Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1903-01-17

not 50 dlgnlneu ana 50 klhul3' ''hN'"-
tlons down In the square mile called
''the city mostly mean aldermanie
Teasing, The lord mayor who Is also
an alderman gets $4,000 a year and
spends as much again. chiefly In giving
and eating prodigious dinners. The
other aldermen and the sheriffs like
wise fulall their chief official functions
by banquetng on every possible occa-
sion, and the ancient Gulldhall, the
stately historic home OF the city's high
ly ornamental and gastronomlc govern
ment, il famous throughout Chrsten-
som for the marvellous spreads mat
have been provided therein for kings
queens, premiers and visiting poten-
tates.
In one way the Gulldhall Is true to
It's traditions at Christmas time, but
In another It isnt-because for once
the city fathers look on while others
eat, and the guests instead Of being
the richest, mightiest folk OF the day
are the littlest, poorest ana most help
less that can be gathered in all the sad
byways and alleys Of Whitechapel.
This banquet is no ordinary affair,
for the "eIty' has tremendous dig
nifty 10 maintain and an unDroken rec
ord dating from away back before
America WAS discovered Of doing moth
ing common. so the rugged urchins
from all the dens that are sometimes
grouped under the general tile OF
Whitechapel are treated with the same
exact and punctiious ceremony that Is
occasioned by a royal visit The result
was the most picturesque holiday en-
tertainment OF the. year.
The guests are Always 600 In num-
Der, carefully chosen by relief societies
from the hungrlest OF all The hungry
children In London, You don't nave
10 be good to get an inyltolioni you
only have 10 prove that a big Christmas
dinner would come handler TO you than
10 almost any one else. Twelve hum
bred OF the children who are more OF
less able bodied, are gathered under the
ubult ulu IdllNIfh lvol VI lHt phlhhth
and the other 5000. who are cripples
or too III TO come, have their dinners
sent around to-them In hampers,
The banquet begins this year as
usual at 3 o'clock on the afternoon OF
Dec. 81, But there Is queer little touch
OF ceremony at noon on the same day.
At the stroke OF II on the last day Of
each year Alderman Sir William Tre-
loaf, who conceived the idea Of this
banquet and who raises most Of the
$1,000 necessary TO pay for II, turns up
with the lord mayor Of that year nj the
door OF the Guildhall and Sir William
formally hands 10 the lord mayor a
thick packet OF envelopes, Each OF
these contains q long list OF names Of
the cfipples 'ShO are 70 receive the
nampers-~22 OF them In all--lOr which
the delivery men are driving up the
line. The lord mayor hands TO each man
his list and says officially aud formally,
God speed TO YOU The same formula
Is repeated TO every man. The dinners
might taste lust as good IL this ctre-
mony were omitted and Il would save
the busy lord mayor good deal Of
bother but the BIT Of sentiment Is new
en- lost on the people who witness It,
AS becomes tile headquarters OF the
best fed corporation In tte world. one
OF the features OF the Gulldhall IL It's
great kitchen, where delcacies have
been cooked for kings and premlers
since time out OF mind. II might be
maintained that the chef OF the Guild
hall kitchen is far and away the most
important member of the municipal
government Even the cooks at Wind
sor cannot do a Christmas baron OF
beef 10 such nicely az those In the
Guildhall. YET these grave potentates
attend as seriously to the preparation
of the repast for the littel army Of the
unwashed as they did few weeks ago
10 preparing the clty's feast for King
Edward and queen Alexandra. There
Is no turtle soup. to be sure, but the
roast beef and the plum budding ore
enough to make a mllllunalres mouth
water
Everything Is ready to be served pip.
ing hot when the children are admitted.
At that time the great hall where so
many monarchs have sat is one tn
multuous mass VI wriggling humanity.
Some OF the children have their faces
washed In honor OF the occasion but 50
much ceremony Is not dc rigueur II
would appear that every one Of the Loo
had been fasting. voluntarily or other
wise, for q day or two before, The
sights and sounds when this army falls
upon its food are something that the
infant denizen of no American Stun
can hope to compete with Sightseers
are almost as eager for tickets Of adj
mission 70 the galleries. whence
view may be had Of this wondrous
scramble. az the children themselves
are for Invitations to the feast. The
portions served are generous-roast
beef potatoes, cabbage. milk aud
Christmas pudding enough 20 cope sim
gle handed With the appetite Of an or
binary child. But second helnings are
the custom with the Guudhall guests
and attempts al a third rOund have
been known, The total makes 1000
pounds OF meat and over eco pounds OF
plum pudding
Etiquette calls for the lapse Of half an
hour from the time the banquet comes
on TN the ceremonies begin. bat 10
minutes would do as We'll Al $3.50 the
lord mayor and his lady followed by "a
gorgeous procession Of city officials. bee
gin solemn. stately march up ana
down between the long Rows of tables.
II IS part OF the game that his lord
ship should be In fun sail so 10 speak.
enough fur down the front Tor king
ransom. his huge helewoled sword mud
his chains Of office are al in evidence
The lady mayoress likewise has 20 Doe
dressed IN her sunday best The hg
gilded mace. porten,ous Sign OF ih,
city's might. Is borne along behind the
pair followed by the sheriNs ind lest
but not least, the benign Alderman
Treloar In his robes 81 Office.
The legions Of the late untcl now
stuffed well nigh 20 BURSTING are as a
rule considerably awed at first by en-
this magnifcence. but with some rtod-
ding they are Induced 20 rise and plpe
out "God Save the King As the pro-
cessIon goes on down the aisles the
lord mayor periodically chants Hap
py New Year to YOU little brothers and
listers" 20 which the children have
49,. "a nnafVar hstDl tt.fFr.