The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1896-12-25
Preparations Made by the
Salvation Army for
To- Day.
Over Two Thousand Meal Tickets
Have Been Gratuitously
Issued.
All the Provisions Have Been Paid
For by Charitable
People.

Ensign w P. Wood of the Salvation
Army was the officer of the day at the
ermy's temporary quarters on the north
west corner of New Montgomery and
Howard streets yesterday and immedi-
ateiy under his command was a corps of
hard workers preparing the Christmas
dinner for such of San Francisco's poor as
are deprived of the comforts of enjoying
that meal over their own tables.
To such, however, as are thus I'M
fortunately situated the doors of the tenn
porary barracks of the Salvation Army
are open, provided they possess the neces-
sary meal ticket which has been distrib-
uted to those who have applied.
At present there are over 1000 Christ
mas-dinner tickets issued, with more ap-
plicants IN line.
To feed this number in comfort by seat
ing each and all at table there are eight
long ables set on the second floor of the
building, with benches running alongside
of each table. On the surface is spread
snow-white paper, which answers the pur-
pose of table-cloths, and at each place is q
plate, knife and fork, with cup ard saucer.
Pepper and salt is set at convenient inter-
walls within reach of all without the neces-
sitv OF one troubling the other by the GUS
tomary table etiquette of please pass the
salt"
The first instalIment of 500 persons
men, women and children-will take their
places at u o'clock to-day, and as soon as
they have disposed of their dinner they
will retire, the tables will be reset and an
other relay of 500 more will take their
places and so on until all have been
served.
The provisions for feeding all those 1000
or more consists OF 1000 pounds of turkey,
200 pounds of veal $50 losves of bread, $50
pounds of coffee, 20 pounds of tea, $50
pounds of sugar, 700 pounds of candy for
The children, with an unlimited supply of
plum pudding to go round.
The children, Immediately after enjoy
ing their dinner, viii pass into side
room, where they will be entertained with
stereopticon views of the scenes of the
Holy Land ana of the events of the Jour
neying of Christ while spreading the Cos
pei. As each child passes through the
doorway he or she will be presented with
bag of candy.
In getting up this dinner Adjutant Nc
Fee and his subordinates have Iabored
long and arduously to collect the funds
with which the articles have been pur-
chased, as everything which will be used
to-day at the temporary barracks has been
paid for in cash. In addition to this the
army has extended its good offices to a
great many other sources of charity.
One particular feature of the work of the
army is the maintaining of q lodging
house at 120 Oregon street in which there
are 325 beds Kept for the accommodation
OF such men as have no means to pay for
nights lodging elsewhere. The rules of
this institution are that an application
must be made to the officer in charge, who
will make careful examination of the
applicants claim and if he shows that he
is poor and lonely, he is given ticket for
the sum of five cents. with which he gets
clean bed and a hot breakfast in the
morning. But repetition of this hospi-
tality is decidedly refused to the same IN
dividuai If he should make a second ap-
plication within a stated period.
The expense to the army of conducting
this lodging house is $500 a month, but
the five cents collected from each individ-
ual reduces the expenditure from the
treasury of the headquarters consdera-
bV