The record-union., 1895-12-27

Of the army, the former wearing, in
addition to their usual dress, white
caps and a white sash with the word,
Welcome" on it, cleared away the
empty plates and reset the tables. only
to see the next relay of hungry people
sweep it clean again.
''The dishWashers are swamped-con
pletely showed under" said Captain
Lewis, gleefully, to a Record Union re-
porter. rs this not sight worth see
ing"
Time after time the tables were reset
and it seemed as if the crowd would
never quit coming, and made one Won
der where under the sun yictuals
enough to supply such a large and
hungry crowd could have come from.
Four o'clock was the time that had
been set for the distribution cf the
presents to the children, but still the
crowds came, until nearly or quite
200 people had partaken of the hos
pitality so freely rendered, and the
children had to wait for their presents
till evening. All night long had those
Salvation Army people worked to set
the tables and to fix the tree. All the
morning had they been putting on the
finishing touches to everything. and
yet for more than five hours did they
hurry to and fro, waiting on their
hungry guests and seeing that they
lacked for nothing.
While people may criticise the big
drum and the brass band and the
eymbals, the meeting on the streets
and in the barracks, it is hard to con-
ceive how anyone who knows of the
unselfish, hard and disagreeable work
that is being done by the army without
a feeling of the deepest respect for the
men and women who do it, or how
one can withhold the aid asked oy them
to be used in benefiting others
Over 400 pounds of turkeys, chickens
and ducks, beside beef, mutton and
pork, were cooked by those who had
that branch of the work to attend to,
and who worked faithfully all Tuesday
night to get the provisions in eatable
shape for the next day. There were a
number who had been visited by MEM
bers of the army, and their needs ascer-
tanned, who were unable to attend the
dinner, but they were not forgotten.
To such families wagons were employed
in carrying their dinners throughout
the day, and 220 families were supplied
in that way with an excellent dinner.
1t was late at night when the distri-
button of presents to the children was
finished, and many were either not
present or could not stay till their
names were called. A visit to Barrack
No. 2 yesterday found the members OF
the army in charge there still distrib-
uting the childrens presents to those
who came with their cards, piles of
presents still remaining, but by night
fall they were about gone. Much cloth
ing still remained to be given out also,
but as the army has the addresses of
those for whom 1t was destined the
business will soon be wound up.
Those in charge looked very weary,
although they had managed to snatch
a few hours sleep in the morning. The
praise service at the barracks last night
was sleepy one, as exhausted nature
claimed her due, and although the
spirit was willing the flesh was weak
One thing noticeable was the happi-
ness pervading the whole corps yester-
day at the thought they were doing so
6OOO. OAS VI the SlSl6IS SdlQs
Every Christmas before this I have
had plenty of gifts TO myself, but they
never gave me half the pleasure that I
have experienced to-day in serving
others"
Many Of those who sat at the table on
Christmas Day and enjoyed the fruit of
the unself1sh labors of this self-sacri-
ficing organization were of the class
who not long ago, when they started
here, ridiculed and insulted them and
annoyed them by every means in their
power. If any such partook of the feast
prepared for them, the remembrance of
their past acts could not have been very
pleasant to them. 1t is probable that
hereafter it will not be safe for anyone
to annoy or insult the members of the
army in the presence of those who par
took of its hospitality on Wednesday.
In this connection it would be unjust
not to give credit in another direction
where it is due. The citizens of Sacra-
mento have always been noted for their
readiness to give for charitable pur-
poses wherever they thought it was de-
served, and they contributed heartily
on this occasion, little over 5000 hav-
ing been collected by the committee
and III the kettles and used in feeding
the hungry.
Communications were heard on all
sides respecting the dinner and the way
in which it was managed, and it is evil
dent the army has secured the respect
and confidence of the public, and will
not suffer for want of aid hereafter.