The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1893-01-07
FIFTY YEARS AGO.
How Christmas Was Celebrated by
Our Grandfathers.
Interesting "Reminiscences of an Old Wash
ingtonian-When Small Presents
Were the Rule and Not, as
Now, the Exception.
Especial Washington Letter.

| Special washington Letter.l
s'Christmas in the national capital
City years ago." says my venerable
friend Capt. Nicholson, was very diff
| ferent from the modern celebrations OF
the holy day. In the first place, people
were nearer to each other because they
lived farther apart, that is to say, they
| were nearer and closer in friendship,
because their residences were not glued
and plastered together as they are in
the crowded city to-day.
"When I was boy" continued my
friend, washington was truly city
| of magnificent distances-like hamlets
| or neighborhoods located in the vicinity
of good W alter from spring or pump and
between them through the wild growth
| of brush, tree and vine meandered a
| single wagon track. Even Seventh, f
and other leading streets were but
| sparsely built up. There were less than
a dozen churches here in all and they
| were usually in pairs, like the public
schools, each denomination having one
in the eastern section and one in the
western-St. Peters and St. Matthew's,
Catholic; Christ and st. Johns, Epis-
copal; First and Second Baptist; First
| and Second Presbyterian; Foundry,
Ebenezer Fourth street) and Wesley,
Methodist. The only Lutheran church
then was the Concordia.
Nowadays children spread number
of plates. for Santa Claus to fill with
candies and other good things. In my
young days the hanging up of the
Christmas stocking was well-nigh uni
versal, and in many families it was not
only the children's hosiery which on
Christmas morning was found filled
hanging at the mantel, but the stock
ings of our parents kept them COM
pany. AS to what there was put in
them: Well, toys were in less variety
and less elaborate than now, and for
that matter SO were cakes and pies,
candies, etc. The girl children came in
for the dolly and the boy for the wood
en- horse or tin horn, and in the stock
ings were usually placed an apple,
some raisins, nuts and candies, with the
doll or horse on top. But all did not
fare thus, for in the case of those who
did not behave well, or who showed an
ugly disposition, their stockings would
show on Christmas morning switch,
which they were taught had been
placed there by Bell Snickle,' as
Santa Claus or Kris Kringle was then
called. the children all firmly believing
that Bell Snickle' was real person,
and their parents would take the hint,
and the reformation of the youthful de-
inquent was often accomplished.
s'But there is an improvement in one
custom, which am glad to note The
people of the modern generation have
that insidious intoxicant, egg-nog.
When / was a boy every family had
big bowl of egg-nog, and the youngest
as well as the oldest partook of the at
tractive decoction. In these latter days
the temperance advocates have taught
the people that they can celebrate
Christmas and all other holidays with
out beclouding their faculties with alco-
holic poison. Aside from the egg-nogg
habit, our programme for enjoyment
was similar to the programme of to-
day. The night before Christmas, after
witnessing the cake and pie baking,
the children were sent to bed. Such
pies! None of your bought mince meat
then. Every family made it's own mince
meat, and, for that matter, excepting
the toys, nuts and raisins, Christmas
things were manufactured at home
Early in the morning a merry jingle of
the fire bells, with the firing of the old
fint-lock guns and pistols and crackers
flor we had them then, but in more
limited supply, awolze us. As soon as
half dressed we had our stockings and
were discussing the contents. Then we
gorged our youthful stomachs with the
biggest and best breakfast of the year;
played until noon, and again ate and
ate until no more dinner could be stored
away. Then we played all the after
noon and ate candies until supper time,
when we again ate good things until
we could hold no more. l would give
ten costly brick houses to-day for the
appetite of boy on Christmas day.
christmas holidays were of twenty
four hours duration, sometimes thirty
six. The government employees were
sometimes allowed to leave an hour or
two earlier on the Gath and were ex-
pected back on the Goth. Even on
New Years day the clerks worked up
to noon and then called on the presi-
dent. So it was with the school chill
dren as to holidays. But it was notice
able that the most unhealthy day in the
year was December 20, for but few |
teachers could make respectable show |
ing. Headaches and pains from over
eating kept most of the pupils at home
1.-THE colored oystermen suffered at |
the hands of the boys in those days, es-
pecially about Christmas times. You
are doubtless aware of the fact that the
police did not amount to much and the
poor colored man, slave or free, could
not give testimony against white per.
son, little or big. Well, the oyster man
about Christmas would cheerfully an
swer the call of crowd of boys, and,
they had Clipped in their
tips and 'levys, would measure out a
pint or quart as might be called. AS
II