The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1896-12-23
CHRISTMAS I'M Tie AIR
EVERYBODY NOW BUSY BUYING
HOLIDAY GIFTS.
Pretty Scenes on the Streets Schools
Have All Take Their Holiday
Christmas Trees.

Have All Take Their Holiday
Christmas Trees.
Christmas crowds are beginning to take
possession OF the streets and stores Of the
city Everybody is purchasing holiday
gifts. The window displays are more
magnificent than ever before.
II one may judge by the crowd OF shop
pers on the inside of stores of all kinds,
hard times are over sure enough, and
McKinley's Compromised wave Of pros
perity is here.
Mothers with their children stop at the
windows Of toy shops and confectionery
stores. The book and stationery stores are
continually crowded with all kinds of peo-
pie, for books are always appropriate
as gifts and they are not necessarily
costly, unless you choose to have them so.
Then there are the drug stores, with
their leather goods, cut glass bottles,
toilet articles and a host OF other things
useful and useless that people buy for
presents And the jewelry stores-they
do an immense business. Indeed bust
ness Of all kinds is booming this week
and the merchants are happy.
The crowd goes up and down the street,
all bent on the same errand-the selection
OF a gift that will make somebody else
| happy. They mingle-these people--in q
| good natured crush--the young, the old !:
| the strong, the decrepit-all happy, all
| bright, inspired by the heart feeling that
| predominates at this season Of the year
and lends a new interest and significance
| to every purchase that is made.
Then ut night the electric lights CLEAN
| out from among the holly boughs which
| the market wagons have brought in dur
| ing the day. The warm, red berries and
| the green bushes somehow warm the
heart and the eye grows misty at the
thought of the young hearts they will
| gladden. next Friday.
ALL SCHOOLS SUSPEND.
| All the schools Of the State have closed
| for the holidays and every train that
| comes through Is laden with bright young
| men and pretty girls on their way home
| TO spend Christmas. And happy lot
| they are bubbling over with jog and good
| feeling. 1t is not an unusual occurrence
| for the young men to pile off, when the
| train reaches the depot and Justify give
| the college yell, get back on again and
| speed away to their homes
The schools Of this city have all closed
except the graded schools, which suspend
| to-day until January 4th, and the stu
dents from Peace, St. Mary's and the
A. and NJ. College have helped to swell
the number of passengers that crowd
every train that goes by.
The~following young ladies from Peace
Institute went home yesterday by way
Of the Southern: Misses Cora and Rose
Richardson and Margaret Ethridge, Of
Selma; Misses Marable, Bessie Williams
and Il. NJ. Pearson, of Mt. Olive; Miss
White,of Chatham, Va; Misses McCas-
kill, Annie Hill and Bessie Mclean. of
MaNton; Misses Exum, Mary Howard
and Sallie Lee, of Goldsboro; Misses
Johnson and l.. McKimmon. of Clinton;
Miss Bette Johnson, of Wilmington:
Miss Daisy Latta, of University Station:
Misses Owen, Rigsbee. Foust, L. St6b-
bins and l.. Molten, of Durham; Miss
Annspaugh, of Magnolia; Miss Me'bane.
of Mebane; Misses Effie Willis and Eff
fie Mccall, of Mccall, S. c.; Misses Nina
White, Mamie Whitehead and r. Say
age, of Hobgood
The following went by way Of the Sea-
board: Misses Estele and NJ l.. McIver.
of Gulf; Miss Annie Reeves. Of Weldon:
Miss Fannie Mckay, Of Sanford: Misses
Annie and Mary A. Mclean, Mary Mae
Eachin and Sue Covington. of Laurn-
burg: Miss Lee Moriisa, Of Llnnber-
ton; Miss Pearl Rodman, Of Waxhaw:
Miss Mary Powell, of Aberdeen; Misses
NJ. and E. McIvcr, Of Rockingham.
Almost as large number have gone
from the other institutions
THE TABERNACLE'S CHRISTMAS.
The Baptist Tabernacle Sunday school
will occupy three nights for its annual
| Christmas exercises as follows;
WEDNESDAY.-From 4 to 8 D. m.
gifts for the poor win be received at the
church.
THURSDAY.-The primary depart
| ment will have a Christmas tree and ex-
ercises by the children at night in the
Sunday school room.
FRIDAY.-The intermediate and adult
departments will on Friday night render
the Cantata "a Visit to Old Chris" in
Metropolitan Hall.
An admission fee of % cents for
adults and Is cents for children will be
charged for all not connected with the
Tabernacle school
SANTA CLAUS AT METROPOLITAN
\ short while ago Mr.. W. e. Jones
| made the announcement in his advertise
iiAAAit thtt lAt NOuiti present IL HdUuSDtDS
doll, at Christmas, TO the little girl under
ten years, who would write the best letter
to Santa Claus and forward through Mr..
Jones. As a result more than 900 letters
have been received, some of which are
models in their way. OF the number, oyer
200 were from children out of the city.
The time for the award having arrived.
the letters have been placed in the hands
~ com 10 L.
announceda at Metropolitan Hall this even
ing at 4 o'clock.
In addition TO the award Of the doll,
there will be a magnificent Christmas
tresxapresded over by Santa Claus in
rersW, who will give a present to each
little lady who wrote letter. He will be
assisted by Mrs. w. II. Bobbitt, Mrs.
Josephus Daniels and Mrs. f. Nj. Sim
mons. 1t promises to be joyous occa-
sion for the little ones, and Mr.. Jones will
have his reward in the satisfaction deriv.