The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1896-12-23
A Golden Christmas Tree.

In this time of gladstone preparation
for Christmas it is interesting to READ
of Christmas novelties. one OF these.
which certainly is novelty 50 far as
the most of us are concerned, Is de-
scribed IN a New York letter to the
Washington Post 1t is nothing less
than Il Christmas tree that Dears gold
en- fruit. Says the narrator of its
peculiarites:
This Christmas tree is Il wonder of its
kind. 1t probably ranks prc-em!nent
among the hundreds of thousands OF
Christmas trees set up in all parts of the
world. 1t is IL small tree, not more than
five feet high ana the average child would
not regard it with rs much pleasure as
tree bedecked with dolls and drums,
Noahs arks, and blocks, candy ana pop
corn, and lighted with candles. Ten uOi-
lars will make the ordinary tree very al
tractivc affair. But it taxes $4,000 TO dec
oratc this particular tree with tr!nkets
anl toys. Six or seven years ago Mrs.
Theodore IaVcmeycr, the wife of the SU-
gar King, gave her first Christmas eve
party, and since then ii has been the
great holiday event of Swaggerdom. lI"r
Madison avenue house. of plain brick,
urnamcntation, is credited with being the
finest house in New York, and that is say
ing good deal. The Christmas tree is
set in one corner of the great ballroom,
where everything Is white and gold. The
walls are of Elistening white marble, with
delicate tracingS of gold. At one end is
a great pipe organ built into the wall:
the organ is all white and sold. Curtains
of white satin ana white velvet, orna-
mented in gold, hang from the windows
ana doors. Tiny gilt cotillon chairs, up
holstered In white, are scattered along
the sides of the room. The ceiling Is
painted in white and gold: the woodwork
with the exception of the polished floor
ing is white and gold. Golden brackets
jut out from the walls, holding bulbs of
sOftencd electric lights The wide doors
look out upon a wide hallway, all marble
and gold. \ marble stairway, growing
broader with each upward step, leads to
n wide platform halfway to the upper
floor, and from this platform the way leads
into the big conservatory, bigger than the
conservatory of any other house in New
York.
This Is the place where the Christmas
tree guests will assemble next Thursday
night There they will find Mr.. Have
meyer, costumod like the conventional
owner walks up and receives a tiny silk
stocking. If she be a woman: or Il papicr
mache pig, or COW. or horse If Il man.
Inside the stocking will he a small pair of
scissors, all solid gold. or a gold hand
mirror, or gold scent bottle. If y man.
the fancy pig or other animal. will have
slowed away in its interior a gold match
box, q pocketknife, with a gold handle:
or small pipe sheathed in gold. Every
thing on the tree is of gold.
This Is certainly an inviting outlook
for those privileged to share the golden
trees glOries. But we suspect there
are very few ScrantOnians who will
envy Santa Claus Havemeyer his
golden tree or that there is one particle
of pleasure in connection with that
gorgeous celebration which cannot be
duplicated and perhaps surpassed in
the humblcst home in Lackawanna
county if the occupants of that home
so determine.