Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1903-12-25
CHRISTMAS AT NATIONAL HOME
How Today Will be Passed by the Vet
Grams.

at the Home today, for as directed by
General Orders No. 81 published in
these columns few days since, all
| labor except such as is absolutely nee
| cssary will be suspended, appropriate
| religious services will be conducted by
| Chaplains at the chapel at the usual
hours for Sunday services. Things will
put on a holiday air, however, when the
veterans gather round the festive
board,--1200 of them at one sitting in
the general mess hall,-laden with
Christmas turkey and other good
things. And the menu cards which
have been prepared for this dinner
make dainty and attractive souvenir
CT the occasion, and will be carefully
preserved by many of the members or
sent to their families and friends. The
front page of the Christmas menu card
has during the past few years con-
tanned half tone portrait, first of Cen
eral w. B. Franklin, of Hartford, CT,
for twenty years president of the board
Of managers then Of Gen. M. T..
Mcmahon of New York, for many years
the able secretary and now the presi-
dent of the board, then Of Gen. John
Marshall Brown of Portland, the local
manager of this Branch, and this year,
at the urgent solicitation of his brother
officers Governor Allen has allowed his
own portrait to be used for the purpose.
The likeness is an excellent one repro
ducing perfectly the alert, upright
military figure the bright keen eye and
Interested face of an active man,
though the original of the photograph,
taken specially for this purpose, is APP
preaching a .Well-rounded four-score of
years.
The menu for the dinner is,
Roast Turkey with Oyster Dressing.
Giblet Gravy, u Cranberry Souce.
Sweet Potatoes. Boiled Onions Pickles
Celery. Bread. Butter.
English Plum Pudding.
Oranges. Apples. Cake.
1t will be necessary, of course. to set the
tables twice, and during the first dinner
the Home orchestra will play the follow
irg selections:
March-"Unce Sammy Holman
Medley WaItz-"My Old New Hampshire
Home Smith
And during the second the following:
March-'The Drummer Boy Of rs" Ellis
Waltz-"Thcre's No Place Like Home
Mackie.
The butcher shop and kitchens were
4 busy place., Thursday afternoon, in
preparing the turkeys, and Thursday
night the bakery was busy, it being no
small task to roast 2400 pounds of
turkeys. The lot is a good one the
biggest of them all weighing 35 lbs,
and chief Butcher John Kanel has
placed them in good shape for the
cooks and bakers. The roasting
was under the charge of Chief
Baker Charles Federlichner and
Chief Cook Archy J. Davis and his
corps of assistants will be very busy
this forenoon in preparing the other
goods things of this Christmas menu.
And, by the way, speaking of the
work of preparing this Christmas din
ner, it would make your mouth water
ing refrigerator which Mr.. Kanel so
ably presdes over and see the choice
lot of beef which is there. Eight of the
huge carcasses Of prime steers hanging
there weighed Y pounds, and average
of 900 pounds each. The hind quarters
before the roasts were cut off trailed in
the clean sawdust which is neatly
spread over the floor And such huge
juicy roasts, such tender steaks, such
prime porterhouse. They were only
rich and juicy enough to tickle the
palate of an epicure, and ample
evidence that when the turkey are
eaten there will be much left to tempt
the appetite. This beef is furnished by
the Gardiner Beef Co., under contract,
and Mr.. Kanel says it is, in his opinion,
the best beef ever seen at the Home;
that no better will be seen in years to
come, and the scribe allowed that it
was SOFT looked it. Much might be
said, too, of the muttons, the hams. the
sausages and the quantities which have
to be prepared each day, but space for
bids.
The day will close with a concert at
the ODera House for which the follow
ing is the program:
observation-disclosures Tide Theme
Ovorturc-"Thc Clerks of ST. Nicholas,
Domergue
Polka-"Remembrance of San Erancis-
co. DOnlGan
(Cornet Solo. Mr. Moritz.))
Fantasia-"Visions in a dream" Lumbye
Observation-Disclosures {descriptive).
Grard Descriptive Fantasia-"Christmas
OF Old" Langley