Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1897-12-24
XMAS-EVE Is HERE.
CLEARING WEATHER BROUGHT
OUT A CROWD YESTERDAY.
SCHOOL. CHILDREN ARE HAPPY NOW.
A Day Among the Soah's-Arks, HON
by-Horses, and Ofher Toys-Prepn-
rntiops I'm Every Home for the
HoIIday-Seryices In the Churches.
by-Horses, and Oih'

are not being made for the holiday.
Many have put off the task of making
Christmas purchases until the last hours
have caught them. and these will be In
rush to-day. and at their wits end to
decide just what TO buy. The market
will be crowded from the first streak Of
dawn until midnight, and thousands OF
turkeys. from the little 7-pound hen
to the 30-pound "gobbler," will be con-
veyed from the stalls to the larders oil
the careful housewife.
A cold wind blew across Broad street
Yesterday, biting the ears of those with
whom 1t came in contact, and chilling the
bones of those through whose veins the
blood does not course as warmly as in
other days-not rough, surly wind that
rudely encounters you at every corner
and slaps you In the face with an Icy
hand. or strikes you in the back, causing
you to stagger from the force OF the
blow, but a breeze laden with that frostl-
ness which tells of coming snow, and
makes the color glow I'm the cheeks, with
the very freshness of its touch. The day
was a great Improvement on the preced-
ing one. and Richmond took advantage
and turned out. until the great thorough
fare was densely packed with humanity
q slowly-moving crowd, winding In and
out, a restless throng, but forced 10 be
passive on account of it's very greatness,
for TO wedge ones way with any de-
gree of rapidity through this seething
mass was an impossibility.
A DAY AMONG THE TOYS.
In the stores the scenes were still the
same. but the crowds were greater. The
toy and book departments Of the empo-
RUINS were those in which was the great
est rush. The toys of to-day appear 20
be much the same as Of yore, and those
who puzzle their brains to invent new
creations to delight the Juvenile world
| have evidently not succeeded in Matching
| out many new ideas. There are, how
ever some mechanical toys which prob
ably deserve to be labelled as belonging
| TO the crop of 81. But the Noah's arks
| are still as popular as ever, while tool
| chests, hobby-hOrses, miniature cannon
| automatic savings banks, tenpins, tin
| horns, drums. and guns have evidently
not lost their charm, judging from the
| number purchased yesterday. AS TO
books, Mother Goose" is probably the
| most popular, while probably Robinson
! Crusoe" is a close second.
| SCHOOL CHILDREN TURNED LOOSE.
| Yesterday the school children were
| turned loose upon the city, and as they
| hurried from the institutions of learning
| they acted like so many wild colts. Every
| boy under &c years OF age is more inter-
! ested i'm the price OF 'pop-crackers" just
now than in anything else connected with
| the holidays. Fluctuations in the mar
ket, as far as turkeys are concerned, do
| not bother him 80 long as the quotations
| Sic IN, uhan mr.
least do not take an upward tendency.
| Singed eyebrows and burned fingers Will
| bear testimony tomorrow that he has
| thoroughly enjoyed Christmas. and the
| more the gunpowder gets In its Work
upon his person. the prouder he Will be.
The public schools closed at the usual
| hour yesterday. the children having been
notified shortly before being dismissed
that they would have holiday from then
until Monday. January Sd. This was
| an unexpected surprise, as they expected
only balf-holiday for Christmas-eve.
| McCabe's University School and Nc
! Cures School will give holiday from to-
| day until Monday the 3D. Richmond
| College students will have from the oath
to the 3lst. inclusive, to enjoy the season
| The young ladies at the Woman's College
will be given holiday from the 9th until
| January 4th.
| TUNNEL OIN IN EN- DAIh1'
The branches OF the American Tobacco
| Company here will to-day. according "a
the usual custom, distribute gifts among
the hundreds of employees. At Allen a
enters and Whitlock's these will be In
the shape OF boxes of candy, while each
of the 100 colored hands at the Richmond
stemmery will receive turkey. Christ
massive has always been an eventful
day at the latter factory. The fowls are
placed on long tables, and TO each one Is
attached a Christmas card. bearing a
| number. When the hands are paid off
| they receive In their envelopes "A mum
bered coupon. The 700 employees then
line up and pass through the warehouse
| in which are arrayed the fowls, and eacf
darky is presented with the turkey, bear
ing the number corresponding TO that
on his coupon. Thus there is no dis
elimination shown, and the darby who
gets the great. plump gobbler Is the one
who is probably wearing the rab
bits foot. while he who comes next anC
secures the smallest fowl on the table
is the one who "never could draw no
thing, no how" and has been 'conjured'
in some evil hour.
SOME CELEBRATIONS.
The Westmoreland Club will hold Its
Usual Christmas celebration tonight
Each member is entitled to invite one
friend.
The Commonwealth and Albemarle will
have no formal celebration, but egg
nog," the great Christmas beverage, will
no doubt, flow at the homes OF both o
these social organizations tomorrow.
The following invitation has just beer
issued: "You are cordially invited TO at
tend the annual jubilee of Santa Claus 4
Co. which will take place Friday at 6S
p NJ. in the assembly room of the Laurie
Industrial School. st. Nick will be Their
on time and a pleasant evening is prom
ised to all "BY THE COMPANY"
Passengers going out from Richmon'
can return TO Richmond on the $40 p. NJ
train. which Will stop at Laurel tonight
SERVICES IN THE CHURCHES.
AS shown by the varied programme
printed in last Sundays Dispatch. tn
music tomorrow in the Catholic, Episco
pal. Lutheran, and other churches tina
celebrate the anniversary VIII be OF
veX high order
The holy communion will be celebrate
in Monumental church tomorrow morn
ing at 1870 O'clock. At IL o'clock Their
will be morning service. with sermon b.
the rector. Rev. William Alexander Barr
Tbe music will be especially fine, as tn
spleudid vested choir OF this church
doing unusually we'll.
A nrayer-meeting 10 which all are IN
vited will be held Christmas morning a
o'clock at Centenary church, near tn
corner of Grace and Fifth streets. Rev
w V. Tudor will conduct the services.
At the Church OF the Covenant, Rev
Charlas n HYDE will preach an appro