Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1893-12-23
For q Family of Twelve.

Of forty families living in the alleys that
he knew to be deserving. As the repre-
sentattves Of these sad homes appeared he
identified them and sent them away happy.
Miss Hattie Downs. a pretty young girl
OF about sixteen. had found three families
secured three good-sized packages and went
forth to deliver them herself As she went
out her cloak caught the draught Of the
the tiny starred button Of the Santa Claus
Club. She had done her part.
Every one In Washington knows Perry.
the rat porter Of Willard's. He enjoys the
reputation OF never having been weighed,
and II IL one OF the local problems Just
how much Perry would tip the scales at
were were ne to venture on a platform. Perry
this morning and did great execution by
Keeping the pde3ageway 20 the exit clear
When the too-esger ticket holders would
stroll to the door and made great waves
as ne left wake over n yard wide behind
MIN. There was no resisting Perry. He
was ably assisted in his work Of keeping
things hunming by Andrew. one of the
hotel porters. whose six feet and more Of
frame doomed far above the crowd Many
throns for an hour or more. too weak to
press forward and too email TO be seen
otherwise. Andrew discovered and his great
FORM would then eleave the crowd and pres
entity happy little woman would be
brought to the counter and would soon
leave with a basket well filed.
A Thousand Hungry Fed.
By noon every ticket holder had been sup
piled. and many others. Mr.. Staples esti-
mated that he had supplied a thousand
persons with dinners for Monday. The
crisfnal 5000 pounds of fowls had been ex-
hausted long before and 800 in addition
had been brought in by Perry and Andrew
When the hall had been cleared of all the
holders of tickets and orders Mr.. Staples
began supplying the most needy of half a
hundred men and women who had driftsd
into the hall without any means to get
turkey or chicken. An old uncle said: Yes
indeed. judge. Use been walkin' all round
town ever sense o'clock this mawn.
am got no ticket. no sub. but hopes yo'se
gofn' to give me little bird" He got a
big bird;
No. deed I cyant see why I aim goin' to
have no lucky. Deed I cyan!' A perfect
type or Aunt Tempy sat over In one corner
shaking her head and refusing to compre-
mend the reason why all the world could not
get turkeys She finally received two nice
chickens, and hobbled OF to stew 'em up
To- Cinderella"
After the extra 900 pounds had melted.
MT staples telephoned to his butcher for
another 500, and he told the thirty or forty
people who were waiting TO keep their pa
renee Tor time slyly reaching down I'M
der the counter Mr.. Staples pulled forth a
great rat turkey that he had been saving
Tor a special purpose. He then crooked his
nnger at the policeman who had been doing
valiant service in keeping the crowds in
order and presented IL to HIM The blue
coat tucked the package under his arm and
made a bee-line for the porch where an
eideriy white woman was weeping silently,
A little girl held her hand and looked won
oerngly into the hall. The big policeman
tapped her on the shoulder and thrust tha
Iat turkey INTO her arms. She gasped as
.nousn the verftabis Santa Claus had ap-
peered before her. She tried to thank the
Policeman, but the good-hearted fellow
turned away quickly and said to a Star re-
porter, who stood by his side:
Il guess she deserves her tur,<.,- cx.
says her husband has left her and she does
not Know where he Is. She is more hungry
IMAM am. by a long sight" and the bins-
coat hurried away to reDort Sor d,,t,-