Evening star., 1901-12-23
CHRES I,MAS CHEER
Thousands ef-Dinners to Be Distrib-
ased Among the Poor.
OTHER RElIF WORK NECESSARY
Extensive PSyate Charity Planned
byAImas Temple.
THE oTHER SOCIETIES

1
| Thousands Of dinners are to be given the
poor of Washington on Christmas day. In
previous yearsscharity of this sort has been
dispensed with a lavish hand, but the plans
| for 1901 are more comprehensive than any
| others the city has eversknown. Unless the
purposes of the Associated Charities. the
| Citizens Relief Committee and half a
dozen Smaller organizations shall fail, no
| poor family in the entire District will lack
for holiday cheer on Christmas day.
The need for this Thought of others dur
| ing the season of merry making is made
more than manifest by Mr.. Charles F. Wei
| Ter, general secretary of the Associated
Charities. His opinion of present condi-
| tions is that many homes in the capital re-
auire speedy and generous charity at the
| hands of the Associated Charities, all char
| liable bodies affiliated with it and all cit
| izens of Washington who are able to help
| their fellows
In many homes. says Mr.. Weller, there
! are not only no fires, but no stoves in which
TO build 1iTeS; windows are broken and chill
dren huddled indoors because they have
neither shoes nor stockings. In one small
house a widow and nine children are ekeing
out miserable existence with no food and
almost no. clothing. Most of the children
are barefooted. They are all crowded In a
small room without fire. The only way
they can keep from freezing is by remain
ing In corner of the room where the draft
from the broken window does not reach
them ,s,-t. r. .s.
An old negro. who had been- blind and
partially paralyzed for several years, was
found in Southwest Washington recently
almost completely neglected. The old man
could use neither his arms nor his legs. His
wife had Eursed and cared for him until
she died, which was about two months ago.
The paralytic's savings of so Were said
to have been, spirited away by relatives in
Anacostia. who promised the cripple q
home. When the Associated Charities
found him he had been without food several
days and was too weak to rally. He died
several days ago at the Washington Asy-
lum
Prompt Response to Appeals.
Suffering is alleviated by the Associated
Charities without delay and to the fullest
degree possible in view Of the organization S
limited means. With the help of the cit
izen's relief committee, the Salvation Army,
the Central Union Mission, the Homeward
Bound Mission, the Mobiles of the Mystic
Shrine and muftitudinous offerings from the
pupils of the public schools, it is expected
nearly every needy family in the District
can be reabhed bs
+ PromiscJtus giving has come to an end
In former gears when little or no cooper
alton existed between organizations of be-
nevolent impulses, toys and dolls made up
>,
and there was little thought of the need for
clothing and food. This year baskets Of
Observation-Disclosures the toys, and
every basket iseto include warm gloves,
stockings or some other means to perma-
nent comf6ft. All the members of the fam
lily in eache fnsta4ce are to be given some
thing. The, Christmas giving is designed
to decrea SCI the .npmber of dependent poor.
The Associated Charities is acting as dis
tributing agent FOR air the charities of the
city. The churches. have already sent to
Mr.. Wellers a considerable supply of warm
clothing Seyeraf societies have made SINH
lar contributions or sent the associat ton
offerings of money. But the schools have
come to- the front most Handsomely. In
the Business High School alone over $50
In cash and Wagenload Of provisions were
collected. The Central School made an Of
fering last Friday commensurate with its
size and the number of its students. The
Western High School and the graded
schools of Georgetown have done their part
as well. The aggregate of these donations
will keep eleven wagons busy today and to-
morrow. These gifts are being distributed
without waiting for Christmas. Tonight. 1t
is expected several hundred families will
mas dinner which this morning had barely
enough food to subsiSt upon.
Planned by Mystic Shrine.
Almas Temple. Mobiles Of the Mystic
Shrine, has planned the most extensive pri-
vate charity Several years ago it was de-
cided to send a basket of provisions to each
of several needy families which had come
within the knowledge of the individual
mobiles. The next year the charity grew.
The next year after that it had doubled.
This year it has taken on very extensive
proportions. 81.
About 1900 baskets are to be filed with
provisions and each one is to contain a
supply sufficient to last the ordinary fam
lily several days. Over thousand hams
o,NI k,,~1y hoxrn han., nv1,a
sacks of flour fiIl an entire corner in Ma
tional Rifles Armory. In each basket will
be either a ham or a turkey, a sack of flour,
half a pound Of coffee, pound Of sugar,
two quarts OF hominy. quarter of peck
Of potatoes. quarter of a peck of turnips, a
box of oatmeal, a quart Of cranberries and
small can Of plum pudding. The plum
pudding Is special feature of this years
Almas desired to give every family q good
taste Of Christmas.
But this basket offering is only half the
program. The mobiles have planned also
an enormous Christmas party for children.
I with a band to make music, four Christ
mas trees, substantial gifts and an abun-
dance of nuts and candy. National Rifles
Hall Is being beautifully decorated for the
occasion. In each corner will stand fine
tree, bountifully trimmed. In the middle
Noble William Haley and his bandsmen
will be seated on platform, and will make
their contribution to the party in the form
of practically continuous music. All the
rest of the floor space win be set apart to
accommodate the 5000 guests Of the shrine
Every poor child whose name is submitted
to the mobiles in advance VIII be invited
and no one 'wilf-go away empty. Three
tons of frcandyshasHekeen purchased, and an
equal bulk OF. nuts and fruit has been pro-
vided. AS many pairs Of stockings as there
are guests will be on. hand, one stocking
filled with candy and the ether with nuts
and fruit. a pFogTam INCLINED to make the
heart of the most ltaciturn child glow with
Christmas cheer, is to be provided through
out. and tfle patty win continue from to
f. % clock zshrssfanas g.: afternoon Finally.
each child Wilk 5sn given a car ticket as he
leaves the habit in order to get home
quickly aad; ,e5gs s1SlgIy and with candy and
Ho-aIIll.iI., I,.s Homes, A.ylun..
All the f9spttals, homes for the aged,
asylums and other large institutions will
celebrate t9a seaSon with trees. and Christ
mas progrYMs. rJgq the homes for. the aged
the day has beSpme a regular donation
time. and fEiends Of the institutions reg
,ularly repqft E with offerings Of clothing and
furnishings TO ,4n1iyen the quarters of the
Inmates. The oxAban asylums make Christ
mas week thei NYeliest period of the year.
At St. Eliz4bethy the inmates consume for
their Chris5has hasIdinner enough of season
,I1- E<,<4