Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1901-12-24
CHRISTMAS CHEER
How the Midwinter Festival Will
be Observed in Rock
Island.
SERVICES IN THE CHURCHES
Children to be Made Happy by
Visits From Kris
Kringle.

From the preparations that have
taken place on every hand il is sup
possible that Christmas tomorrow will
be celebrated with unusual fervor by
the people of this locality.
Outside of the giving and receiving
Of presents and the general partal1ing
Of the cheer of the occasion, there
Will not be a wide range of diversion
open to the people of Rock Island
who remain at home. There will be
no skating or sleighing for the young
and few public functions for the old.
the affairs of the latter sort being
for the most part the regular church
services among the Catholic, Episco-
pal and Lutheran congregations.
The celebration of SSlcred Heart
church will be especially significant.
for it will be the first held in the new
church at Fifth avenue and Twenty
eighth street. Masses here, as in the
other Catholic churches. St. Joseph's
md st. Marys, will be celebrated at
;. and 1880 o'clock, and special
music will be provided.
At Trinity Episcopal church the
first services will take place .at mid
night tonight and there will he others
1T 10 a. m. II m. and p. IN. Vt the
last named hour there will be dis
tribution of presents among the
children, n crib being arranged for
this purpose in place of the custom
airy tree. The crib is an eastern in
stitutiOn and it's Introduction here
viii prove something rather unique.
At the First Church of Christ, Sci
enlist, on Twenty-third street,
praise service viii be held in cOnnec-
ton with the regular Wednesday
evening meeting. \ special program
has been prepared, including a vocal
solo by Miss Pauline WoItman and
cornet solo by Prof. Toenniges. The
services begin at 1880.
Christmas Exercises.
The children's exercises at the
Memorial Christian church will be
held Thursday evening.
The Central Presbyterian church
viii have the children's exercises on
Thursday evening.
There Is to bea mathis service at
Grace Lutheran church at o'clock
exercises viii be held Thursday even
ing at o'clock.
The childFen's program at. the
German Lutheran church occurs
his evening. There will be m adj
dress by the pastor. Rev. c. y. Men
nicke and a distribution of presents.
Services tomorrow will he held at 10
a. IN. and 1880 p. IN. nj the morning
there Will be holy communion.
Christmas exercises for the child
rem will be held among the protestant
churches of this city this evening.
There will be Christmas trees, Kris
Kringle. speaking and singing. can
tatas and all the other observances
which properly mark the occasion.
Judging by indications manifested
elsewhere these exercises will receive
a patronage second that of none of
the years that have gone before.
The Sunday school children of the
First Methodist church will give Il
cantata entitled christmas With the
Pixies about 80 taking part. There
will be no tree. but after the program
the children will be given the usual
treat of candy and nuts.
At the First Baptist church there
Will he n program made up of songs
and recitations by the Sunday school
children, a reading by Miss Gertrude
Don and a vocal solo by Miss Jose
phine Woodin. 1t is to be followed
by the uncovering of a tree.
The United Presbyterian Sunday
school children will have their cNer-
cises this evening at the church, be-
ginning at o'clock. The program
includes n number of songs and reel
tations and short cantata called
The Revolt of Santa Claus" Santa
Claus will be on hand.
The Christmas exercises at the
Broadway Presbyterian church last
evening were largely attended and of
4 very pleasing character. There
were songs and recitations by the
Sunday school children and numbers
BY the Sunday school orchestra of
eight pieces under the direction of II.
f. Van Duzer. Afterward there were
two Christmas trees uncovered and
Santa Claus. an the person of w. B.
Mcintyre. made the young hearts
glad with a distribution of presents.
Holiday Chat
There will be the customary sus-
pension of business. The Argus Will
be among the number, not issuing
any paper tomorrow.
The opening of the periods during
which holiday rates are in effect
-ruwCcd the depots and outgoing
trains this morning. Holiday travel
for a week o. more past has been
much better than common.
The express men are simply over
whelmed with business these days.
rhe business they ar called upon TO
handle is so great that trains are put
behind time waiting for the transfer
of packages
Each employee OF the Lightning
Medicine company today received a
Christmas present of a handsome
check. given by the genial manager,
George ]. Gruber-
President Gustav Andreen, of Au-