The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1904-12-25
Advent Of Christ ChilydI55ttlO]|sII i y
Be CONNIE orated i. iIll i I,
ChurChe Is Tod a n
5GREAT ATs CROWD N
SHOPPlN g 6 D ] STRI!C |! or J 4
Christmas Eve Chara erized9 9byi
Conside derable Din, and M MorsS
Than Usual SPr epara atoms SyB,
for the Day ofS 20 Days. .sS2 NJ
General ssusp ion q 4, 81
of8All Nv orls. (. Il ss


General ssusp nsion h, ss
81 All Nv ork. n
The climax 81 the Christmas y gift buy.ss
3ing season was reached terday, ana "
despite unfaxora bio weather., Il thousands
Joined In the grand pronlunade that made Il
Broad Street a wonderful sight. n AZ stsadyiSsi
dripping rain did a not det Ter the thronGH&
bent upon buy Ing some expression Of love y;
OF teenlS from maxi irlg the round OF the
various stores and rspect Ing tn hsr$ stooks$
tt was tiie busiest a C,llr stnlas eve Il
many on the treets.s III the homs
at the nilWa y stat Ions, 81 lie market
places, everyyyh &. 4
@ Hundreds and ~ evan thousands n. .llays n
taken IA dvantage or u lie liull day ter AtaE
spend Christmas with, fl.tsndsG or kim. &
|lr1le1l elsewlic but II this exodus i6 more Is
Or former r Riclinond crs, tors spend
5ing the estival wit iii friends liz the . N.
and OF &out t-of- town 8peo ples who are here s
shopping sE 70 stand ID nd ri leWf the pass
Ing sWarnls on the s treets In the retail
district one mig, oasil yys inlagine that at8s
the entire populnt ion of4 Il lie cit certain
I'VE the adult 5popu,la ton, were on the
streets.
@ Eyidences OF the - en- ,ess OF the great
Christian fest Iva were every here yist -ss
3blc. The Christmas II spi II was 4 abroad
fintheS land. rho sslna] boy and small
girls liberated from sclioo res trai nts,
making the$S hes Z ~ The opp rtunit to-
enjoy everything lila Y tlle season l rep s
sents to- the VEN er
ali took ndvanta d az tho ausno lonS
the ordinance ga lns no II / ands
fireworks genera ny QUAR- ter sot ot8s
the gcit the noise f exrl ng fire rack
sers and tho sllar u a Srn ca ttrid ges
explosiv ca a1d
|Srat ted. and 2 rodlga
would set oft
erea tc q no Il wor tfiy
continuous ra t.a orns every KING;
and sdescrnti and nsl ionpl ~
ma ded gt6 stho Chris tina q
explosive ca iess We're most sou 81 t,i nd
startled # the crowd dies as
sharp report sreso all11 ostSs un
foot There wa nedra gEleal
skirt and a scrrrying & ava from dan 7ss
ger Or ignitiolls ors tile more ser iols one
iof. flying particles Of grit 3ll the Ioisos
ofS fireworks did not suff to
tho growing thronGs Occa sionall lneySSS
blush whito flame 81 q II oman andllsNs
ball flashed on the ~ and .1l saled II
lazily into tho q
q slf tsS Crowds Incr NJ,
.5laAs the + day advanced ~ the orowds 4 on
the streets Increased $and tho
nccentuated as hunds joine l1
bed lam olse q grent snop sg. ~
tories dlscharg rged their tliousanltda
81 riygir, the day, md theseaw ere almost
All |on tho streets In the afte oon, and
tho numbers stead lily incre ased as tha
day pa sse d # At 10 clock tri the ssteady,
peiting rain a reporter for ! he
Dlspa tcll mad an cst innate Of the palss pl
Ing shopping Gro $. basing5 iIt II on q tne%
number pol VI M
Side Of Broad Street IN ~ n1in,lte
count indicated that about seven thou. :.
81 IA people passed the corne Fi
and Broad Streets3in an hour. .s he 20 therS
sdo az the streets wa " or go n also
and estimating tho 8nunlbe ssins there b
at 8, 900 per hour, the total number pass
ing u given point gi w the heart oi IN IN
retall district closely
ten thousand an hour This nu un,ber. y u
must be remembered, wnlk lked in the zrain
the majority Of them llldcr' umbrella
.or In 8raincoats is. II was a wonderful 81 Ehtss
Just to- stand and wa tchE The unnbrellllsa
5parade M sss 11t8S8s s y,
Tin the markets the crowds we re hardy il
less great mt the busy ho ma many
IL turkey has been 81 tered for Ine 81
great annual fcast The velc IT'S oft
mas tgreenery did n thriving bus ness " 81
and around tho gmarket Hun DIS of
sons carried homo wrea tbs OF 5hol lly;5 5ceda
iboxwood or mmorte les.s some vi tlla mia
5tlntoet tintertwincd MI tho holl II or cedn
2Fottcd plants and forms 9f many kltiosE
swero ea gerly bought 20 bri ghten the WI
dows Of springtnes !, s1.
tho interior OF tho houses. All sorts .nr
decorative materials were In grea d.
smand during the entire day. and many
mn old colored woman ma dc a snu 6 ~ ss
by weavlng the green folia so into wrsat ms
and st,,rs The bright red berries Of thas
holly, tho blua berries OF thes cedar g
the pearl Ike berries of re- mlstlstoe
decorations 81 Ii 81 81 5s5 SS
8.}1n tho market hero was every nEs tolss
he desired for tho Christmas dinner, a and IA
thousands We're buy iame, fish ana 81
oysters were as abundant as Turk eys = or g
chickens or beef. arnb and pork and MI
Prices on turkeys took n tumble, q, ana ~
eggs, too, showed a down arsl tend
as the day advanced and the lkels lshn9d & s
Of having stock left oye ~ q nnea ga q
tho dealers. Orders Wero be nE ta zen g
as fast as the force Of Z salesmen cei,'d ~
walt upon the throngs of pros psassfsys
buyers, s sa - q sssSl t ssas'
Quiet at Last,
THE noise and confusion practleallsy
closed at midnlsht, he sreat openl or q daofs
az The stores we're shut. the lHhts low
cred, and the weary 50 elesgirls sand men
hurried homeward With the late SHOPS
pers. ali laden with bundles too lat 8
acquired 20 he delivered for the day.
B Under the terms Of the &ordinan anee $sus-
- = 81
Gsg 4. oulck WORK.
on November 18th the Eleetria Light plass
iihe generators, Soua of $50 In y. and SanSS 81
Is IT. P and al nts wssa ~
,Jenks.s the we'll known electrical contractor eI