The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1890-12-25
MERRY CHRISTMAS EVE.
THE STREETS CROWDED WITH
GIFT-BUYERS AND SIGHT-SEERS.

A Carnival Of Merriment - The Air
Filled With the Sounds of Braying
Horns and Exploding Fireworks -
The Programme for Christmas Day
The Services in the Churches Bust
ness Generally to be Suspended and
the Day to be Given up to Rest and
Pleasure - Christmas Festivities in
the Homes and Asylums.
There have been hvelier times, perhaps,
at Christmas, bat yesterday was unmis-
takably Christmas eve. The city was in a
hubbub and hustle from morning until
midnight, and the crowds that hurried to
and fro during the day must have been
utterly tired out last night The employees
in the retail stores, who stood on their feet
al day and long after night serving the
throngs of purchasers, certainly were.
All day the crowds thronged the streets
in and out of the stores. examined and pur-
chased, worried their minds over what to
get and what not to get. and did everything
else that people usually do on Christmas
eve in the latter part Of the nineteenth CEN
fury, and that. they mightbe expected TO dc.
The market was great center of attrac-
ton. It was kept open all dhy, until 10
o'clock at night. There was q heavy sup
ply of the meats of the season on hand.
Most people bought their Christmas tur-
keys a day or two ago, but there were
plenty OF them on the market yesterday,
and housekeepers were out laying In their
supplies for tomorrow as well as to-day.
Ihe market will be closed to-day.
There was Christmas in the air last night,
and no mistake. From early night the air
was filed with the braying of tin horns and
the banging and popping OF firecracKers
The children turned themselves loose, and
bonires blazed in all the squares south of
Liberty street and in some north of it.
Roman candles and skyrockets illumined
the sky. The constant banging of cannon
peppers sounded as if battle was In pro-
Eress and the explosion of fireworks filed
the air with the smell of powder and sui
phur.
Broughton street WAS the center of the
crowds, and for several blocks below Barn
ard street the sidewalks were almost i'm
passable. Gift buyers were out IN force
until long after ten O'Clock, and business
continued brisk. The street stands did a
rafting trade. The young peo-
pie and children who were looking
for fun were out in crowds, and merriment
and confusion was general The little tin
horns were all the 90, and everybody, chill
dren, young people, old people. white and
black, had them. The din was something
terrific. combined with the banging Of
giant hoppers. Crowds OF young people
marched up and down the brilliantly lighted
streets, blowing horns, deafening people
with their clamor and jostling through the
crowds. Everybody was in sympathy with
the merrymakers, and took their fun good
humoredly.
After II o'clock the crowds began
TO thin out, and there we're
few people on the streets to welcome King
Santa Claus coming when the clock
struck 70 and the bells rang out a merry
Christmas.
There have been larger crowds on the
streets on Christmas eve and more brilliant
displays of fireworks, but good humor and
Joility could not nave prevailed TO greater
extent and the city could hardly have bsen
lvelier.