New-York tribune., 1901-12-26

THREE THOUSAND EAT AT MADISON
SQUARE GARDEN-BAsKETs FOR sEF-
ENTEEN THOUSAND OTHERS.
The Salvation Army yesterday with laV1sn
hand dispensed Christmas cheer 10 many lno"-
sands Of poor men. women and chlloreh- AHIe
thousand last night sat down TO suosiahtiaI
Christmas dinner at Madison Square GARDEN as
guests of the army. Earlier in the cay Coih-
rnander Booth-TucRer acted as Santa Claus IN
distributing 3.4oo baskets containing food for
seventeen thousand
The Garden arena last night was huge pan
met hall seventy-fve tables had been set,
each with seats for forty people. On every table
we're floral decorations, and they all looked IN
vitinE There were two hundred volunteer
walters members of the army. In the kitchen
which had been established at the Madison-ave
side of the Garden. behind the second tier OF
boxes twenty cooks and helpers had been busily
at work fer many days preparing the food. Ten
# their number had done nothing but peel pota-
toes since last Sunday. The stock of provisions
,lsed 2r The dinner Included 5000 pounds of tur-
kew 800 rounds OF roast meat, IS bushels Of
potatoes 150 quarts Of cranberry sauce, 40
pounds OF cranberry Jelly 900 nlince and apple
pies GJ0 gallons Of coffee, and 5000 loaves of
bread. The bread supplied to the army
free Of charge by the United States Bread Com
pany.
4 bugIe call announced that everything was
ready for the guests. There was stir and
r1ls1 in the galleries where a multitude had been
waiting for the signal A moment later the
headquarters band under the direction of Major
Goodinr struck up While We Were Marching
Through Georgia" and TO the strains Of this
familiar tune the guests were n1arshailed 10
their seats by the ushers.
From the boxes many well known persons
looked down on the scene. Among the boXhold-
ers were Mrs. Hermann Oelrichs. Mrs Stuyve-
SAINT Fish. General Daniel E. Sickles. W. c.
Whitney. O. H. P. Belmont. Justice Jerome
Miles NJ. O'Brien president OF the Board Of
Education; Mrs. Charles P. Fagnani, Sidney
Smith and Mrs Rapelye.
A crowd of newsboys first fell TO in ear
nest, beginning with the pie Many OF them
made a full meal on it.
In the crowd at the tables were colored men,
swarthy Italians and blond Scandinavians
Nearly every race and every creed was repre-
scented. Here and there woman sat with the
t1nen. although the dinner had been originally
intended only for men Commander Booth-
Tucker walked about among the tables, seeing
TO It personally that every one shouid De wen
served. His only regret, as he expressed IT, was
that some applicants had to be turned away
When all had eaten the lights We're turned 10"
and a stereopticon gave scenes from the fas-
sion PLAY While the exhibition lasted the hand
and a large choir rendered appropriate music
both vocal and instrumental At the END COM
,,,ande- Isooth-Tucker and other officers de-
I!vered Informal talks of a spiritual nature.
In the forenoon the Garden was used as
depot from which the army distributed basketS
containing food for families. who preferred 10
take their dinner in their own homes. Ih1rtH-
four hundred such baskets We're aislrlou1gu, sur 1te
60, containing food for a family of five. The
commander himself presided over the GistIlbu-
ZION He stood on a table in the centre OF Ihe
Garden and on another near by stood Colonel
clifford. who assisted him.
The doors were opened at 10 O'Clock A crowd
of many hundreds crowded about the Ft our VI
C e1trance of the Garden. Outside Captain
sheehan of the Tenderloin station ana seNenI!
,Sze bluecoats maintained order. The paskets
-dissnpeared at the rate of one thousand or more
ar hour While the distribution was IN prog
1-ess almost every person one met IN the Nlclllls
of the Garden carried a Salvation army bashet-
efoe+ of these were women. many of them hav-
.jng children clinging TO their skirts
The distribution lasted for fully three honrs
and when the doors closed there was not a pas
LET left