Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1895-12-25
Six Hundred Employees Of the American
COTVany'S SlemmSTy Given Turkeys.
INTERESTING TO LOON uroN.
-h. sinht OF n Great Army of Happy
Ncnrocs Waiting for the Fowls 20
~. northumberland 10
,,,nIo,ccs in white Factories.

t..ref such was The slslt mat greeted
.,. nispatch mans eyes VIXEN he walked
i-.o The lower floor o. Building A, Of The
..,~ncry dcpartm nt OF the American
r,harco Company. on Twcnty-hfth and
r,r streets yesterday. To each aobler
MIS- attached card. bearing some NUM-
DIP. from j 90 Co. and upon which
-c printed the fouowiLs words.
continents OF the season: Richmond
s.nmery. American Tobacco company.
I'LL. noble birds were intended as
Christmas Sits for the Co darky en-
t.ye.s Of t4e stommcry department.
All Che morning men were busy arrang-
.-r che fowls upon the tables, and
kctng them As one OF the men
s.f. when the task had 5een completed.
81. had turkey all over him" But the
.ct of the "turkcy-ladSn" tables was
.-. that would have caused market
man Oh tan green with envy. At the
... 90 The room was table some
Nhat wider than the others. on which
ha turkeys were arranged so as to
.r~m the figures "IS5." Entrance & the
rnm was then blocked hy the erection
do rude counter behind which a man
was O., stand and deliver the turkeys to
t.e .mployees as they filed past him in
u order that no one would have an
Tsir advantage OF another, 10 had been
s.ransed that each person should draw
a t.k & from hat when they were paid
. and the turkey which bore the cor
spending number 70 the one on their
set was 20 be theirs.
WAS ALSO PAYDAY.
Yesterday was payday" at the stem
r-ry and There was no work for IN
r1s Eleven o'clock is the hour set
"payiuc-time." but two hours before
HAT the darkies began 10 congregate
a Che neighborhood of the big building,
Ch.ch altogether employs 800 people. In
Ire stemmery. however. all the hands
are coiorei ans they range in ages
.-u the pickaninnv Of % 20 the oli-time.
t1'-the-war' darby Of Cd. Men. WOO
rn and children. coming from every
direction. gradually swellsd the crowd
rr'h there was a small army OF dushy
'r viduals o. every type imaginable.
There was the happy pickaninny who
&C. tte eXuberarce Of his spirit. shufned
c~ the wail-krown steps on the pave
rart. 20 the hand-clapping Of another
~ his tribe. and 20 the time Of the words.
"Rane-tang, curl your hair
Shoes and stockings bound 20 wear"
BE who has never witnessed such a
h7w ludicrous IL is. He is dancing the
"Rang-Tang" which Is similar 10 the
"5loble-Buck." and such other wing
dances.
Then. there Is the good-natured and
fat "old nanny" who with GLIB tongue,
makes her presence known wherever she
IS: and the Old uncle" who is lettering
with one foot In the grave. The negro
a. to-day is also there and he forms
q striking contrast 70 those Of his race
who spent their youthful days in slavery
times.
THEY DROP OFF THE FENCE.
The long fence. which run along Cary
street just above the dock. is crowded
with daIkies, all talking in loud voices
and dangling their legs In an aimlass
manner as II such thing as falling
was impossible. Many Of them. 10 doubt
would be fishing FOR the "cat" and suck
ers" did they not remember that
those specimens ~ the fnny tribe do
not bite" at this season.
When the doors Of the building are at
last thrown open the darkles drop of
The fence as IL a sudden yo,ley OF grape
shot had been fired in their midst. They
swarm through the doors and make their
vav 20 the second floor OF the building
where they receive their envelopes. and
81 the "turkey-entitiing ticket" This
latter is a surprise 10 them. They file
1870 stairs. however. and present their
t-kets 90 the man behind the counter.
lle.r eyes bulge when they behold the
mammoth array OF plump fowls spread
c-- before their view. mo. 235." calls out
the man al the delivery window" and
te eek in charge OF the table bearing
fowls numbered from 20 20 800 picks out
to.er so. Z,5 and il is handed over 20
t- sable owner, who receives the mon
Et-r bird with a happy grin. and passes
q % make room for the one behind him.
V is an expectation 10 see what sized
i.a -.s ticket viii draw. The darky IS
for not only is he % receive
t.r-tuas turkey. but the roe 81
ct is called into play. and be is al
tempted 10 call out Come seven-
s.ye me "a big turkey" For near
I t"1 hours the iile passes IN front Of
iae counter. the number Of turkeys
lalir decreases. the figures 'l.5'
broken. and finally pass from view
f-taer. as VIII so soon the year foi
a they stood.
Ar THE OTHER BRANCHES.
AZ the Allen & Ginter Branch Of the
lean Tobacco Company the 600 en-
es % that factory received as
fmas gifts neat boxes. eacn con-
ls pounds Of French candy. Be
-- " an "'
s S"' ~
que 's ,'.'.''-, GU ea."
.....r
i.e outside as no doubt 10 did beneath
Last Saturday the 10. en-
..... g,l-,.. -'' .''1'- ''
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XXX. ~ -..,.. .t...,f.. 49, .i'-.-.t.,,
.. tr.D T. cine 800