Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1891-12-24
A merry Christmas to you all.

TOMORROW.
A merry Christmas to you ALL
But If a merry Christmas be dependent upon
clear, brisk weather then the people Of WASH
ington are likely to be disappointed. The best
the weather bureau can promise is that IL all
goes well it may clear up tonight or tomorrow
morning. 1t will be muggy and rather warm,
however, and not the sort Of weather one
would choose for this happy season.
The people who Put off the last Of their Christ
mas shopping until this morning had every
reason to regret their procrastination. The
rain camo down is it has not done for many a
day past and more than ore stylish gown 10 the
worse for the wetting it got this morning.
This unkind turn in the weather seemed to
have but little effect upon the size of the
crowds and all day long the streets were lined
with people hurrying from store to store with
umbrellas up and arms full Of packages The
carried so many doll carriages, BICYCLES and
articles of that sort that they looked like Q new
style OF delivery wagon.
AGooD-NAruRKp CROWD.
1t was good-natured crowd and the spirit
OF Christmas seemed to DO in the air. As
friends met the compliments of the season
passed, and no matter how fast they were
hurrving to get in somewhere out Of the rain
was: "A merry Christmas to you"
is wet" In. the stores it was continue
ton OF the same sort Of thing. Tho
counters were all crowded with people
with lists in their hands and an intention to do
or die, for they realized that the time for shop
ping was rapidly coming to close. There
were few articles mentioned upon these lists
that had not been checked off, however, and
this would seem as though pretty much every
body had been provided for.
In big city like Washington it is a hard
matter to estimate the amount Of interest that
Is taken in this greatest of all festivals. Every
year 1t Is said that Christmas is not what It
used to be- This may be SO, though not in
the sense intended, for, judging by those two
great agencies-the post office and the express
companles-more interest has been taken in
Christmas than ever before. considerably
larger number of presents have been sent and
received, and apparently they are Of O more
substantial and expensive sort, less Of the tri-
ning and merely ornamental and more Of the
useful The season is pleasant one for most
people, but for others 1t means n vast amount
OF extra work, and no one can blame the clerks,
expressmen and letter carriers for feeling CRATE
full that it is almost over.
For all classes of people today was q busy
day, and 1t was an interesting sight to watch
the crowds. In the markets all was hustle and
hurry. Wreaths of evergreens and holly and
great punches OF Christmas greens were for
sale everywhere and brought good prices
and as for the stands where turkeys and game
birds were spread out for sale, they were more
than popular. 1t would take skilled
statistician to figure out how many turkeys 1t
takes to supply all the dinner tables in this
city.
INTEREST IN THE POOR.
Thanks to the interest aroused among the
charitable people i'll Christmas this year many
poor family who might stand in actual need
OF the necessities of life are to have their
Christmas dinners provided for them and
many board where a slice of bacon is usually
a-iuxury will have a chance to groan under
the weight OF iusty turkey. 1t is
doubtful If ever before there were SO
many agencies engaged in a systematic way in
the kindly work OF relieving the needs of the
city poor As there are this year. The efforts
of the school children in bringing contri-
buttons OF clothes and provisions to the
various schools yesterday were far more
successful than had been anticipated, and
as result the wagons that went
around In the afternoon aud evening brought
back to headquarters whole tons Of useful arti-
cles These will be distributed for the most
part through the Associated Charities, the DO
lice and the relief committee of the Grand
Army of the Republi'. The calls for aid upon
these three organizations were more numerous
than last year, but, fortunately, the supplies
with which to answer these calls came in in
even greater proportion. The interest
that was taken by the children
had natural effect in stirring
up their elders, and when housekeeper was
seen to buy two turkeys this morning instead
OF her customary one it was no reason to be-
iieve that both of them were going to make
their appearance in roasted form on her table.
Many one found its way into some little house
around the corner or in a back alley where
such visitors are rather rare.
THE NATIONAL BIRD.
"After all, said a gentleman in market this
morning. 'the turkey is our national bird. The
eagle is a sort of cosmopolitan creature. and at
best is only a bird of prey. As such it will do
for the national bird OF Russia and Austria or
any foreign power that chooses to claim it,
How many Americans do you suppose ever saw
an eagle?
The turkey, on the other hand. is native of
this continent and is a welcome member OF
every household in America ON Thanks
giving day and Christmas which, with
the exception Of the Fourth of July,
are our two greatest national festivals
The turkey Is much more respectable than
the eagle, even If it is not quite as heroic, and
as for myself would much rather see a turkey
ON our coins than that spread winged bird that
We are told by those who know is an eagle"
There were signs of Christmas everywhere
today, and II a stranger had been dropped into
Washington today from some other planet he
would have known at once that something
unusual was up, or else that Washingtonians
have way of spending a great deal Of money
for articles for which they can have no earthly
use. The teachers in the public schools were
paid of yesterday, while most of the govern
ment clerks received their money this week.
There was no school today and most of the
departments closed at noon, and SO another
army OF people were let loose into the stores
who had not yet had time to do all tho shop
ping they wished.
THE CITY POST OFFICE.
One OF the busiest places to DO found any,
where was the city post Office. There was no
let up there nor will there be for several days
to come. For week past tho employees have
been working hard to dispose Of all the out
going mails. They have succeeded wonder
fully we'll, and despite the fact that there has
been noticeable increase in the amount of
mail handled over past years there has not
been sign OF blockade and every parcel has
gone out on time Just the same as nothing un-
usual was happening. Within tho past week
Capt Sherwood's men have handled over $500
pouches filled with outgoing merchandise.
1t was not until today that the bulk of the
incoming mail began to arrive and the worst is
expected to come tonight There has not been
particle of delay SO far in the delivery diyis-
ion and as all the substitute carriers have been
put to work it is thought that everything will
go ont tomorrow on schedule time. Tho only
regular delivery will be at O'Clock but it is
probable that the carriers will keep on
going out on their rounds as fast as the mail
accnmulates. They do this OF their own ac-