New-York tribune., 1896-12-25
Ian OLD-TlME CHRISTMAS.
SNOW AND sLEIGHBELLS LEND AN
ADDED CHARM TO THE YULETIDE.

HOW VARIOUS CLASSES OF PEOPLE WILL OBJ
SERVE THE DAY-AMPLE PROVISION
MADE FOR THOSE IN THE
CiTYs CARE.
II is highly probable that. by the time these
words read. everybody will have received 50
many presents from people whom they had not
previously co0nted in the number OF their friends
that they will have decided that. after all Christ
is merry tradition and provcrb make
it out TO be. OF course. there will he a few VINO
will have received such gifts make them
doubt the genuinencss OF friendships that have
stood the tests OF years, but such unfortunate
ones to he In small minority. Any way,
their identity will always be yelled under an en-
thusiasic protest Of: How did you know what /
wanted? Somebody must have told you"
The minority of indictments would he still
smaller were 1t not for such unpr!ncipled persons
as these who buy their wives boxes OF cigars or
dress suits or those uncongenial wives who pick
out French clocks pedchblow vases to make
their husbands happy during Yuletide.
Those who hope and pray for an oId-fashoned
Christmas have their desire this year Of our Lord.
1896. "A green Christmas makes fat krkyard
the old saying runs. hut the krkyard ought 10 ne
joyously crnacated this year The Thermometer
took a big drop Wednesday evening. and aithouIn
the snow still fell. it came only at intervals. ana
WAS heavy a. any time, stopping entirely AT
about midnight Colonel Waring had his men and
those OF Mr.. Furman the snow contractor. at
work early Wednesday morning. and. although the
began TO fall again in the afternoon. IN" men
kept at work. and still engaged In clearing the
streets OF their white Instructions. the sno"s'orm
was a genuine godscnd for army OF the citys
poorest, who could have secured no work had the
snow not fallen As It was, about T.Ho OF them
obtained employment. and many homo will have
II good, big old-fashoned Christmas dinner thaf
could have been afforded had not the clements
compelled Father Knickcrbccker to he generous.
IDEAL CHRISTMAS WEATHER.
But the snow is not all tina, makes Christmas
seem more like the real thing this year. 1t was
cold yesterday. In fact. it WAS the coolest De-
cember a in the history of the Weather Bureau
Al o'clock in the morning the mercury stood a.
only degrees above zero, and. although it rose
rapidly during the day, IL never got high enough
to make II comfortable to stand long on the cor
ners The poor suffered much Wednesday night
and last night and the calls the charitable in
stitutons numerous and heavy. The pros
poets for to-day for continued cool and fair
weather.
The falling before the remnants OF the last
storm had disappeared in the Park and in Fifth
ave. made the slrighing excellent In those local.
ties. and In spite Of the sharp air and the brisk
wind there many who enjoyed II. In some
parts OF the Park. especially near the entrances,
where the crowds stood about. the scene was much
The shoppers kept steadily at work all day and
until it was nearly time 10 hear the jngles Of the
bells Santa Clauss sleigh. 1t was uncomfortable
work wrigglng ont of the jams in one stora anG
rushing through the chilling blast into anothe-
jam In another store. but after all New-iofh
shoppers comfort themselves with the reflection
that thcy not badly of as Bostonans In
the city of culture. eyeglasses and objecti 10
Bacchantes. all the surface lines ti,t. up
by strike Of magnitude. and there being 40 cle-
waited roads Santa Claus had 10 walk on his
errands of JOY dsappoint those who trusted in
him.
The Postonice officials report exceedingly heavy
business this year. They said that ycsterdav was
of the busiest days In the history OF the office;
not that holiday gifts were more numerous than
usual-indeed. they little Less In number
than last year--but the regular mails heavier.
especially the number Of newspapers handled.
while the Transatlantic mails have reached Il figure
rarely equalled. The employees OF the Postosiicc
share the dscomforts Of the holidays with the en-
ployes Of the big department stores where the
lights exting,sh-d until tn. arrival Of
dawn made them useless. The delivery er.. Dyes
had the worst end of 1t. and they did cease
their labors until after the chimes OF the churches
had announced tina; Christmas once more
with us.
GIFT FOR STOCK EXCHANGE EMPLOYEES.
The Christmas collection among the member. Of
amounted this year to 500, which Wa the h,tlcat
collection In many years The money was dsirib-
uted yesterday. according the pay and eng Of
service OF employees. On other exchanges collec-
tions were made for employees ds follows. 'onsO-
dated Stock and Petroleum Exchango N.Jy. Prod
uce Exchange $3.50: Cotton Exchange $500 Many
OF the stock brokers' firms. baIh, and U.iltyll
corporations made Christmas gif- IN 10
their employees equal from p per cent Of
their yearly salaries. Bum j. Van Coii. wh5 col
lects the quotations in the grain pit on the Produce
Exchange for the Western Union Telegraph 9 m
pany. received purse OF $50 the :, ain
brokers and spectators.
There WAS not much ante Christ mas fun on the
exchanges yesterday Business had been too poor
during the year. The only demonstration OF any
account was the Produce Exchange. where the
brokers had proied IN the last three months by a
rise in wheat The brokers had a game OF football.
and the president OF the Exchange. Henry d. Nc
cord. said thev might do anything they pleased so
long they did not throw dough balls made out Of
-four. He silk hat. and was looking out
for that For his goodness cigar foot long
wrapped in info, presented him. He said
he would get suction pump to smoke II.
There was no gayety whatever the Stock Ex-
change This Is no merry Yuletide" said Alfred
de Cordova: 1T Is the Weary Muletde."
At a signal at noon on the Consolidated Exchange
the bankers all lighted cigars. which was against
the rules. William H. Lewis. the assistant secre-
tary who was occupying the schairman's place.
fractured his gavel trying make the brokers put
ont their cigars. but the band of smokers smoked
on There little hat smashing on the Cotton
Exchange. Some OF the brokers appeared the
Exchange with Grape on their hats. "A token OF
the hard times In their business
SCHOOL-CHI.DREN MAKE MERRY
Every school In the city closed yesterday FOR the
bnli "