Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1902-12-21
ACH year so long as I live and
|@ the Christmas time comes again
I shall think of Consul Emma
Booth-Tucker of the Salvation


d I shall think Of Consul Emma
Booth-Tucher of the Salvation
Army distributing baskets and
blessings to the poor and Iowiy on Dec.
25. In connection with that scene some
how always comes to me the thought
of the redemption of the race and OF
Jesus of Nazareth feeding 5000 hungry
ones with miraculous loaves and fishes,
albeit the loaves and fishes Mrs. Booth
Tucker ,dispenses are not the least mi
raculous, and, what is more, not few
of them are provided by wealthy and
kindly men and women of the Hebrew
faith. It is something that could hard
ly happen outside of the United States
Jews aiding generously to provide in
honor OF the birthday Of the Founder
of the Christian faith dinner to be
distributed by the heads OF the Saliva
ton Army to $4,000 hungry people OF all
races, all colors, all religions and many
of no religion at all.
In the largest cities Of the Union this
annual Salvation Army Christmas din
ner has place. For weeks before the
25th of December at street corners in
the most crowded thoroughfares are
earthenWare pots hung upon cross
sticks in imitation OF gypsy cooking
pots a wire netting is over each so as
not to tempt weak brethren to snatch
it's contents. The meshes of the net
ting are large enough to permit bank
notes and all sizes of silver coins being
slipped within them. Upon Piacard
above the pot are inscribed the words,
keep the Pot Boiling" A gentle, blue
uniformed sister in scoop bonnet stands
guard over the pot, or sometimes IN the
busiest or toughest localities it may be
two men Salvation Army soldiers. This
is the Army's unique method of appeal
ing to the public to help it give a din
ner to from 10000 to 10000 hungry per-
sons on Christmas DAY.
The public responds generously.
Probably one-sixth Of all the persons
who pass those pots contribute from
one copper cent upward to keep the
pot boiling" I have looked into the
receptacles and seen them sometimes
quarter full. Then it is the part of wis
dom to empty them and begin over
again.
In New York no building except Mad
ison Square Garden is large enough to
hold the Salvation Army diners and
=
h-Tucker may be found on Christ
mas, when she is not out Of the city on
Army affairs. Weeks before Christmas
morning Army soldiers have been pre-
pairing for these dinners. The cooked
feast is served in the evening. In the
early part of the day baskets of eat
ables, unlocked, are distributed to the
just and the unjust. a stream OF hi-
nanity that begins to gather by
clock pours into one door and passes
out the opposite one, each person car
rying basket containing food ample
for four personS-a fowl, vegetable
fruit and some cake or candy. 1t is a
dinner good enough for your family or
mine, reader, yet some OF those VINO re-
ceive it grumbie audibly because it is not
already cooked! Some folk are hard to
please. The long procession of the hun
cry winds around Madison Square Car
den for a block and half each way,
north and south. 1t is composed large
ly of women and children. 10 their
credit. ahlebodied men are somewhat
ashamed to form. part OF the doiefui
double file, unless pushed nara Tor 1000.
Among the women are now ard then
the most awful specimens OF their sex
this earth holds-female outcasts, with
bruised and blackened eyes ami cuts
upon their poor, degraded faces. I'M
mediately behind one of these will per-
haps be slender woman with face SO
tlickly yelled that her own mother
would not know her. She is neatly, but
not warmly, dressed. She receives her
basket with downcast head and hurries
past. She feels as mean as II she had
been caught stealing. She is sensi-
tive. respectable woman, that day din
nerless. Plainly she has been we'll
brought up and used to plenty. Some
how she sets the spectator OF this
strange scene to wondering whether an
empty cupboard will ever stare him i'll
the face on Christmas day.
In the center of the great Enclosure
stand usually Commander and Mrs.