The morning call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1878-1895, 1894-12-24
CHRISTMAS EVE.
Preparations Made for
Tomorrow.
CHIEF COOKS ARE IN 1T.
Twenty-Dollar Dinners and Free
Lunches.
PRINCELY FEASTs FOR NOTHING.
Hard Times Cannot Prevail Against
the Joy of the Loved and
Hallowed Tradition.

The time-honored tradition of merry
cheer for Christmas day will be presented
in all its glory in this city Tomorrow.
Hard times cannot prevail against the
great universal holiday of of the year. 1t
will be observed with as much enthusiasm
as ever before, and it is not likely that the
number of well-filled stockings and
stomachs will be less than year ago.
Human nature may be subdued in its
ebullitions by a scarcity of dollars on ST.
Patrick's day. on the Fourth of July anu
even on Thanksgiving day, but Christmas
Santa Claus and Kris Kringle continues
the same from year TO year.
Tovstores have been almost depleted,
and the merchants who deal in turkeys.
cranberries and decorative materials are
delighted at the reduction Of their varied
stock. Even holly berries and evergreens
grew scarce with the demand. Mince pies
'lIke your grandmother made" will be
served in all manner of ways, from tin
platters OF cheapest make up to the finest
ornamental china.
The principal hotels and restaurants
will take due notice of the festal day by
adding many special features to their
menus. The chefs: of the Occidental, the
Palace, the Lick, the Baldwin, the Maison
Riche, the Mason DOree, and others too
numerous to mention, have taxed their in
genuity for the occasion. jules FourQuet
Of the Occidental had to take a day off.
yesterday, in order to rest from the ardu-
Gus labGrs OF preparing the Christmas
menu. 1t will be an elaborate affair with
plain American turkey disguised under
half a dozen French phrases. Charles
Grille oil a well-known restaurant has also
done his duty-a heavy One-by the Christ
,AV-ar, = hn 6lf 1hr
Montmayeur of another notable resort has
thought much and written great deal for
his Christmas bill of fare. The same can
be said for Leopold Ligou of famous
rotisserie. among others.
The most prominent restaurants of high
degree and higher rates nave received
numerous orders for expensive dinners to
be served in private rooms TO parties of
from two to ten persons. The most eXpen-
sive luxuries known in this or any other
market have been ordered regardless of
cost. Some of these dinners will come IS
nigh as $50 per plate without counting the
wine.
This will be cheerful reading to the man
who must borrow newspaper because he
is unable TO buy one and who is tena-
ciously holding on to his last nickel in or
der to get Christmas free luEch without
being thrown out of some cheap GROCERY
where steam beer Is one of the Injuries.
| On to-morrow-the grandest day of the
year throughout all Cbristendom-ther
will be feasting and mrth in San Fran
cisco, as well as elsewhere, which will be
| remem bered until the next Christmas
stall come around and bring more cheer
| Hundreds of thousands of people in this
city will be richly fed. Many will pay for
| what they eat; others will have friends
who pay for them. Not few will eat the
! feast that sweet charity provides, and for
few hours will forget their most familiar
pains-the pangs of hunger. But there
are many thousands of men, women and
children who will not dine at all.
These are the human beings who have
| not quite forgotten that they belong to the
proud race of mankind and who would
Frather starve than eat the loaf of char ity
even on Christmas day. Still. these viii
not be altogether desolate. They can OBJ
tain much enjoyment by listening to the
! tales OF mirth aud cheer and presents and
| feasts that others have to tell. They can
| haunt the payements in front Of restaurant
| windows and mentally absorb the whole
array of good things by reading the bills
| of fare.
They can see nicely Drowned turkeys
and ducks and tempting sauces and pies
and fruits exposed within. If this should
| fail to satisfy their cravings for Christmas
| cheer they can draw the belt a little
| tighter, just another hole, for the cheer of
the day as was done for the good cheer of
| yesterday duu many uhfS DeIOT6 1t. LII Is
| likely that if any of these Domads of the
streets were asked why they have not
| Christmas cheer like their more fortunate
fellows they could truthfully answer the
question-if they would.
The number of evergreen trees and
punches of holly berries and mysterious
! looking baskets that passed through the
streets Saturday night and yesterday would
indicate that many Young eyes will grow
large with glad surprise before tomorrow
is over. The number of fastened birds.
the cans OF mince meat the stores of frui ;
and other edible things that were bought
and sold for to-morrow's good cheer would
further indicate that many healthy stom-
achs will grow large with unpleasant sur
| prise before the Christmas dinner has been
digested.
/ Il