Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1899-12-23
How the Festival Was Celebrated
Sixty Years Ago.
RECOLLECrlONS OF THE OLD TIMER
Improvised Methods for Increasing
the Power of Powder.
l. A L Err DAY IN CID E \ rs

octogenarian. I'VE celebrated Christmas
with fully as much vim at present, bu
the difference in sixty years is great. Th
| meager facilities afforded, the primitive
methods CT the grandparents of the present
generation. and the fact that we had but {
single day of vacation, made the festive
occasion vastly different from more recent
ones, when the youth have had at least a
week for enjoyment. AS a religious festiva
it was then observed, as now, by the Cath
Ole, Episcopal and Lutheran churches as
one of the leading events of the year, and
the preparatiCl.s for the observance were
elaborate. The Methodists and other de-
nominations held services Christmas morn
ing.
I'm proportion to the population, the
church services We're more largely attended
than Of late Y ars The churches of the
city at that day numbered less than dozen,
and all OF them were much smaller than
now. and, as will be seen, We're scattered
over large territory. There were but two
Catholic churches, St. Patrick's, 10th and
f streets northwest. and St. Peters, I'd and
{ streets southeast; three Episcopal, Christ
Chufch. q street between 9Th and 18th
streets south asst; st. Johns, 18th and H
streets northwest and Trinity, 9TH street
between ID and E streets northwest one
Lutheran Church, the Concorda, at 10th
and G streets, and three Methodist. Ebe-
nezer NOW Trinity, 4th street near E
street southeast: Foundry, 18th and G
streets northwest, and Wesley 9TH and f
streets northwest.
The services We're usually we'll attended,
especially those of the first named denom-
nation. The younger portion of the COM
munlty, however. left the religious services
for their elders, the boys devoting their
time to outdoor demonstrations.
1t was easy to impress the legend of
Santa Claus with his pack. sleigh and
team, on the minds of the children" said
the old resident. THE weather (snow often
covering the ground) and the capacious
fireplace, with its broad wooden mantle
where the stockings could be hung, helped
to make the illusion real. So rarely do we
have the snow now, and so few the old
time fireplaces and wooden mantles that
1t requires some ingenuity to make the
youngster believe that Old Santa exists.
1T made no difference how much or
how little credence was placed in the legend
in those days, for generally 1t was revered.
especially in the German families, and
Christmas eve parties were so numerous
was sure to be remarked. These would
generally commence late in the evening
@ or 10 o'clock, after the children of the
house had hung up their stockings and re
tired, and in a few instances after mid
night people of the neighborhood would be
called to see some one enact the part of
the old saint The night would be spent in
dancing and the playing of games and the
intending to attend the early church serv-
ices were belated.
Facilities for Making Din.
II came near forgetting the noise and
din" continued the old man. Il do not
know that with your improved methods for
noise-makng you excel the noise of old. Then
it was not only the boys who made the
din, but those of larger growth Wed with
the youngsters. and with guns flint locks),
pistols and firecrackers. tried TO Guido
them. Indeed, the spirit of emulation be-
tween the grown and half-grown led to
some excuses, and in the latter part of the
30s those intending to celebrate We're adj
mOniShed through the public print to do
no mischief, but TO act more decOrOusly.
AS a sample of the behavior, let me state
that at one house, where party of young
men and maidens were making merry, an
outsider crawled upon the roof and, reach
ing the chimney, placed a piece of plank
over the fiue and smoked out the jewellers.
Yes. we had some temperance people in
that day remarked the old gentleman,
but they were in the minority Chief JUS
tice CTanch was the president of the Wash
ingtOn Temperance Society, but the great
Washingtonian temperance revival had not
reached here. In many houses the decanter
was usually on the sidebOard from year in
to year out. 1t Is not, therefore, strange
that d Christmas time liquid refreshments
were to be found in nearly every house,
public or private. Indeed, houses were kept
open, and egsnog. Tom and Jerry and
apple toddy We're added to unmixed liquor
and We're dispensed ad libitum. If per-
chance. total abstainer declined the social
glass. he had hard work to escape a taste
of liquor, especially if he accepted a slice
OF pie. for In preparing the mince meat our
cooks knew OF but one way to flavor it,
and that by a bountiful addition of good
strong brandy.
Schools of Olden Time.
"Tha schools Of the old dayc both p,1hljr
and private, enjoyed a Christmas holiday
which was of so limited a duration that
the grammariaus among the boys spoke of
1t in the singular number only, the day in
questionable 18th of December-being Civ
en-, with sometimes a half day on the prior
date. Happy We're the pupils when the
18th fell on Friday, for there We're two
days following which they We're not obliged
to count as school days. Then, too, in adj
dition to keeping up with their lessons,
Christmas always prompted the teacher to
drill the pupils in singing, dialogues and
declarations, to be given together some
evening during the week.
The most enjoyable Christmas times, fif-
ty or sixty years ago, were those when a
coptous fall Of snow prevented the attend
ance Of pupils at school, and was not suf-
ticient to keep them off the streets when
homes had lost attraction.
In the latter part of the thirties a num-
Der OF gunnerS ana nSnermen had their
homes in West Washington, and their
hunting and fishing operations We're in the
neighborhood of Aqua creek. These made
a rule to return to their homes just before
Christmas, and early IN the morning, each
with a toy drum or penny whistle, and
with a plentiful supply of frecrackers,
would march from one house to another,
sampling the drtnkables and usually setting
off pack of firecrackers
I'm the evening", continued the old boy,
I'VE had the old American Theater to go
to. 1t was then in full blast. This was on
Louisiana avenue between AZ and 9Th streets
tthe old Canterbury site), and there was in
Masonic Hall Corner of AZ street and
Louisiana avenue) the old Columbian Mu-
scum, with Carusfs now kernans Thea
teri at 18th and c streets, the favorite
place for balls. Though but one day was
kept as a holiday, every evening during the
week these places were crowded, and many
private parties took place.
When the weather would permit a fox
hunt took place some time during the week
The headquarters Of the Washington Fox
Hounds were at Favier's, 18th street and
Massachusetts avenue, and there were all
ways one or more social evenings here in
the festival week. :.
1T seems to me" remarked the old-timer.
that the Christmas weather then was
more sea sonahle than that we have had In