The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1898-12-27
SALVATION ARMY FEAST
OVER 600 POOR PEOPLE GIVEN A
CHRISTMAS SPREAD.
1t Took Three Hours to Provide Them
All with Good Things
to Eat.

Six hundred and sixty men, women and
children, of all ages and in various stages
of distress, were Toasted by the Salvation
Army yesterday afternoon, and the happi-
ness in their natures, which had been borne
down by their miseries, was released and
beamed from their faces and rang through
the room in laughter The clans began to
gather in the morning, and as the hour of
1870 drew nearer the crowd of 1.-THE SUBJ
merged TENTH" staring at the big sign
which announced that Christmas dinner
would be served free, or straining eyes to
see the activity of preparations inside, grew
until it extended out into the street. At
1:30 o'clock the doors were opened and an
officer Of the army, with red stripes on
his sleeves, admitted 10 persons Tickets
had been distributed to the poorest families
that could be found, but no one who applied
for admission was turned back, even if he
or she had no ticket. The door was shut
when enough people had been admitted to
fill the tables, and those on the outside
pressed up closer to the doors and gazed
hungrily at the scene inside. Prof. George
Hebble, pianist, sat at piano donated for
the afternoon by Carlin & Lennox. Prof.
Hebble gave his skilled services to add to
the attractiveness of the dinner.
me scene was unique, almost weird. The
room was lighted only by an electric arc
in dull glass globe, which shed a light
almost CHASTITY. The walls were bare. The
floor was covered with sawdust. Two long
tables stretched the length of the room,
and working over them was horde of
hungry people. Among them hurried
busting young women, filing plates with
steaming food. The gathering of knives and
forks and Jargon of glad voices accompanied
the beautiful music of the piano. AS rap
idly as one crowd was satisfied and quilted
its chairs another was admitted and took
its place. At 1870 o'clock all had been fed
and had gone, but those who had served
their jollity at the board was high as
that of the poor people who had preceded
them. Forty baskets of food were sent TO
persons who were both sick and poor.
presided over the kitchen and ruled it as
systematically as If it were in an estah-
liShed eating house. The work of the cooks
had begun early in the morning The sup
plies had been given by people all over the
city. Most of the turkeys had been bought
by the Salvation Army itself. Luckily, there
was plenty of everything and more bread
than could be used AS the children passed
out the door they were given candy, and
those who were in need of clothing were
registered. Later in the week clothing, con-
tributed by anyone who is willing to give
It, will be distributed among the sufferers
whose names were taken.
Adjutant Crawford, who had general man
agement of the dinner, was worn out after
were delighted at their success. He told
of one man who had with him his wife and
two children. His face pinched, his
forehead wrinklad and his whole expression
passed out of the room he said, with
grateful smile, This should have been
called the Lords supper" The charity Of
the Salvation Army was whole hearted and
to the police were as welcome as the mis-
erably poor mother with her little child.