South
side, city; English Lutheran Church, East
End, city; St Johns BAPTIST Church.
city; Nixon Street Baptist Church, South
side, city; Mcclure Avenue Presbyterian
Church. Allegheny; Calvary Episcopal Church,
city; st, Peters and PauPs Church Convent.
East End, city; Welsh Baptist Church, South.
side, city; African Methodist Church, Canons-
burg. Pa; German Evangelical school. Edna,
Riverside NJ. E. Church. Allegheny; Presbyte-
rian Church, East End, city; Grace Reform
Church, city: Grace Reform mission, Allegheny;
Most Holy Name Church, Troy Hill. Allegheny;
Ninth U. 2. Church, city; Coke Mis-
sions l3 Mission SUMS ay schools in the Con-
nellsville coke regions; Central Presbyterian
Church. city; Second Congregational Church,
Allegheny: Central Christian Church. CITY; ST
Mary of Mercy Church. city; Shady Avenue
Baptist Church, city; Catholic Church, Manor
and Fifteenth street. city; Evangelical Prot
estant Church Thirty-sixth ward, city; Wylie
Avenue A. NJ. E. Church. city; Merrill NJ. E.
Church, Allegheny; 81. Philomena Church, city;
Fourth Presbyterian Church, East End, city
THE BoRoUGHS NOT FORGOTTEN.
Methodist Episcopal Church, McKeesport,
Pa: Second Evangelical Lutheran Church,
city: Grace Presbyterian Church, city; Fifth
United Presbyterian Church, city; Primitive
Methodist Church, city; Third u P. Mission,
Allegheny; German Methodist Mission, city;