The Worcester spy. [volume] (Worcester, Mass.) 1898-1904, 1899-12-24

happy and hallowing influences that
have been handed down to US by our
! Puritan forefathers, will find here it's
greatest significance. The rich and the
poor, the high and the low, the good,
bad and Indifferent, in so far as the
/ purposes of the day are concerned,
will all meet upon common level. For
the first time in very considerable
/ period, Christmas will be ushered in
with all the attendant circumstances
and conditions that come with a new
era of general prosperity.
| 1t will be a poor home, indeed, in
! worcester tomorrow that does not in
some way feel the influences of Christ
mas day. Presents in these days are
in such great variety and are so cheap
that gladness, by reason Of gifts can
| shed a ray into nearly every hole and
| cover of this wide land. Every Ella
borate dinner, no matter how great the
! expense, will be worth all the money
! that 1t costs if it makes the diners
! better friends than they were before.
| But the best feature of the season
! will be the remembrance of the poor
and unfortunate. There are many able
/ to spend little or nothing for Christ
.
that the most joyous side of Christmas
may be sometimes overcast. So may
| every one feel today and tomorrow
that, be he ever so humble, he is able
to contribute to the happiness of some
| body
OF course the observance of the day
| in the homes of Worcester's wealthy
| people can be as well understood as
though it had already been told. But
| it is in her public and philanthropic in
stitutions that the observance of the
day finds its greatest interest in the
| public mind.
Among the poor and lowly who have
no one to depend upon save those in
whom a gracious spirit of Christmas
| tide works out its Christian charity
and so finds its greatest happiness.
Before the gray dawn penetrates the
gray darkness of early morn, the work
of the soldiers of the Salvation army
will begin. 1t will be one of self
sacrifice and rays of happiness will be
directed in the Salvation army bar
racks, on Commercial street, upon more
than 700 of the poorer classes, whose
| Christmas dinners will be served by
| followers of the army cross.
! At noon the doors leading into the
| barracks will be thrown open and the
| ticket holders will file into the hall.
| Seven hundred tickets for free dinners
| have been distributed, but after these
have been provided for at the tables
| laden with food the admission will be
unchecked and the supply of food will
| be the only limit to the numbers fed,
Holiday shoppers have noticed the
soldiers of the Salvation army with
| contribution boxes mounted upon a
! staff, standing where the crowd is
thickest and seeking the spare pennies
| of the busy, busting Christmas pur-
| chasers. Efforts in this direction have
resulted in more than 500 being turned
| over to Staff Capt Allan of the local
| barracks. The small rooms of the
| hall are piled high with baskets and
crates of vegetables and meat for the
| Christmas dinner MY idea is" said
| Capt Allan to a Spy man, Ito feed
| more people than any charitable asso-
| citation has ever done in this city. The
| hunger of 1000 people less fortunate
| than we who look to our Christmas as
day of rejoicing, will be appeased.
l have been in the city but six weeks.
| The soldiers of the army have lent
their aid and our religion has been
merry Christmas to the poor. In New
York the Salvation army always takes
| in collections in the week preceding
Christmas. 1t is considered a novelty
there. An iron kettle was suspended
from a staff, reading Keep the pot
DOlllnR. mere IL is no HONelly' OuI
men have been chilled to the marrow
standing upon the sidewalks. But there
has been no complaint.
while the children are preparing to
visit the fireplace where the rows of
stockings are hanging, the soldiers will
don their uniforms and muster at the
barracks. Arrangements have been
made for 1000 to enjoy the hospitality
of the barracks. Turkey will be the
or Of 6innnp nd
will also be chicken. mutton and beef"
The menu will be:
Roast Turkey
Chicken Beef Mutton Pork
Potatoes Vegetables
Bread.~ Crackers Cookies
Loaf Cake Fancy Biscuit Pie
Tea Coffee Milk
Nuts Pop Corn Candy Apples
At the close of the dinner, Staff Cap
tain and Mrs. Allen will lead the ex-
ercises, and there will be an entertain
ment. The army band will play its
newest selections, and the children will
receive presents.
1t has been estimated that more than
two hours win be consumed in serving
the dinner. The actual expense to the
Salvation Army will be about ten cents
per plate, or $40 for the dinner for 700
mand, and generous donations from
local merchants or public spirited cit
liens tomorrow will be appreciated.
The shrewd, careful housewife, if
taxed with the task of feeding 700
guests, would be thoroughly fatigued
before half through with the arrange
ment of details Some idea of the
amount of food to be dispensed at the
Salvation Army barracks tomorrow
may be had from the following figures,
representing the kitchen and pantry
from which the supply for the tables
will be Drawn: One hundred and fifty
pounds of turkey 100 pounds of chick
en- 100 pounds of beef, mutton and pork,
10 barrels of potatoes, 100 bushels of
vegetables, $50 loaves of bread, 100
loaves of cake, 300 pies 80 pounds of
coffee, 10 pounds of tea, so pounds of
butter, 20 gallons of milk two gallons
of pickles, $50 pounds of sugar, so
punches of celery, three barrels of ap
pies. two sacks of nuts. three bushels
of pop corn, four barrels of candy, four
boxes Of biscuits and cookies, and one
barrel of crackers.
The committees from the local divis-
ion of the Salvation Army are: Setting
tables, Donald Starbard, John Boggs,
Edward Harris, David Mars, William
Ryan; preparing turkey and meat, Mrs
PHOEBE Allan, Mrs. Nellie Pratt Mrs.
Bertha Boggs, Mrs. Kate Snow; pre-
pairing vegetables, Mrs. Pearl Hardy,
Mrs Jane Ryan, Mrs. Julia Oakley,
Mrs Nellie Burden, Mrs. Sarah Green;
table walters and mattresses, Mrs. Sa-
die Fenton, Mrs. Elizabeth Dinsdale,
Mrs Violet Whitcomb Miss Hattie
Mills, Miss Rachel Mars, Miss Annie
Bird Miss Addie McCloud, William
Dinsdale, Samuel Fenton, Levi Hum
phrey, John Kirk, James Mars; orderly
sargeants Inhn a Watran Inhn Hall