The record-union., 1895-12-27
OYER TWELVE HUNDRED FED.
The Salvation Army's Great Christmas
Dinner.
Hundreds Of Poor Children Also Made
Happy by Gifts Of Clothes
and Toys.

The dinner given by the Salvation
Army on Christmas to the poor was
grand SUCCESS grand success in more
ways than one.
1t was a success on account OF the
number who had cause to thank COO
that on the day celebrated as the
birthday Of Christ, noble-hearted
men and women were found
who went out into the highways
and byways and said to them, You are
hidden to the feast, not because you are
wealthy or influential, but because you
are in need and we wish to aid you,
not only by satisfying the cravings Oh
your hunger but also by our sympathy
and pity
1t was a success because it brought to
many a poor wretch the knowledge that
there were still in the world some people
who cared for his welfare, and were
sorry for his misfortune, even though
perhaps he had brought it upon himself
by his sin. Such ones must have gone
away from the hall on Wednesday af-
ternoon with a warm glow and feeling
of gratitude in their hearts to which
they had long been strangers.
The children, however, voted 1t the
grandest success of all. They were
there, big tots and little tots, as we'll as
older ones Not only did they receive
their dinner, but there was Christmas
tree to tempt their fancy, and there was
a feeling OF satisfaction in knowing that
the members of the army had taken the
name of every child and that for each
one of them the tree held at least one
present. While their palates We're en-
gagged in tasting the abundance OF gooo
things set before them and their mouths
We're kept busy, their thoughts were no
less So Lucky was the child that OBJ
tained a seat at the table facing that
wonderful Christmas tree. He was the
envy of his fellows on the other SIDE,
with backs turned toward it.
Never were tapers so bright or toys so
wonderful in the homes of the rich as
those that hung on that wonderful tree,
from the dog that Captain Lewis had
fastened to the topmost branch down TO
the toys that adorned the lowest
branches, and each child's fancy pict-
ured the one that would fall to his
share, or that he hoped to receive
Fancy, however, was not allowed 10
overpower reality, when the latter
took the form of roast turkey, duck,
ham, corned and fresh beef plum pud-
ding, apples, nuts, raisins, candies and
almost everything else that is looked on
as eatable on such occasions. Here was
reality-pleasant, satisfying and soul
stirring reality, that evoked feeling OF
thankfulness, while 1t ministered to the
grosser appetites.
Five long tables, extending across
Smiths Hall, on Seventh street, near
K, as we'll as three shorter ones at the
end We're set with plates for 24O peo-
pie and also with plenty Of viands
with which to fill those plates. In the
center of the middle table was a huge
rcast pig, which said plainly as could
be, Come and eat me-" All sorts of
vegetables were there. too, as an ac-
compartment to the various meats,
while celery and dessert edibles occu-
pied the interspaces.
That was the way the tables looked
before the crowd came in. Twenty
minutes afterward it looked as if cy-
clone had struck 1t, and the crowd
filed out, while the sisters and brothers