The Indianapolis journal., 1896-12-25
COLUMBIA CLUBS TREE
MERRY TINE IN THE CELEBRA-
TION OF A CHRISTMAS TREE.
Henry &. Adams in HIS OId-Time Role
of Santa Claus-SOme of the
Unique Presents.


Adams. then boy. without chin whiskers.
awoke one Christmas eve just in time to
catch sight of the Santa Claus turnout
dashing away from the back porch. This
maneuver so charmed the tender youth
that he lay pondering over it until long
after the falling snow mad obliterated the
sleigh tracks, and before sleep closed his
eyes determination had been registered
in the boys mind TO one day emulate the
example of the climber of fireplaces and be
a Santa Claus. Time rolled on and the de-
termination led to the realization of his
ambition, and for perhaps six generations
back Harry c. Adams has metamorphosed
himself into a Santa Claus every Christ
mas eve. In this capacity he has played
many a star engagement at Sunday school
affairs. And so, in the course of events,
when the members of the Columbia Club
sat around in the parlors of their club
house last Saturday night discussing the
coming of Christmas none of them were
surprised when Harry Adams proposed
that they have a Christmas tree, for in
their chidhood's happy days at Sunday
school they had often witnessed his per-
formanceS on such occasions.
The edict went forth and a committee
was appointed, consisting of Henry c.
Christmas). Chalmers Brown. familarly
known as "Pelmer's Brownie" and Willis
C. Vajen, to arrange for the time-honored
Christmas tree. Charles Rouzer, who
pokes things up at the club in the capacity
of manager volunteered to assist and the
committee swooped down upon a lone ever
green tree peddler. and, after neat little
speech from the committee as whole, he
bereft of tree and left to jingle the
silver. The committee then spent two half
days searching through the various stores
for adornments for the tree; Everything
conceivable was purchased, and then the
tree was stationed in the far end of the din
ing hall at the Columbia Club. 1t was
manner that the skilled fingers and the
fertile minds Of the committee could in
vent. The top branches brushed the cell
ing. Among the presents which were TO be
given to the members of the club. and
which loaded the tree, were rattleboxes'
tin horns. drums. tin swords. tin guns.
box ships. dolls. skeletons, pipes and SO
on through the list land no two presents
were alike Glttering tinsef and strings Of
gold and silver hung In profusion from the
branches. and the whole was illuminated
were plentifully sprinkled all through the
| tree by c. c. Perry The widest stretch
of imagination that. ever. possessed a
| child's mind never pictured such a gor-
geous Christmas, tree so fantastically
| trimmed as was the Columbia Clubs
| Christmas tree. I"D
early in the evening and each one regis
| tered his name opposite number, these
numbers correspondents to numbers on the
| member was to draw the present his num-
| Der called for. IN this way no one knew
| beforehand what he would receive.
| THE TREE LIGHTED.
Mine o'clock. time to begin" announced
| Mr.. Adams. who has worn threadbare his
latest Santa Claus regalia. and therefore
| N rQ1lar The lights
were turned full on in the dining hall and
| the members invaded it in rush. After
| they seated themselves 1t was found that
| the front row was not occupied.
Bald heads in 'front.' shouted some one.
just as ex-Mayor Denny sa. down in the
| front row. He felt of the top of his head.
| found that the hairline stretched across his
head from ear to ear. decided he was out
of his class and gave his seat to Justus
| c. Adams. who was right at home on the
front row. The following members were
H L. Wilson. l.. A Whitcomb George
Bliss. W: S. Wiekard, b. E. Parrott; D. NJ.
Thomas Hanna. G. 8; Denny. II. G. Adams,
Q: R. Johnson G.. H. Walcott. George G.
Hit. T. S. Hacker. Horace F. Wood, NJ.
W. Hays. w. T. Barnes. A: A; Young, II.
P: Coburn; F. II; Spear; B. B. Adams, 1. n.
II laird. jr:. George b.: Kahlo: G. E. Hunt,
Rhodes, S. II. FLETCHER. G. ". Combs. ].
| w. Morris w. n. Harding Merrill Moores,
w c. Bobbs Thomas f. Potter. l. w.
Drew: r. Q: Hawkins; j.. Weinburger; j.
j. Kuhn. d. F. Swain, John B. Cockrum,
D. p. Erwin. A. S.Iockand. Charles Kahlo,
John r. Pearson. Chalmers Brown. H: b.
maker maker ii. B. Rowland T. A. Randall, f.
f. Gates. John NJ Shaw. ID NJ. Rensdell,
shideler c. J: Clark, w. II. Schmidt, j. 3.
Dill. L. A. Kinsey. w, II. Brown. o. 3.
Jameson. Harry ]. Graham. c. F. DAILY. A.
Winters. &C. Foster, r. r. shiel. James
W Lilly. !. S. Gordon. n; s. ByIam, c. f.
GSass Nj H. ffsss B. Gaes
o. S. Runnels, VIM F. Lander. John Laza-
rus. ]. A. Lemcke, Arthur Jordan. Major
Coe. Henry jameson. John B. Hill ", w.
| Winslow. w. r, Holloway. l.. B. Martinda'e.
+. B. Marundale John A. Butler, John NJ.
| Van Camp and H. IL. Kinney.
The committee of three took places be-
hind the railing that surrounded the Christ
Pacty I,ia of Of TellttonH in 'ar announcing m @ the
names of the recipients. Chalmers Brown.
as Read 'em-on," compared the numbers
on the presents with the names on the
register. and Willis c. Vajen as ''Cut-'em-
down cpPed h;I@ the presents r. from the tree
to receive visit from you,' said Santa
Claus Adams. by way of opening cere-
|
! rescued from other entertainments tonight
| and | am thankful TO heaven that so many
| of you have been guided here. The gifts
| are from the congregation to the little men
who have been faithful. Now turn out the
| lights. The lights from the Christmas tree
| soon alone illuminated the ROOM
SOME OF THE PRESENTS.
| III. b. Coburn.' announced Santa Claus
as he was handed a little baby in an egg
| she'll Mr.. Coburn. amid shouts and laugh
ter, bravely stepped forward and received
his gift. III. b. Rowland was the
| next and he received a little
doll baby. W. A. Rhodes was given a
| plaster pig with tho remark: This is very
| appropriately presented to a building as
| sociation man p" and the ever-ready laugh
J was again started Cyrus j. Clark re-
| YOU with the organ. you can act monkey
| yourself sd
General Carnahan." called Mr. Claus.
! IAN angel for YOU. The recipient stepped
forward slowly. Come here. angel. and
get your twin brother. caused his steps
seized his present of an Indian squaw.
| Everybody was in jovial humor and there
was plenty of fun and witticisms. julius
A Lemcke received box of musical bars
on which he thumped. keeping time to th,
step of John B. Cockrum who received an
| presented with French harp, and before
the n)tes of his harmonica had died away
a string of ducks was pulled from among
| the individual presents. which had been
fled under the tree, and Harry s. New
was called forward. Santa Claus fairly
danced as he called for r. o. Hawkins to
| accompany Mr.. New TO the frcnt and the
| ~ tnrS kaA ri