The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1897-12-26
A DREARY CHRISTMAS DAY.
GOOD CHEER WITHIN, BUT DISMAL
WEATHER WITHOUT.


duced the Number of Casualties
There Was Plenty to Drink. and
the BarroomS Did a Rushing Bust
ness-knights TempIar Gather al
Their Asylum to Drink the Christ
mas Toast to Their Grand Muster.
In striking contrast 10 Christmas eve
the holiday dawned damp, dismal dark
and dreary, and so it remained even until
the hour of midnight marked It's parting.
The Oldest inhabitant could not recall
yesterday jast such Christmas, with an
IncessaUt doBuDour with not even the
suggestion Of a dry moment TO relieve the
monotony Of 6aupness. Tor at least ANe
or six years the gun Of Christmas days has
been exceptionally pleasant. and within
that period most Of the Christmas days
have been free from clouds and wet wealth
er.
But there needs must come change; all
Of them could not be 50. Perhaps it was
better as 1t was Ii is not only an i'll wind
thar blows nobody good. but IT'S an ill-rain
that vets nobody good The FIRE insurance
men were rejoicing over the weather from
one standpoint at least. especially in view
of the large number of fireworks sold; for
had it bon dry weather at least three or
four fires would have been expected AS
it was there was not an alarm of fire I'M
til about o'clock last night. when the de
partment was called down to Yamacraw
to put out on insignificant little blaze.
The rain too, meant the absence of
many. at least, of the casualties usually
attendant upon Christmas, and the homi-
cides of last year were represented yester-
day by a few insignificant fracases in
which little damage was done. For this
state of affairs, however. the absence of
liquor was not responsible. The man in
the country may have had his jug. but the
man in the city had his barroom and three
or four if he wanted them As
wet as it was outside, it was wetter inside.
The spirits flowed freely, and numerous
DRINKS were the result Many Of them
were quSat unobtrusive DRINKS, but others
attracted the attention of the police and
were allowed the use of the patrol wagon
for brief space In spite of the rain it
seems that numerous DRINKS were seen
upon the streets, but the weather was a
damper upon quarreisome spirits and diff
culties were scarce.
While d good many people got out for
the DAY, most of them spent all or the
greater part of il at home There was
little business to be done down town. con-
sequenuy no need for going out. The
courts We're suspended, the city exchange
was deserted, there was little or nothing
done at the custom house the cotton eX-
change and board of trade We're closed, /
and the postoffice observed Sunday hours
during the afternoon. The Bay looked de- /
serted all day. All of the business houses 4
f1p
the street, and the northern end of the
city seemed more quiet than on a Sunday
The Christmas church services We're not
well attended on account of the very
Indictment weather Some of the retail !
stores were open for a while during the
morning but the rain brought an end to
their hopes and prospects for a good
Christmas mornings business, and they
soon closed. The biggest crowd out was
the barroom crowd, and those institutions
were fairly well attended despite the I'M
congenial atmosphere.
elaborate Christmas dinners were served |
at ell of the hotels and restaurants. with /
the usual turkey and all the side dishes
ana for extra, at some of them dash of |
wine. Altogether, the day seems 10 have |
been one Of quiet eating and drinking, and |
as rule, orderly enjoyment.
The ardor of the small Boys spirits was
not dampened by the weather, and his GUS
eS'Ate@AS iilN NidChGIy grown IN size To
cannon cracker this year, thanks to the !
reduction in price, was beautifully in evil |
dence North and south of Liberty street |
the almost uninteTmittent boom of can |
non crackers could be heard, and the linn |
IT'S to which fire works were prescribed did |
not seem to be respected The fire works |
men, as q rule, managed 10 dispose of |
large quantities of stuff before Christmas |
say, and those who did were in luck. While |
continued yesterday, the sale was lieht
anu there was much less shooting of them
IMAM there would have been with brv /
weather. Many people, however fired ro |
man candles and sky rockets right from
.HsH WINDOWS or doors, though the larger |
ones could not well be handled in This Wv
no douot many of the fire works have been |
saved up for this week, and will be turned |
loose Monday night or on New Years day (
Inc day with the military and around /
the clubs was a quiet one indeed. None of /
the military companies had ANYTHING on |
mana or If they did they gladly gave Ii IN /
20 remain comfortably within doors. A I
sood many club men gathered at their /
clubs during the day to spend a pleasant
hour or two, but the usual Christmas friv- |
ohties around these institutions were
wanting.
one Of the most interesting celebrations
OF the day was the gathering
of the members of paiestfre /
their
asylum in the Masonic temple. 10 drink !
me CHRISTMAS toast TO the Grand Mas
yer W. LaRue Thomas, formerly of Nash |
vile Tenn. now of Baltimore. MI
On Christmas day at the hour cores
ponding 70 u o'clock noon. eastern stan
dard time, the Knights Templar ali ovo7
the United States gather at their asylums
Wherever they have them, 10 drink his
toast to the grand master. A committee
Is appointed every year to prepare the
toast to the grand master. a COPY of
which is sent to each commandery. ana
there IS sent to each also a copy OF The
grand masters response.
Palestine commandery met at Il o'cloei,
yesterday, about forty members being
present. The toast to the grand master
was read by Eminent Commander A. r.
simmons, M D.. and the response of the
grand master was read by Past Eminent
Commander r. A. CUTS. After this thera
were several informal toasts. to which re-
sponses were made by Rev. w c. Schaef-
fer, Mr.. j. r. Saussy and others.
feature of the occasion was the pres
entation to the commandery Of a loving
cup by Past Eminent Commander CUTS
and from 1t all drank a toast There was
champagne in plenty, and the occasion u,ae