The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1891-12-26
CHRISTMAS IN WICHITA.
How it Was Observed in the Various Walks
Of Life.

Of Life.
Christmas is over and Santa Claus has
again returned TO the northern regions
During the past twenty-four hours the
world from pole to pole has resounded
with the noise of the toy drum, the dis
cordant horn and the French harp. A
million turkeys, which were proud and
naughty birds one week ago, have fallen
and nothing but the wind-tossed feathers
and the polished bones remain
as grim evidences of the mortality
of the gay and festive gobbler
The chicken family has also suffered; prin-
cipaly the unborn chickens that were
forced to accompany New England rum in
its mission of good cheer TO those receses
of the physical system in which void
usually exists on Christmas day.
When Santa Claus left, his place
was filed with a less welcome northern
visitor in the shape of old Boreas. Old
Boreas came in all his fury; he came
bowling so 10 speak. Therefore, Christmas
was not spent in Wichita as pleasantly
as it might have been. The streets were
deserted all day and they looked bleak and
lonely, and thereby afforded a striking
contrast TO the street scenes witnessed the
few previous.days. Mostly everybody kept
within doors and the item chaser might
rustic till his ears would freeze OF before
be could find anything worthy Of note.
The police headquarters Is usually
good place to get news on Christmas day,
but il was as quiet as kamschatka
graveyard yesterday Every once in a
l., could JrnO N md after
heaving a sigh would observe that Christ
mas is rot like what it used to be. 4 Pc
liceman naturally thinks that he Is the
only unfortunate man on earth who can
not spend Christmas in Christlan-lke
way, but he is mistaken, for there are
dozen other avocations which will not ad-
nit their patrons to acquire any more
pleasure on the great holiday than the po-
liceman. The prisoners in the calaboose
had their usual kick coming to
them, of course. They were given
good dinner, but for all that
they had thousand and one complaints
to make The man who swore off at mid
night was the mort miserable of all He
would wander up and down the avenues
of his old haunts with woe-begone look
on his face, and kick his heels together for
full five minutes before a joint, and then
with a sudden effort tear himself away
and give himself credit for an extraordi-
nary amount of will power.
At the county Jail representatives of
three races spent Christmas. The white
man and the colored man observed the
day from force of habit, and early teaching
while the noble red man observed it for
the sake of the additional chuck
there was in it. On this occasion the
sheriff spread a fire dinner for the guests
of his hosiery 1t consisted of roast tur
key, cranberries, plum pudding, corned
beef and cabbage and such other things as
go TO make up first-ciass dinner. The
Indians didn't go much on the cranbearies,
but they got away with the turkey in
good shape. After the eating was
over the cigars were passed around,
and, as the boys leaned back
in their hammocks and pulled at their
Havannas, many of them no doubt saw
pleasant visions in the rich curls of smoke
that assembled.
All the hotels had good dinners and were
patronized very literally by individuals as
we'll as families.
Most of the churches held services. The
services at the Cathedral were exception
ally fine and very interesting as the church
was not as crowded as it usually Is
on Christmas, owing to the severity
of the weather. Bishop Hennessy said the
pontifcal high mass. while Father Then
the sermon which was built on
the text, GLORY TO God in the Highest,
and Peace on Earth to Men of Good Will"
In the afternoon the children of the
parochial school had a Christmas tree
which was laden with presents, the gift of
Bishop Hennessy. In the evening pom
tiical vespers were held, at which Bishop
preached the sermon.
Many private balls and parties were
given in the evening and, so far as heard
from, the day wound up very pleasantly
for those vino observed it properly.
Every now and then man could be
seen under the influence of egg-nog, but,
generally speaking, there was very little
Intoxication.