The morning call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1878-1895, 1892-12-27
A CHRISTMAS TUG.
Santa Claus at the Danish
Festival.
The Old Gentleman Presides at Cav,
Glorious and Noisy ChiIdren's Car
nival at Odd Fellows Hall.

A lot OF children actually found S,nta
Claus last evening.
He appeared at the grand annual Christ
mas-tree and ball given at Odd Fellows Hall
by the Danish society Norden.
There he was, in regulation red costume
trimmed with ermine, short leggins to keep
out the Snow. long white hair over head and
a face through which cleaned two twink
linz eyes on either side of jolly red nose.
lie had evidently just arrived in his REIN
deer sleigh, attracted by an occasion after
his own heart.
The hall fairly glowed in its decorations
oil mural draperies and gay parasois sus-
pended from the ceiling, varied with great
clusters of holly and holly berries and fes-
toons OF Christmas evergreens.
IN the center OF the floor glittered a glori-
Gus Christmas-tree. loaded with sparkling
gifts, flags and little stockings, illum mated
by cunningly disposed electric globes in
tinted shades.
Santa Claus might have arranged every
thing himself. SO well did the scene suit
him.
And then the children. his special pets!
over 500 OF them swarmed around the
mystic tree and nearly mGbbed Santa Claus
to death. while deafening him with raptur-
Gus acclaim.
One Of the first things the old gentleman
did was TO organize tug-of-war, whereat
he was numerically hauled all over the
sippery hoor, but he only laughed jollier
than ever.
Then he started q popular ring game, in
which he shouted with a chorus OF treble
voices. Charlie on the water, Charlie on
the sea, and the shouting ring grew bigger
and bigger as the game proceeded.
But he must have given hint to some
one. for pretty soon the big tree was being
stripped of its treasures, which were scram-
hled for by the crowd. adults as well as
Juveniles.
Consul Simpson stood by and smiled
paternally at the fun, while the poor bare
tree was dragged from its central position
oil honor to a corner by the stage.
HITLER now trooped the little ones, each
with ticket, in return for which be or she
received package containing some delight
fui surprise. Dolls, baseball bats, trumpets
little wagons-toys of all sorts fell to the
lucky children.
And to fill mp the measure of their cup OF
JOY their own Santa Claus went about. with
his own hands distributing candies, nuts,
raislns and other dainties TO the hundreds of
eager palms outstretched TO him.
No little boy or girl went empty away
and Santa Claus saw to it that the chill
dren's part of the festival was thorough
success.
Then the orchestra struck mn the grand
march and the big folks had their inning.
They danced and danced for hours, not dis
persing until 2 A. NJ.
Downstairs there was plenty OF coffee and
cake, and this, by special arrangement of
Santa Claus. was free to the children.
Never has the society given more sue
cessful festival. a result for which Santa
Claus ihuesen. c. G. Larsen. who paid for
the decorations. and the following commit
tees are mainly responsible: Committee OF
arrangements-Ned Hansen. N. Ander-
sen. &. g. Larsen, N F. Holtum. 4 W
Lvtgens, James Madison, Axel 1'eisen.
Reception committee-P. GaIberg, Jacob
Petersen, I. Petersen, G. G. Larsen, Alfred
Larsen. Floor manaeer-Wiliiam K. Will
son. Floor committee-H. Raw. Andrew
Nelson, n. j. Nelson, j. o. Nybye, Charles
Berteisen, IL. p. Hansen, Ned Hansen.
The gifts on the tree were largely the
work Of the lady members and friends Of
members. who had been working for weeks
one pretty things, which went toward
making the annual tree such pronounced
success.