The daily morning journal and courier., 1894-12-25
THE CHRISTMAS SPIRIT.
DENSE THROgGs OF PEOPLE BENT
 ON HOLIDAY BUYING.

OENbE TIT AhONSS VF AEUA AS DGNA
 ON HOLIDAY BUYING. The Stores Crowded With People Yestor-
 day and Last Evening-Merchants and
 Clerks Kept Busy-Msny Christmas
 Events To-day and This week-Thou-
 sands of Children to be Made Happy.
 That the Christmas spirit was in the air and clearly manifest on Chapel street last evening and all day yester- day, during shopping hours. was plain ly evidenced by the dense throngs of people who were out buying things for Christmas gifts All the stores where holiday gift articles abounded were be- sieged. In the afternoon the crowds were chiefly women; in the evening the men were also out in force. The mer- chants were all gratified over yester- days fair, bright weather and the con- ,sequent big trade. The weary clerks, and managers as we'll. were all willing to shut up shop when 10 o'clock came, but such was the business activity that 1t was after Il before the big centers for holiday gifts closed. It was mer- ry Christmas eve, and the children were keenly wrought up with most pleasurable anticipations of what the morrow would bring forth, and went to bed with visions of Santa Claus and host of Christmas gifts dancing be- fore their excited imaginations. The glad spirit of Christmas was also ap- parent all over town in the scores of smaller stores, decked off with Christ mas trees and evergreens Many of the churches are decked with Christmas robings of evergreen, and in countless homes Christmas trees have been erect ed, which, laden with Christmas gifts, will delight the hearts of innocent child hood more than words can tell.
 The merchants generally last night reported very satisfactory Christmas trade. Malley, Neely & Co.,, F. M. Brown & Co.,, Ewen Mcintyre, Howe & Stetson, the Charles Monson company, all reported a large trade, larger than that of last year; and in other lines of business there were similar reports, Charles H. Snow reporting a very large ly increased trade over that of '93. Among the jewellers & trade surpassing last years was reported. Altogether the merchants were in g. very satisfac- tory frame of mind.
 The fine weather held on until just as the clock was striking 10 last evening a drizzle of rain came on. This change in the weather abbreviated many shop ping tours which were yet incomplete and caused g. hurrying and skurrying of the throngs in all directions to get aboard the fiery eleotric chariots' for ride homeward.
 The much increased mildness of the weather last night also was a sore dis appointment to young America, as there were yesterday morning excellent indi- cations that on Lake Whitney there would be fine skating to-day if the cold snap continued. Good skating on Lake Whitney Christmas day would have been hailed with joy by hundreds, but the prospects of a carnival of sport there to-day have faded. The boys re- ported last evening that there was tol- erably fair ics for skating at the third fake" far above the old "covered bridge" crossing, but even this sport is probably unsafe now.
 There is fair skating on the Dicker- man ponds out Derby avenue and on the Maltby ponds in the same locality. Quite large parties were enjoying skat- ing on these ponds yesterday.
 The Christmas season is- being cele- brated as usual by many churches and societies. This evening the German Baptist church will have a Christmas tree at the church. Rev. MT. Meyer is to act as Santa Claus and will distrib- ute the presents.
 The Calvary Baptist church will fol- low their usual custom and will dis tribute wagon-load of Christmas gifts to the poor
 At the New Haven hospital there will be Christmas tree for the patients, each of whom will receive present..
 Wednesday evening a musical canta- ta, Santa Claus Delight" will be given at Harmonic hall by the First Baptist church Sunday school The primary department will have a celebration on Thursday. r
 The primary class of Trinity M. D. church Sunday school will have Christmas tree Wednesday afternoon.
 This afternoon the Sunday school of the First M. B. church will have Christmas entertainment and tree for the children. Tomorrow afternoon the Howard avenue M. E. church will have similar entertainment in its parlors.
 The Sunday school children of Grace M. E. church will give literary and musicaI entertainment, at the close of which dolls will be distributed to the smaller children.
 At Trinity and St. Paul's churches literary entertainments have been ar ranged for Friday evening. On Friday afternoon there will be a children's tree at Trinity, at which Rev. MT. Macbeth will act as Kris Kringle."
 The Boys brigade of United church will have a camp fire at United church chapel. A tent, will be erected on the : platform and presents will be distrib- uted.
 At the county home Thursday even- ing the children wlll receive gifts from