New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1904-12-25
CITY'S CHRISTMAS EVE.
FINAL SHOPPING RUSH.
East and Vest Side Streets Filled
5gith Happy Ihrongs.

terday, and the sight was three ply study in
charity. chaffering and children.
From the hour of early breakfast until
theatre supper time the day witnessed an Ho-
meric battle royal between the shopper and the
salesman. with time fighting impartially against
both. True, the good burgesses of the metropo-
lis have been buying presents ell the week, and.
for that matter, all the month. None the less.
whether for weaving memories buying pres
ents. there is only one day in the year, and
that Is Christmas Eve.
So It remained for yesterday with its solicit
tous anxiety for the happiness of others, its
"frenzied finance in seeking to make every cop
per penny do duty for a silver cart wheel, ana
its gigantic II good humored onslaught on ths
stores. TO touch the highwater mark OF CHRIST
buying.
The whole livelong day the West Side and
the East Side. needless Of the continuous
furry of snow. an endless procession of men,
women and children frantically beset the stores
TO emerge with light wallets and proportionateiy
heavy purchases for the arm of every citizen
seemed crooked about at least one package
In the West Side shopping district the strings
of respectable carriages aligning the curb pro-
claimed that Miss Fifth Avenue and c. PARK
West were buying their presents Like Agar,
but laden, however. with portentous parcels
the twain picked their way delicately across the
muddy pavement, and. with nod to their
superciious coachmen, gave the order. Homer
A tour along Sixth-ave. and it's lower uptown
intersections last evening showed a sight that
combined the features OF the Bagdad bazaar,
the Mini fair and Saturday night in the White
chapel High Road in one mammoth aggregation
Here all was Christmas sound and light and
movement and color Not even the dour bach
elor hurrying by with averted head could escape
a faint glow Of the Yuletide fire. With toy
automobiles whizzing perilously between his
ankles, with toy monkeys climbing deXtrouSly
from a piece OF Irvine tied to the eyelet of a
peder's shoes up to the level of his chest ana
with toy tarantulaS which inspired all the
thrills OF the live tropical article, without its
deadIness dangling above his head, the poor
hermit found IL hard to overlook the season and
tho day. Why. moreover, feel poor or miserable
when you may buy $1,000 Chadwick bank
roll" of the long green" for the modest sum
Of "a nickel or five cents?
Along many OF the West Side streets and ave
nues numberless fakirs stood beside numberless
pavement booths and stalls chaffering every
imaginable small Christmas article, from a china
baby in a bath to pair of sensible felt slippers
at Is cents Here Persian dates jostled Eng
lish walnuts and French chestnuts Italian
colored candles Gazing at the tempting dis
plays both on the streets and sidewalks and be-
hind the show windows, the reminiscent gray
beard could not but envy the American boy OF
to-day, for. whether 1t the living show win
dow picture Of Santa Claus up to date" riding
In an automobile whose wheels really revoiVed
and whose warning horn truly sounded. or
merely the realistic cardboard model OF a bat
tleship, the moral pointed the same
IT. however, after making flying trip over
the West Side shopping district the visitor had
boarded a downtown subway car, and alighting'
say, at Beecker-st., had crossed the quadruple
tracks Of the Bowery and plunged into the lower
East Side, he would have seen an diverse of the
Christmas shield Here, excepting perhaps In
the Christmas paybis displayed in the shop
windows, he would have perceived no especial
indications that it Christmas Eve. Not
that the East Side was not buying Christmas
presents, but that here where the competition is
so fierce the profits minute where con-
slant Special display" is so essential, every
Saturday night has the external aspect of a
Christmas Eve Here the pushcarts' burden was
largely of a strictly unitarian nature. Toy
automobiles and Christmas sets Of books had
here given place TO hosiery, underwear. kosher
meat and the stern necessities. Here pyramids
OF cheap candy, picked gherldns and humble
"dollies'' alone infused the dash OF luxury. But
although many OF the articles were only penny
apiece, and few above the dollar mark, they
were as carefully priced and paved over as any
81 900 automobile on the other side.
Who moreover, shall say that the pony and
chaise brought more pleasure to the spoiled
fye-year-old West slider than the long coveted
rag dolls to the food-starved, love-staryed tene-
ment house child; the costly seaIskln CLOAK
greater happiness than the made over. cheap
mink boa?
From daybreak until midnight, however, the
East Side and West Side alike echoed to the
tambourine or tocsin of the Salvation Army
band Few street corners were without their
Salvationists standing beside the boiling pot"
begging bowl for the Christmas dinner for the
NeW-York poor. Many a mental struggle be-
tween egoisrn and altruiSm Waged about these
nots or Volunteer chimneys Many West Side
boy or girl wavered between the alternative OF
dropping the nickel, dime or shining quarter
into the chimncy's mouth or OF bartertng ii for
a VERY own" Christmas gift. And IN countless
Instances the parting with penny on the East
side involved far more heroic self-deniaI than
the parting with a crisp new gTeenback across
the avenue.
Withal whether, again. 1t was East or West,
cbildren's faces seemed to smile through tho
entire exhibit Thus, the East Side and the
West Joined hands.