The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1896-12-25
CHRISTMAS EVE A MERRY ONE.
THE STREETS FILLED WITH
CROWDS OF MERRY JEWELLERS.


tails and LuAuries BOth-City EN-
pJoyes Got Christmas MOney-To-
day to he a General HOIiday-NOre
Turkeys Sold Than Ever Before ON
Nmas Eve.
Merry Christmas is here. 1t is to be hop
ed that il viii prove merry one indeed,
nothing to mar its pleasure. The indica-
tons are that it will be just such a Christ
mas.
There was less revelry than usual on the
streets last night. The crowds were lively
enough for any reasonably disposed per-
son, but the revelry was not so reckless as
on some previous Christmas eve anniver-
saries. There were less fireworks, too, and
the nerve destroying cannon pepper was
the exception and not the rule. This is not
because there have not been a great many
fireworks Sold for the dealers say their
sales have been very large. The bonfres
have been few and far between. A Christ
mas eve in Savannah without bonfres is
hardly Christmas eve and yet that is what
has happened.
The absence of bonhres and the scarcity
of fireworks In the business section of the
city is due to the strict enforcement of the
city ordinances by the police. Fireworks
have been plentiful south of Jones street,
where they are permitted by ordinance and
the large stocks which have been laid in
by indulgent parents viii tend to make
both to-day and tonight lively in the resi-
dence section.
This unusual good order at Christmas
times has somewhat the appearance of
hard times. Scarcity of means, doubtless,
had some effect, but the people spent Just
as much money. The hard times through
which they have passed during the last
three years caused them to put more of
tnelr money into substantial things and
less INTO trash. Inquiry among the mer-
ca "a !i py morning News reporters reveal
60 the Idct that the Christmas trade was
very satisfactory, and some said it was
the best Christmas trade they had ever
The dealers in the market did mt think
times were hard, because their sales were
very heavy. The opinion of several of the
T S,s market stand men was that more tur-
hheys ,hdd Deen sold al good prices than
they mad ever known before. This means
mat there will be very few people i'm Sa-
Nannan who will not have turkey for din
ner to-day. In the strictly Christmas trade
Iines. toys fruit and candies, the trade
100 DuSy to talk
The, same beautiful weather which nre-
xdtliieq yesterday is predicted for today.
, means great deal. It is splendid
weather for the scores of hunters ,.l5nC Iii
be in the fields and for bcvcIisfs - oo1,ii
5l1t De excelled. 1t is a genuine bicycljsts'
C I'M tfnas, and hundreds of them will he
Out on the roads. va '0
The day will be a quiet one in the citv
especially in the business section. All ~
BUSINESS houses will be closed. and So viii
run a dim bi1iiibbings The postoffice VIII
eAehange and the board of trade will he
cIosed both to-day and tomorrow and
of TIL u .n9 members will take both days
III il Inc railroad shops and Offices are an
Closed Tor the day, and many of fhe man
nave peen released until Monday morn
ing. There was quite an exodils of Iii
way employees and their families from The
city at night to spend Christmas win
friends elsewhere WIN
The city's employees were made hannv
py pelhg allowed TO draw a portion Of
their pay for this MONTH The rule mo-
hilDiting the city treasurer from accept
ing due bills from city officials and en-
ployes has been rigidly enforced this vear
put treasurer Hardee was authorized nv
Mayor Myers to accept due bills for a
poruon or this months salary from all
city employees desiring to obtain money in
TINS way. This extended to the streep
ana lane force and other employees of the
| department of the commissioner of nuhlie
works, special request to this effect hav-
I Mama, MADE been made by Commissioner
Recorder Wilson will spend C,h,4stp,os
| in Ehingham county and will not return
| 70 the city until Monday morning MAYOR
Myers VIII preside at police court to-day
O'Clock, an hour later than usual rrha
mayor will doubtless deal Iiniently wifi
| the oHenders, as mayors have always done
The police and firemen were Meas
| antly remembered by the mayor, several
boxes OF fine cigars being sent to each de-
the cigars. "a
The police had very little to do during
| the day, but the DRINKS came i'm nrettv
rapidly last night. The firemen were kent
pretty busy, too, running to small fires, :
Ihere were live fires up to O'Clock, all
OF small Importance. The first was a
local call to the theater at 10 O'Clock. one
OF the attaches of the theater had left
an OIL stove in the office with both wicks
turned up very high. When he returned
! half an hour later and opened the door
the room was filled with smoke He ran
out and gave the alarm of fire at once.
one OF the employees ran to fire headquar-
ters. near by, and reported that there vas
a nre In the theater office The chemical
company responded, but by the time it ar
| rived, few minutes later, the oil stove
had been carried into the open air.
me next was an alarm from box GA,
which was answered by the southern half
of the department. hole was burned In
| the roof of a house on Bolton street The
damage was small.
At 6;54 o'clock an alarm came in from
box "A. II proved TO be only a chimney
West Broad.
At 7i6 o'clock box p sounded. 1t was
another chimney fire in the same neigh
borhood South Broad street lane near
| West Broad street
At 7;i5 O'Clock box "a sounded again.
This time the fire was in the roof of the
house No. 235l. Harris street. occupied by
Assistant Chief of Police owen Riley and
his father, Mr.. John Riley. The FIRE was
eNtlnguished by engine company No,
with slight damage. No fires from fire.
works were reported
Chairman Grayson of the fire commits
sion complimented the iremen with a lot
of fine cigars, which were distributed last
night.
The market was crowded all day lonc
and up to late hour last night The
butchers had their stalls we'll decorated
with pine, holly and evergreen and their
Christmas stocks We're tastefully display
ed Savannah, the butchers say is get
ting better meat than ever before and
getting Il az lower prices. The appear
ance of the market seemed to bear out
the first statement fully.
Parties expecting packages by express
to-day need not trouble themselves and
the employees of the express office 10 "a
10 the office TO inquire about II. Agent
Cooper informed a Morning News reportei
yesterday that every package received
with the local address or addressed te
parties whose names can be found In the
directory win be promptly delivered. The
number OF incoming packages is very
large. MIR. Cooper said he had not hat
time to run up the figures, but he though