The San Francisco call., 1896-12-25
Many Christmas Purchas-
.ers Throng the
Streets.
Unique Scenes in a Mild Cline
During the Holiday
Season.
Thousands of Men, Women and Chill.
dren Buy Gifts TO Make Their
Friends Happy.

No city in America, and few spots on
the GLOBE, offer such picturesque and
unique scenes as those Witnessed in San
Francisco during that happy season re.
o vered in every Christian land as the time
%hen all men extend good wishes toward
their fellows.
There were many features of the season
yesterday that impressed themselves on
the minds of observers as peculiarly San
Franciscan. In other chimes men, women
and little children battle with winds,
SHOWS and boreal temperatures, ranging
all the way from the freezing point to the
Aging blizzard that means death and in.
i cNlVenience; but here all day yesterday
the streets we're crowded with children
clad in fabrics so thin that they would be
called spring garments in the East, the
skies were sunny and the temperature so
mild that shorn lamb would not have
caught pneumonia had it wandered with
Mary all day, viewing the toys and good
things of the season displayed from q
thousand gayly decorated windows.
There were many unique features in the
displays OF yesterday, things that could
not be witnessed in any other large Amer
ican city. BY reason of the ocean and its
great variety of fishes the markets af-
forued a wonderful display OF the fruits
of angling.
A market on Clay street presented the
unique spectacle of a Christmas tree laden
with fishes, showing all colors, sizes and
shapes, many being bedecked with feath-
ers, trimmed with necklaces of shrimps
and crabs and ornamented with sprigs of
green and bunehes of pretty flowers.
Thousands thronged the streets, and
many elegantly attired ladies and little
children Gfnnd bafnro riPh show ind
or viewed the wares of vendors who stood
on the streets proclaiming the virtues of
their goods.
One of the great features of the day was
noticed in the preparations of the Saiva-
ton Army for Christmas dinner. Their
charity has brought Joy to many hearts in
years past and promises to make many
happy to-day.
Old men with dolls and monkeys on
sticks marched gravely down the crowded
streets, hurrying home to have Santa
Claus on time for the only grandson or
.granddau- hter on earth. Fat ladies of
dignihed mien hurried along with i'm
petuous pace, carrying toy balloons anG
great bags of odd-looKing things to make
the little. ones at home busy Tor day.
In lieu of flying snow and whistling
winds of winter, balmy day bathed all
In its opulent lights, the mild December
sky brooding benignly over land and sea,
d Sy HiDO4 "a IAS uOCt4AIIS "a pCdSS OA SoI Ia
and goodwill among -msn.
The contagion of holidays is marked
among the populace i'll this cosmopolitan
A City, where races from every land mingle
awith those of every other cline.
Even the Chinese catch the spirit of the
season. Their children, who know moth
ing of the day by old tradition, catch the
spirit by infection, dreaming of sweet
meats, toy balloons and bonbons as if
they had been TO the manner born. Thus
all over the City strange races met in a
common spirit and prepared to celebrate
the day which comes but once In year
as fulfillment of the dreams OF the other
364, disappointing many and bringing Joy
to others regardless of race or creed.