Evening star., 1900-12-24
The Street Car Mems Christmas.

To the Editor of The Evening Star:
This morning as 1 gave the conductor
car ticket 1 also handed him piece of sill
ver He looked rather surprised, and asked
me what it was for.
said, For you"
"Tm much obliged, SIR" and he smiled
as he transferred the money to his pocket
1 asked several conductors If they had
heard anything of the movement to bright
en- their Christmas, and they all replied in
the affirmative.
this" one of them said, 'there'd be lots
more Christmas at my house than l could
have without it. They amt none of us
starving. but; tell you, little extra
round time like this Is mighty useful, be-
cause playing Santa Claus to a lot of chill
dren is expensive business"
The men whom l asked if they would re-
ceive money as presents from the passen-
gers all replied, not in the same language,
but their answers can be summed up in the
expressive American phrase. You bet your
| life / would
| Speaking Of the idea suggested by a cor
respondent that box be placed in each
| car. one Of them told me that it would
| looh as II the conductor were soliciting,
whereas if the money was handed to lin
| 1t would be voluntarily done by the pas
senger.
There are thousands Of people in every
| great city who would be only too glad to
40 d little something Tor tnelr 1ellOW man
| at this time Of the year, but what to do
and how to do it Is to them Of more trou-
| BILE than the act Of giving something While
| I do not contend that the conductors and
| motormen are starving or that they can
not Nve without charity do say that none
| Of them have money to burn. Their sal
| aries are small and their hours are long,
| and as far as am concerned personally 1
| hard and striving to make Lying for him
self and family have brighter Christmas
| than he otherwise could have than give aid
to worthless individualslto whom the word
| work Is an ever present nightmare.
If every one will remember as they ride
In the car today and tomorrow that If they
Will give little something to these deserv-
| ing men, perhaps a little golden haired
| child will be able to hug and squeeze a lit
tie doll. which will make her believe there
Is Santa Claus. notwithstanding the as
surances Of her parents that Santa Claus
would not be able to visit her this year.
Perhaps a Christmas tree will brighten
many a home that without your mite would
be without one and IL you could see the ex-
pressions OF surprise and Joy on the faces
of the children to whom you have sent Joy
and giadness you would feel sorry that you
| did not give more. .,.
Perhaps he will be able to take to his sick
wife some fruit and delicacies which she
would otherwise haze to wish for but not
| receive.
Hoping the whole world will have a
merry Christmas and merrier New Year,
l remain, j. X r,
| Internal Revenue Collections.
The monthly statement Of the collections
Of internal revenue show that during No
vember. 1900, the total receipts were $25,-
344. .2S5. an increase as compared with No
vember. 1899. of 1886. .s51. The receipts from
the several sources of revenue are given as
follows: Spirits, $40 750. 800. increase $72s,-
IA: tobacco $4905.O67, decrease 1905 200
fermented liquors. $5.447,TS7 increase s1S6,
O6S; oleomargarine, $23S, ,627, increase SIC. .5S3
| special taxes not elsewhere enumerated
$50. .374. decrease $11 ,O37; miscellaneous, 49,.
966, 100, increase $209, All
! For the last five months the total receipts
were $1S1, ,279, 78T, an increase over the cor.
responding period last year Of $3. 71S. 76S