The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1894-12-25
A NOISY CHRISTMAS EVE.
The Streets ThrOnsed With People and
Everybody Merry.

a Busy Night With the Toy Dealers.
The Small Boy, the Cannon Pepper
and the Tin Horn Had the Call-Fire-
works Everywhere-The Police Kept
on the Move, But the Crowds Good
Natured and Few Arrests Made.
| The usual Christmas eve scenes were
witnessed yesterday and last night in Sa-
vannah. The streets were crowded all
day with shoppers finishing up their holi-
day purchases and laying in the last sup
plies with which to fill the children's
stockings The bulk of the buying had al
ready been done. however. and the trade
was chiefly in knick-knacks, toys and
fancy articles. The dealers in staple ar
ticles did a rather light business. consid-
ering the crowds. with the exception of
the fancy grocers, who had all they could
do to handle the rush of business. The
general opinion among the merchants was
that there was less money in circulation
and the trade was lighter than for any
Christmas during the last several years.
The fine weather helped greatly to bring
out the crowds on the streets, and hun
dreds of people were out merely for the
pleasure Of seeing the crowds and greet
ing their friends.
The dealers in fireworks enjoyed the
rush, and the results of their sales were
to be seen and heard everywhere. Fire
works are cheaper this year than ever,
the prices averaging about half what
they were two or three years ago. Wheth-
er the hard times or the tariff is respon-
sible for the reduction cannot be said.
Anyway, the prices are highly satisfac-
tory to the small boy and the small boys
father, and also his sisters, who seemed
to find as much pleasure in the noise and
glare as the small boy himself. Cannon
crackers seemed to have the call, and
probably never before were so many
large-sized peppers exploded in Savannah
in one day.
The ordinance prohibiting the discharge
of fireworks north of Liberty street was
as utterly disregarded as if no such or
dlnance existed. The police did not worry
themselves to find out who was RESPONSE
BILE for the constant banging of cannon
peppers in their neighborhOod, and it was
only few audacious fellows who We're
bold enough to throw out their peppers
before the eyes of the policemen, and
were too drunk to get out of the way,
who were arrested.
As matter of course there was a big
rush at the express Office, both in deliver
les and receipts and the clerks had all they
could do to handle the business. Agent
Cooper said that while he did not think
the express business was quite as heavy as
it was last year, it had been very heavy
for the last ten days and was quite salts
factory. At the postofice there was big
rush at the money order and registry win
dows. At the latter there were more peo-
pie than could be accommodated and
many people who came to the office with
the intention of registering their packages
either sent the packages by mail unreg-
istered or by express.
| Work ceased at noon at the railway Off
| ces, shops, wharves and warehouses and
! will not be resumed until tomorrow morn
ing, thus giving the employees day and
half in which to enjoy Christmas. The
offices of the board of trade and the cot
ton exchange were closed yesterday. They
will also be closed to-day as will all other
public buildings, except the postofice.
/ Business houses will be generally closed.
except saloons and drug stores.
Bull and Broughton streets were damned
last night with crowds of merry-nakers.
chiefly young people out for a lark The
crowd was of all ages, sizes and conditions
and universally good humored. Drunken
men were few in the early part of the
night, but occasionally a sufferer fell bv
the wayside and was gathered in by the
police. Ample precautions were taken by
the police to prevent disorder Early in
the hight Assistant Chief Reilly came ont
with the whole police reserve, which was
strung out along Broughton street. Lieut..
Reilly took up his headquarters at Bull
men stationed on each corner
Several hundred people, armed with
horns of all sizes, contributed to turn the
streets into bedlam, aided by the contin-
ueus explosion of cannon crackers. The
crowds began to thin out by II o'clock, and
after that hour those who remained on
the streets devoted their attention to
sampling the various brands of LIQUOR Of
fered in the different saloons and rails
ing cain between drinks. AS result. the