Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1896-12-20
HOW TO CELEBRATE.
WHAT PROMINENT PEOPLE THINK
As TO CURIsTMAs NOISES.
LET TIE CHILDREN HAYE THEIR FUN.
This l. what Many of Them Say
some. However. Believe That Pop
cracker Firing aud Tin-Horn Blow
ing should Cease.

The action or Mayor Taylor with reier-
ence 10 the observance OF Christmas in
this city by the boys and girls is pretty
generally endorsed by the citizens Of
Richmond. who believe that
a little ? easure now and then.
is relished by the wisest mem;
and though the firing Of popcrackers
and the blowing OF tin horns may be a
little disagreeable to them. the holiday
IS OF brief duration. and the noise. like
everything else. will soon cease.
Since time immemorial Christmas has
been celebrated by the firing Of pop
crackers. which have steadily grown in
size as the years crept on; and the blow
INK Of tin horns. which have had their
.0nes deepened with each successive
year; and. although there is a popular
movement on foot to abate the nuisance
for that is what it really amounts to- but
Few are prepared to say that the younger
FOLK should not be allowed to fire ana
blow TO their hearts content.
A Dispatch man. WI le sirolling up and
down the streets yesterday in search OF
Items Of news with which to regals the
public to-day, questioned some of our
best citizens as TO their ideas on the
Observance Of the day. and especially as
10 the noiso-making portion thereof. and
appended are some of the answers re-
ceved:
Colonel 10 Lane Stern: I am heartily
in favor of the little ones enjoying them
selves on Christmas-Eve and on Christ
mas-Day TO the fun extent. II they
want 10 fire crackers and bow horns
lat them do it, ! am opposed. however,
t0 the older ones induign- iu auen ea-
slres; but then, ! suppose, l have no.
,hng 20 do W IN &c. anyhow
SIR. +. d. Meanley: DO 1 believe in
foacracker-hring on Christmas-Day? OF
course. ] do. did II when l was a boy,
and enjoyed It, too; and I am for letting
tle children have the fun tha, / once
had. IL would be mean TO deprive them
~ 10. The men should not however,
usurp the rights OF the little ones. They
should behave in a more decorous fash
ion
Mr. r. W. Courtney: I don't think that
tho noise-making should be carried to
such an extent as 10 disturb religious
worship. nor the sick; hut I believe in
tn-horn blowing and cracker-hring. when
carried on on Christmas-Day by the
children I'm moderation. I would hate
90 see their pleasure interfered with. and
am glad that Mayor Taylor decided in
their favor / think his action was very
wise.
1ir. W. p. Adkins: II would be heart
less 10 interfere with the children in
their pleasure on Christnas-Day. don't
think the demonstrations should be car
Red on longer than the one day; but l
believe in giving the boys and girls plen-
~ Of latitude during the twenty-four
hours that the celebration lasts. and then
they viii themselves tire of i.
Colonel John Murphy: / should say
10 believe i'm pop-rack firing on Christ
mas-Day. Whoever. as a boy. had more
ful than on Christmas when he was
firing baby-wakers and blowing a horn?
We are too prone to forget that we were
once boys. and that we enjoyed ourselves.
Just as they are doing now. Let them
nave their fun. but, I say. emphaticaly.
iet the police stop the firing Of pistols
md guns IN the street. That is too dan
ee~ous 70 both life and property
Colonel G. Percy Hawes: I do not
think that Christmas should be observed
tv the firing Of pop-crackers and the
blowing of horns The anniversary which
i- being celebrated is ent rely forgotten
II the children must fire crackers. let
thom set aside the Fourth Of July for that
Kind Of business; but let Christmas be
observed In a decOrus and religious man
uer.
Colonel W. p. Smith: Christmas comes
hut once a year and that IS the only
day on which the children are given per
fect freedom TO do as they please Why
Hr1 'ct them celebrate the day rs they
see ft? Don't let's interfere with their
pleasures. II they want to fire pop
crackers and blow tin horns let them |
90 it We get tired Of f. but so do they |
'n the end and then noise gives place to /
quiet
Colonel John Bell Bigger Having
been in the nursery with twelve babies /,
40 various periods OF my long married !
life ] have grown so accustomed 20 baby I
waking that 7 look upon the soft resound
ing OF the modern bahywaker popcrack-
ers as mellow cadence compared with the
outbreak Of q baby twisting In the agony
of collie in the wee sma' hours with no
catnip or soothing syrup at hand As 20
t.e horn-hlowu'ng 10 CRATES very heavily
upon the sensitive ear when 90 IS footed
.r excessive bOisterOusncss. but as many /
o. the blowers viii never hav. ANYBODY
t0 blow their horns but themse'vc-. ]
sm willing 10 let the blowers blow away
BOYS viii be boys and gir's viii be boys |
to0 on that b'es ed day which we com !
memorate I'm honor Of the brth Of our
saviour Let them make the welHdn ring
regarding however. the sOlemnity OF Di-
vine worship and checking up when IN
j.
F0aming eggnog and apple toddy are
Christmas Institutions, and their uses
on that occasion should no, be boy
cotted because some overthirsty folks
l1uld tackle the BEVERAGE 10 excess. and
neither should the children b. debarrcd
of their pleasures because some one who
% committed the above a.luded-fo ex-
cess should also toot his horn 20 excess
Mr James Gentry: Let the ch dren
blow their horns until they blow the
brains out. if they want too. and let them
are crackers until they fire of all their
fingers with them, n they feel disposed 10
10 viii not hurt as. IL may be a ut 10
annoying TO US, it's true, but then / guess
hey can stand it. L Is good thing
for the doctors and it puts money IN cir
culation. too
Dr. Jud. y. Wood: do not think
ihe noisy demonstration should be per
mitted on Christmas-Day, or any other
day for that matter Richmond VIII
never Outgrow provlncialism as long as
popcracker firing and tin horn blowing
is allowed within its borders. l am
heartily opposed 20 the parading ong
Broad street which occurs every Christ
massive night and ] should think the
authorities would put a stop 10 II II Tor
no other reason than 10 protect property
along that thorouphfarc.
Mr. Frank Craigie / favor letting the
children DO as they please on Christmas
Day. II they want 10 fire popcrackers let
then and n they want 20 blow tin horns
for one Will not interfere with them.
Mr william Ryan: / am decidedly Op-
posed 20 horn-blowine and explosives on
cfrlstinas-Eve and Christmas-Day. The