The Montgomery advertiser., 1903-12-23
THE CROWD, THE CHRISTMAS CROWD
 THRONGS BUSY STREElS OF MONTGOMERY

From the big patrolman, who wore . bunch of holly in the lapel of his blue coat, who was decidedly the most pscsni- Dent figure on the avenue, at least to the small boy with the big cracker and . match: to the Iittle negro raganufEln, who stepped in the middle of the side walks to look In a show window; 1t was interesting.
 Big business Haea. and bankers, with their wive sand children and buIging pockets, took precedence in the stores over the huuablar M0ueSomefians, who looked with awe at the things they lEaew they couldn't buy. But everybody, so
 most of the merchants say, is buying moro this Christmas than In many years Cotton is no longer worth cents and even the poorest have some ready money.
 Just look there," said . prominent business man, who was in . store buying and looking. Just look at that littse fellow with the hole in his stocking eye Ing that monkey on q stick. Heil ret more pleasure out of tl1aa trip othis bia, store even if he doesn't get a tlaiug on Christmas but a cheap bag of candy at a Sunday school Christnas tree, than that younssteE, with the yellow iesgiuga. whose mama just saw tip . clerk to wrap up that mechanical auto. will if he gets two-thirds of the earth.''
 There were droves of negroes down town yesterday. The statement was made py an old Montgomerian, who watches things, that there were more negroes m Montgomery yesterday than he he'd ever seen, in his life. And the knot in the oandana Of every negro was far from empty. There were orderly and bought unusually free. They were full of the Christmas spirit. too. One old neRress was so imbued with 1t that she gave the crnvvA an HtffIA her old man. who had just bought her an elaborate fan of carTnine hue, whose pur- chase price was g cents,
 The country people were in town in punches. Every train brought in a fresh delegation, and apples, oranges. candle, and every other Christmas IndispensabiI. ity. were taken out to make the homo of the 12-cent cotton farmer brighter dur ing Yuletide.
 For several years past, the compara- lively low price of cotton has kept the country trade in the country. Christmas demands were supplied by the small stock of nuts and faisins carried by the village postofhce and general store but this year conditions are different and while In all probability the business of the village stoFekeeper has not decreased there are lots of additional things whIc hthe farn- CTS can and are buying in Montgomery.
 In Montgomery yesterday were num- bers of young men who have emigratetf from Alabama to the East and West and who were returning home for the holl- days. At the depot many a stalwart son was given a tender embrace by a mother from whom he had been absent for nearly a decade and there were few hearts in the big crowd that assembled there that did not beat little warmer for humanity, as they watched the scene.
 With crashing yell. in grey uniforms, gold and black braid. or with the initiated hat, the Montgomery collegians came in yesterday for ths holiday week Thelr fellow students living in adjacent towns came along with them and the streets were alive with them last night.
 Oh, this Christmas business is a great thlng-for the crowd.
 And we are of the crowd!