The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1894-12-26
PASSED OFF QUIET
YESTERDAY WAS NOT A MERRY
BUT A HAPPY, CHRISTMAS.
Snow Storm Made 1t Dull in the
Streets and Public Places-Salva-
ton Army Gives Comfort to the
Poor-Churches Well Attended.
Other Doin.s Of the Holiday.

All the indications :or a fine Christ
mas yesterday failed.
The snow was unexpected, people
were not prepared for it and hence out
door Christmas was a failure. So far
as heard from everything was pleasant
in every home in Wichita and there, af-
ter all. is the proper place to spend a
happy if not a merry Christmas.
All the churches held services and
they were well attended notwithstand-
ing the snow. A few Of the young peo-
pie took sleigh rides and exchanged
tales Of love. but they were few.
The streets were practically deserted
in the afternoon and presented for
lorn aspect. At 3 o'clock Douglas ave-
nue. was without visible person from
Main street to the Union depot. 1t
contained not even sign of life. The
snow fell like a storm of down before
variable currents of air and ended in
the vista like a fog.
The hotels all served fine dinners but
With one or two exceptions the guests
were not numerous.
AT the drinking places business was
ouller than it had been any day for
six months past and the stores closed,
some because of the day and the others
The Salvation Army gave the poor
dinner. It consisted Of turkey, cram
berries, celery and the various lux
uries liked best by children and within
the scope Of the army'S treasury. 1t
was well attended and it was interest
ing to watch the urchinS as they
scrambled after wings and legs of the
national table fowl They all got their
fill and departed merrily with kindly
feelings for the Salvation lassies that
dispensed hospitality so literally to
them.
At the county Jail Sheriff Royse set
table that would do credit to one of
the baronial castles of old. What the
prisoners lacked in liberty they made
up in appetite and many Of them doubt
less were glad to be guests OF the state
during the holidays.
At the city Jail fine dinner was also
spread. Corporal Shorty Shuster, the
food contractor, supplied the platters
with five kinds of meats and other
things in proportion, and they ate it
with a relish that was very noticeable
to Shorty" and very f1attering to his
skill as Christmas dinner cook.
The street car motorneers are about
the only people who had no inducement
to like the day. They struggled along
through the snow, conteSting every
inch of the track with the falling flakes
some places 1t destroyed the current and
the cars stopped. The poor motorma1
would then have to use his shoulder for
propeiling power and in this way he
got to the end of his run only to repeat
the task again and again 1t is by no
means humorous to fight ones way
with street car through binding
snow up or down a long street on
Christmas day with palatial mansions
and rampant luxury on each side of
you and under your eyes. The philoso-
pher may find fun in it, but the average
man does not.
The cold blooded public insisted on
having the street car driver, the police
man and other slaves of civilization in
the harness. but they were able to get
along without the letter carriers, and
hence they enjoyed holiday and from
all appearances spent it very pleasant
ly.
Taking it all and all. the day was a
very happy one.