The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1900-12-26
SENT JOY INTO HOMES
GREAT BENEFICENCE OF THE SAL
WALTON ARMY HERE.
Hundreds of Poor People of the CITY
Provided with BountifuI
Dinners.

There was no happier or more pleasant
Christmas celebration in the city than that
al the Salvation Army barracks, on South
Capitol avenue, yesterday. All day long
Adjutant Simonson and his wife, with
large representation of the corps, were
busy fixing UP basket dinners for the poor
and looking after the wants of those who
came to the barracks to eat their din
ners.
At least 100 dinners were served about
900 of which were basket dinners. bounteous
enough for whole families. These dinners
were delivered to all parts of the city
to families recommended by school teach
ers, charitable institutions, the police, and
discovered by members of the corps. The
dinners served at the hall were TO those
who held tickets, distributed by the Army
The basket dinners We're started Monday,
and wagon after wagon, piled high with
half-bushel baskets covered with paper,
left the barracks, to return in an hour
o. SO empty and ready to be reloaded.
This charitable delivery service lasted all
day yesterday, and as each wagon returned
To be reloaded the distributors brought
tidings of the joy the gifts had made in
homes that knew no other Christmas.
Sometimes baskets came back, two hav-
ing been sent to the same home, but each
time one of the men on the wagon told
Mrs. Simonson, who was overseeing the
packing of the baskets, that he knew of
some family that had been missed. and on
the next load it was taken to those not
or the list. While these dinners in baS-
kets We're counted one dinner, yet they
served families of from two to a dozen,
so that when the number of individuals is
counted, many more hundred dinners were
given yesterday than in the estimate made
by the officers of the Army.
AT THE HALL.
The dinner at the hall gave better op-
portunity to see the good work these peo-
pie are doing who are helping the lowly,
because there were more together. Shortly
after IL o'clock the dinner ready, and
as soon as the tables were cleared they
were at once filled by those waiting their
turn. The dinner continued all afternoon.
Children were also in evidence at the hail,
some coming alone and others with their
father or mother, or both. There was more
in store for the children than a mere din
ner. Sacks OF candy and nuts were dis
tributed to the little ones, and many whom
Santa Claus perhaps never visited expert
enced the joy that makes Christmas the
happiest day in the year. Their little hands
tightly clutched the treasures as they We're
given out, and their eyes sparkled. The
faces of the parents frightened, too. as
these presents given out and the
children proudly held up the gifts. Many
OF those who had known better times, but
have experienced the harsh dealing of
providence, brushed away tears as they
contemplated the Scene-not tears OF dis
appointment, but tears of sad Joy. Others
who have been accustomed TO privations
and scant welfare regarded the dinner in
a mystified and happy way.
Adjutant Simonson had his sleeves rolled
up TO his elbows, assisting in preparing the
baskets, and the red blouses and cos
TUNES worn by the women were regarded
with expressions of awe rather than temer-
ity as they moved about among the hun
cry men, women and children. Altogether
tx was a glorious day TO the members OF
the Salvation Army, and although their eff
forts have been eXhausting TO make hap
py day for the poor, yet their joy seemed
to exceed that OF the people they helped.