The Washington weekly post., 1900-12-11

e.,,. clans most appreciated SIT to
A. ,rrLyf-f.v this year viii b. a renewal
80. NJ .hr White House for an
". n. .- .asrs. But he will have for
r....srtlaI stocking an immense
- 81 ,r.saEts a. less value. multi
,-.. .- krrl 4 week before Chris,-
nav they viii begin to arrive. and
--I-r-f .pa-tuau who delivers the
r al tho Executive Mansion viii be
i-sf.f down with bundles and packages.
.rTs many more will be- fetched by eX-
.rass The donations Jnus received viii
,sr no .rtl ,ne thousands, and will com
,-..a everything imaginable from silver
-.rlr.galgHt5 10 typewriter desks, and
nom s.irrsrs 90 boxes Of oranges.
Uggblsss. most Of the people who send
,t.se g.ns believe that the President
arsrs Them an himself. and they Ggure
~ ffrmsslyes iu ina aginat.0s the pleasure
Ff Efu experience In disclosing the con-
t.rfs o. their own particular parcels. II
f almost cruel 90 disturb this harmless
illusion. but the fact is that the packages
all ~ 20 Mr.. Cortclyou, the Secretary,
and are uuWrapped by a messenger.
Those az them which are Identified az ar
f..rrs 90 domestic usefulness, such as
c.atLee-pIEs or coffse-p0ts, are transferred
20 tae steward. while such things as pat
sat tires for carriage wheels or improved
b6r.s-h1ss are consigned 10 the coach
man az the Executive stables. Perhaps
one present out OF 100. which happens to
be- of special interest or from a personal
iIgld. as seen by Mr.. Mckinley.
Giu, Of Iiqaor Not Accepted.
Many cases Of wine and jugs Of whisky
ere sent % the President at Christmas
time, but they are invariably refused, an
liss they come from personal friends
GIFTS o. large intrinsic value are likewise
declined. in accordance with the rule e5-
tabIshcI at the White House. On one oc-
o.sl0u q brooch set with gems worth
about N.p'J was sent 10 Mrs. Cleveland
ls "a stranger, % whom Il was promptly
rc,unsd. Cigars Mr.. Mckinley accepts.
and lhe good ones he smokes. Presents
ol 0ther kinds are consigned mostly to the
attic of the Executive Mansion, whica
la- become in this way a place of storage
i1r the most indiscriminate and various
Iot OF old Junk that can be imagined.
This Christmas, as usual, Mrs McKin-
lfy VIII have three or four young niecrs
and cousins at the White House, TO help
make things jolly but the day viii be
spent very quietly. When there are chill
dren 10 the Executive Mansion, things are
Lve4er OF course. Queen Victoria makes
10 an iHvariable rule 10 have as many Of
her numerous grandchildren on hand At
Christmas time as possible, and there IS
always a superb tree with many cOlOred
candles.
Emperor William will celebrate the hol-
iday In the new palace at POtsdam There
Will be a sleighing party after lunch, fol-
lowed by festival for members OF the
imperial family and the higher personages
Of the court A large fir tree viii be set
up for the Emperor and Empress, ard
there will be seven other trees, from the
adjacent wild PARK for the children. grad
cd In size down to a very little one for
Princess Louise. For the ladies and gen
uemen of the court there will be another
large tree, on the branches OF which will
be hung numerous gifts OF a humorous
character, each one reminding the recip-
lent IN a teasing way of some untoward
event of the year. On all the trees will
be presents, and the jollifeation will be
held by the Emperor in person.
Millions SpenI for Christmas.
Christmas in this country gives work
Il
army Of people and in this way the fes-
uyal confers widespread benefits. In
mense sums OF money are expended on
'he celebration. Probably fifty million
pounds Of turkey are consumed, which, at
10 cents pound, would represent a value
Of S,voOe0. Cranberries come to at least
half a million dollars more, and il is
surely not an overestimate to suppose
that 100000 mince pies are devoured
IL 10 cents apiece these pies would come
10 Nom00O, though in reality they cost
more. If Il he assumed that the average
family spends 81 for toys, that item alone
would Ice Sl5.CJ0C00. Put it down at SlO,-
NlV0, add another &l0,00J00O for jewelry
gifts ard the total already is not far
from E0,00O,OoO Probably S500O0,010 would
not be an excessive estimate for the cost
OF one Christmas in the United States.
In the above list might have been put
10000 trees at an average price of %
cents, representing S,0J00V, and an ad-
dlt9nal 100000 for greens. The finest
christmas trees come from Maine, the
halsam frs being preferred on account
Of lhelr pleasant odor and the superior
lasting quality Of the foliage In thar
PAR or the country the raising Of these
Tees is an important Industry, forests OF
'hem being subjected to a partial cult
N-ton- Enough clearing is done TO allow
loom for each tree 10 grow fully and
symmtJucally, and in five years they
reach marketable size. Then the con-
Tractor comes, and. having bought them
standing for cash, orders them cut ana
uel in buncnes. Six hundred punches of
I'VE trees each make a carload. and In
lhl> shape they are transported 10 the
cities. Some of them are as much as
twenty-five feet high. and are sold for
& each. The finest holly, with the red
ee,t and most plentiful berries, comes
nom New Jersey.
Christmas ship for Europe.
The Christmas ship, as the post-office
people call il. sails for Europe on SatuT-
uaA December Is, by the Cunard Line. I
S The last ship sailing thai viii carry
christmas presents and gifts of mOnev
appropriate 10 the season 10 relatives and
iHra1S abroad About that time there is
great Increase In the money order bust
A',s OF the Post-ofiice Department but
more especially In the registered mail
Foreigners In this country usually prefer
registry 10 money orders, and. besides.
many small European towns have no
h'nsy order offices. From . .Oc0 10 5000
''ss.trsI letters and packages will go by
,@r Vessel referred To, the greatest num-
.i being addressed 10 Italy. The Chinese