The Worcester spy. [volume] (Worcester, Mass.) 1898-1904, 1898-12-27
WE'LL FED.
Four Hundred
Souls
FILLED WITH JOY.
Beautifully Fed by Saliva
ton Army Corps.

! 10 llLlIe LOlS Oh 8.
For the past two weeks there has
been standing in front of the Boston
store one Of the officers of the Army,
soliciting contributions for this dinner.
fhe money came in well, and, coupleI
with the provisions sent in from differ
ent sources, enough food was provided
o feed a thousand
The hall was decorated in green and
white, and leaf-framed notices hung
n conspicuous places about the walls.
| Inc posts which support the ceiling
We're tWined with green and white gar
ands' and the five long tables were
| primarily snowy in their coverings Of
paper. In one corner was the stove
| lnu ranging along the wall under the
windows We're tables on which the tur-
Keys and other meats were being cut
On the stove immense boilers of po-
tatoes and squash simmered and sent
out doors to make any one hungry, and
| the small room two more boilers full
If fragrant coffee invited partakers.
And this small room was a wonder 1t
ooked like a miniature commission
| warehouse stocked for the Christmas
| trade. Great punches OF bananas and
| boxes of fruit were piled up in endless
| orofusion, and keeping company with
pounds and pouncs of candy, while far
ther back. several large turkeys We're
waiting till they should be needed.
| The tables We're served by the girls
/ # the Army and their friends, though
| there were some men in kitchen aprons
| who made themselves useful by pour
ng coffee and helping generally. At the
| arNlng table all the workers were men,
some Of the army and some volunteers.
Each table seated about &c. and at each
| plate was plate of turkey and veget-
ables and mug for coffee. In the
| centre were plates Of bread and butter
md dishes of celery. The menu was
| as follows:
Roast turkey, cold roast lamb, cold
ham, potatoes, squash, celery, bread
and butter, pie and coffee.
Every one was helped as often as
they wished, and given everything they
asked for that could be given
At half past twelve the first crowd
was seated. They were men and wo-
men and children whole families, some
Of them, and from the age of the older
men and the extreme infancy of some
Of the children, it appeared that four
generations were represented. There
was a good sprinNling of colored people
at the tables, and two boys of this race
seemed to have peculiarly arranged in
teriors, for they ate long after all the
others We're done. AS one of walters
said, however. they didn't equal a wo-
man Who was present last year. She
was able to make way with eight plates
| u food and then seemed not quite sat
istied
This crowd was interesting to watch,
but not half so much so as the one
which followed That consisted of the
,hildren, boys and girls, who had been
put IN the room above to wait until
their time came, They were hungry,
those poor little things were. and sim
ply couldn't wait until the blessing had
been asked. Several began to eat as
soon as they were seated and it took
all the restraining powers of several Of
the women to preserve order
When all We're seated, Bandnaster
Hall sounded the call for attention on
his cornet, and when every one was as
| lulet as circumstances would allow.
grace was sung, and then the
! order TO fall to and clean up everything
was given by Adjutant Edward White
! Ihe order was obeyed literally, though
some of the little fellows almost gave
! Up in despair before their plates were
elnptled. one little boy at the corner
| OF the table struggled with the drum
| stick of turkey ana seemed about to
| be defeated till his neighbor came to
his assistance, and together they sue
ceeded in conquering the refractory
drumstick.
! When they had finished eating. and
| as they filed out the door. each was
SlVen bag of candy and fruit. and all
| 1t them went away happy. Then the
tables were cleared for the next con.
| tingent of guests.
| Fresh covers were laid and the plates
We're washed and refilled, and every
| thing was made ready for the next lot
| OF eaters. These consisted for the most
| part Of men who had no home. and
| were supposed to be without money
| Before they came down stairs, however
some of the women gave them such
clothing from the stock on hand as thew
| seemed to need.
ii was mixed crowd. Most of the
| men We're shabby and hungry looking
and had the appearance of having spent
! the night at the Welcome Mission
| There was only one negro among them
and he was well dressed and was neat
! At the table the men We're as anxious
| to begin as the children had been
| They didn't wait for the blessing and
| some of them had to be reminded to
! take off their hats. The call was
sounded again, and the grace sung as
! before. and the same order given, And
/ the order was obeyed even more i'm
/ plicitly than in the case OF the children
| Not vestige of eatables of any sort
remained when the men had finished
and the skeletons of the turkeys We're
pitiful to behold.
Adiutant White was everywhere at
once, and with his corps of assistants
| managed the affair with a skill born
! of experience. Admission was by tick
cts. and the only cases of obtaining dim
ner under false pretences was in one
! ticket offered, which read National
| Disinfectant and Germicide. The ideal
! disinfectant, true germicide and deod-
orizer" The holder of this ticket was
| admitted without question
| Three small children received partic-
ular attention from the walters, Their
| father was dead, and only last week
their mother had been sent to the asy-
lum. They were in charge of neigh
Dor and enjoyed their dinner to the ut
most.
| sent to poor families in the city to-
night, and there is a great deal of 1t,
| too. as only about four hundred came
| TO be fed. This dinner was the only
/ thing of the kind held in worcester
| Yesterday, and it is to the credit of the
| Salvation Army that it proved SO sue
| cessful. There was not hitch any
! WHARF and all the assistants worked to-
| rether as though they had been trained
for it.
The funeral of john ]. Dempsey,
who died Saturday in Frankfort n: T.,
viii he held Tuesday afternoon from
| callahan Brothers warerooms, rem,
ME street. Services will be conducted
in st. Johns Church at o'clock Re
ouiem high mass was celebrated over
the body in ST. Johns Church J., tr Ia1lI
] fort. Monday morning, by Rev. f. wal
lace.