Cameron County press. [volume] (Emporium, Cameron County, Pa.) 1866-1922, 1903-01-08
SIGHTS AND SOUNDS OF THE CITY.
Searching for Santa Claus, Under
Table Illumination.

Some Wiseacre has said that men are
easier to wait on than women when
they join the ranks of holiday shop
pers. The statement is accounted for
on the ground that man sets out with
the idea that he knows exactly what
he wants, yet neUer gets 1t. A woman,
on the contrary, seldom knows what
she wants, but she always manages to
find it before she relinquishes her self
imposed round ofdepartment counters.
1t was with the Delightfully."- vague de-
sires of the latter class that one woman
boarded a Broadway car during the
holiday season. The windows along
the way were decorated with holly
wreaths, the shops were full of Xmas
allurements, and on most of the promi-
nent corners Salvation army lassies
rang bells, to call attention to numer-
GUS kettles on tripods, which were
labelled christmas dinners for the
poor" Into these bright-hued pots
dimes and dollars were showered by a
merry, good-humored, generous throng
bent on searching for Santa Claus.
Some found what they took for him
at Wanamaker's, and hundreds paused
III the rotunda to gaze at the great
group of statuary, which represented
King Santa Claus and his court in
gold-columned temple, over which
played irridescent lights that enhansed
the splendor of the scene
Others came by chance upon genu-
inc flesh and blood Kris Kringle at the
corner Of 18th street and 9th Ave He
paraded up and down in front Of
Macy's old stand, attracting a crowd
by his Outlandish costume. With Quip
and joke he advised the laughing
throng that Macy had followed the
march of fashion, and moved up town.
Those who reached the point indicated
at midday Witnessed the interesting
movement of some mOnstrous bronze
figures on the Herald headquarters,
which struck the hour Of twelve with
clock-like precision.
The moments of the afternoon slip
by unheeded while eager shoppers fit
from store to store, and the electric
lights are springing into life when
tired, but unsatisfied, they reluctantly
board cars, and spend a succeeding
hour in hanging on to swaying straps,
and submitting without a murmur to
being iostled by mob who are con-
tinually ordered by the conductor to
achieve the impossible feat of Move
up in front"
Xmas morning did not dawn-it
showed down, to the high delight of
the small boy who found sled in his
stocking. The parks resounded with
the hilarity ofcoasters, and every sleigh
that could be begged, borrowed, or
bought was put in requisition to make
the most of the rare sleighing season
in the city. The automobile was tenn
porarily relegated to oblivion, and New
York entered with spirit into enjoying
an oldfashioned pastime.
Meantime thousands were vending
their way to the Grand Central Palace,
where abundant dinners were distribut,
ed to ali who applied. If any body in
New York lacked a good dinner Xmas
day, it was his or her own fault; for
charitable people saw to it that plenty
was provided for all who chose to eat.
And those who bore baskets home were
given five cents for car fare Hats off
to the generous, even if naughty city
The news boys lived up to their time
honored Xmas custom of dining on pie
before turkey. At the tables OF the
well-to-do the popular pie was of the
Jack Horner' type. 1t formed an at
tractive centre piece to the banquet,
and at signal from the hostess each
guest pulled a ribbon, Whereupon the
traditional plum, in the form of pre-
sent fell to his or her share
At one ultra fashionable banquet the
table was of heavy plate glass, and an
electric light under the glass top illu-
minated the room quite enough, not
withstanding the fact that it was yelled
by damask. | may add that no men
dropped underneath that table as a
consequence of imbibing overmuch.
footed IN.
There is well authenticated report
| that about half a century ago people
used to hear the Trinity chimes on the
| birth of n New Year. Habit is so strong
| that throngs still cluster round the
| historic edifice on New Years eve, for
| no other purpose except to listen to
| the sWeet-voiced bells "ring out the
/ Old and ring in the New;n but nobody
/ but the bell ringer ever hears the
/ chimes nowadays, and 1t is only a high
/ sense of duty that keeps him playing
| to the irreverent masses in the street
/ below, who drown his music with thous-
I ands of footing horns and hundreds
of steam whistles, i'm addition to a whole
/ lot of devils tiddles, electric buZZers,
/ and noise provoking Instruments.
i Many of the girls wore strings ofsleigh
/ bells for belts, and some of the young
men had COW bells sluag over their
shoulders, when 1908 descended on
Broadway in n pandemonium OF sound
that made it necessary To take the
chimes on trust, since the only know
ledge that they were discoursing music
was CLEANED from reading the pro.
gramme, and consulting watch
. When the hands Of the latter pointed
20 midnight, the skyscrapers in that
vicinity turned on the lights, the mob
scrambled for something thrown from
the windows, and Happy New Year 90
rent the air witha he8rtiness that seem,
cd 90 clear.
80 day OF past Regrets and the iu-
- ture Of is Fears
let me echo h with iarECnt Happy
hU4 1gHr I4 son all
EMMA MEHsEREAu NEWToN.