The Washington weekly post., 1900-12-11

1-.., most srpTsclated git TO
,,,-z,s-fe,. tE.s gear viii De rtHeWal
49, r-.s. Of DO, Whie House ioF an
'' '. r.srs Bur he viii have Tor
o''''' r..f.4l stocking ah immense
'', ID ,.s.sants az less value multi
I''' tIrd 4 week bcsore Chrls'-
49,. ,tev vi. begin 20 arrive ana
go I-r .p1sfmaU who delivers ths
p, ,re Executive Mansion VIII ee
t+44.5 - Fsun with bundles and packages
'[T. many more will be- fetched by eA-
80. The donations JEus received VIII
q, Irf. the thousands. and viii com
,,lsa everything imaginable from siiNeI
rarsr-Velg1ts 10 typewriter o'sAs' aHN
frau slippers % boxes Of orargts
Doubtless most OF the people who sthd
tts,. gifts believe that t"c President
orsfs them 40 himself and they Esufe
,8 themselves lu Imagination the pleasure
f. ulI experience IN disclosing i"e con
t,-t, o. their OWE partieIiAr Iafcrls. II
3. almost cruel Co disturb ihIs harmless
Illusion. but the fact is that tHe packages
ag ~ 10 Mr. Cortey0u, the secretary,
and are uuwrappel by messenger
Those % them which are identified as ar
f.-.ss 81 domestic usefulness, such as
clothes pins or cofee-pOts. are Transferred
70 The steward while such things as pat
snt tires for carriage wheels OF improved
farsesEugs are consigned 20 the coach
man al the Executive stables. Perhaps
sre present out Of 100, which happens 10
b. Of special interest or from a personal
friend. as seen by Mr.. Mckinley.
Giu. Of Liquor MOI Accepted.
Many cases Of wine and jugs Of whisky
are sent % the President at Christmas
time. but they are invariably refused, an
lfss they come from personal friends.
GIFTS o. large intrinsic value are likewise
declined. ln accordance with the rule c5-
abUshcd 40 the White House. On one oc-
c.s.on q brooch set with gems worth
about G.rl wGs sent 10 Mrs Cleveland
t. "a stranger. 10 whom IL was promptly
returned. Cigars Mr.. Mckinley accepts,
and the good ones ne smokes Presents
a. othar kinds are consigned mostly 10 the
attic of the Executive Mansion, whica
has become In this way a place Of storage
tar 'aa most indiscriminate and various
Dot OF old junk that can be imagined.
This Christmas. as usual. Mrs. MCKfn-
ley will have three or four young nieces
and cousins at the White House, 10 help
MAKE things jolly. but the day will be
spent very quietly. When there are chill
dran lu the Executive Mansion, things are
Lvc.Or of course. Queen Victoria makes
81 an invariable rule 10 have as many Of
her numerous grandchildren on hand At
Christmas time as possible, and there IS
always superb tree with many colored
candles.
Emperor William will celebrate the hOl-
iday il the new palace at POtsdam There
will be a sleighing party after lunch, FOL
lowed by a festival for members Of the
imperial family and the higher personages
Of the court 4 large fir tree will be SET
up for the Emperor and Empress, ard
there will be seven other trees. from the
adjacent wild park for the children. grad
ed In size down to a very little one for
Princess Louise. For the ladies' and gem
tlemen of the court there will be another
large tree, on the branches Of which will
De 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 win
be presents, and the jolification will be
held by the Emperor in person.
Millions spent for Christmas.
Christmas in this country gives work
for months before the holiday to a vast
army Of people, and in this way the fes-
uyal confers widespread benefits. In
mense sums OF money are expended on
the celebration. Probably fifty million
POUNDS Of turkey are consumed, which, al
70 cents a pound, would represent a value
OF S,SOOoo. Cranberries come to at least
half a million dollars more and il is
N .r,1sa to 50
that 100000 mince pies are devoured
At 10 cents apiece these pies would come
90 f0O9.0O0, though in reality they cost
more II il he assumed that the average
family spends 81 for toys, that item alone
would be $l5,c0OO0 Put il down at $l0.-
ttfv0 add another 100000 for jeWelry
gifts, ard the total already is not far
from $4,000 900. Probably S0.0O0,000 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 $2,OOO,0)0, and an ad-
dlu7nal 10000 for greens. The finest
Christmas trees come from Maine, the
oolsam frs being preferred on account
oi their pleasant odOr and the superior
lasting quality Of the foliage. In that
par of the country the raising of these
tees is an important Industry, forests OF
;nem being subjected to a partial cuiti-
N~uon. Enough clearing is done to allow
loom for each tree to 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 and
Tied In bunches. Six hundred punches of
I'VE trees each make a carload. and in
this shapa they are transported To the
cities. Some OF them are as much as
l"enty-two feet high. and are sold for
= each, The finest holly with the red
cast 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 Satur-
e'N, December Is. by the Cunard Line. I
L The last ship sailing that will carry
'A'slmas presents and gifts of money
appropriate 10 the season 10 relatives and
'Hrads abroad. About that time there is
sreat Increase in the money order bust
A'ss OF the Post-oftice Department, but
more especially in the registered mail
Foreigners in this country usually prefer
"aHy small European towns have no
h'ney order offices. From 25 90 10 5000
registered letters and packages will 90 by
@.r vessel referred 20. the greatest num-
'' being addressed 10 Italy. The Chinese
''AI many registered letters, and an odd
method tIey adopt for the sake Of econ
.'y ls 20 pool their cash, five or six OF
,-'m perhaps putting their money into
~" letter with a single address. Thus
managed one scent fee does FOR all, and
.-e money on reaching It's destination Is
e.gsaI
"'lru Christmas customs are largely
= lasaH origin. partly Scandinavian and
.'"' ancient Roman, with an admixture
early German and Druidical sugges-
'.-s 40 the old Roman festival In honor
saturn candles were lighted. wreaths
safauds were distributed and gifts OF
80 "'fr exchanged. IL was a disrepu-
" s"r' ~ celebration. but is nov com
...,S transformed, with the greeting OF
| due 0tllrn3'la' converted into Merry
| F''F and Saturn the debauchee
| r -'.. 'lhosed into respectable ST Mich
$50 lg former days 81 Nicholas, or
100 'lIuE. WAS aregF1uauied on his