The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1904-12-25
THE SALVATION ARMY DINNERS.
Red Tickets Secured 1903 Baskets OF
Food at Barracks.

OOO ut
A long line of eager-faced people
stood outside the Salvation Army bar
racks for nearly an hour before the
time set for the distribution of the
Christmas dinners yesterday morning
Each held in hand a small red ticket,
which entitled the holder to one dinner
sufficient for a family of five. Just 103
of these tickets had been distributed
among the poor of the city and in
side the curtained and screened audi
forum room awaited 103 half-bushel
market baskets, packed with good
things.
At II o'clock the doors of the place
were opened to admit the waiting
throng. Capt. and Mrs. Hartman and
the assisting officer made up the re-
ception committee that stood in line
to care for the expected guests. AS
each ticket was presented it was taken
up and basket presented in exchange.
And the murmured God bless you,
captain" and the whispered words,
Thank you all, 1 know the Lord will
remember you for this kindness" re-
paid thousandfold for the labor and
the prayers necessary in the gathering
of the great number of dinners.
From IL o'clock until the crowd
strung internationally past the blue uni
formed trio of Salvationists. After that
hour Capt. Hartman took the three un-
called for baskets on his arms and
carried them to remote parts of the
city to three sick and helpless ones who
could not call and had no one to send.
1t was truly a labor of love this Christ
mas dinner distribution.
To gather together food sufficient for
SIS Christmas dinners is a greater
task than can be guessed. Those in
charge began a month or more before
the time of distribution, the labor of
soliciting provisions and funds.
Each day for several weeks past,
two Salvation pots were stationed on
down town business corners, where
the benevolently inclined could add
their mite. An attendant watched by
each of these, and as the corps in Sa-
vannah consists of but three enlisted
soldiers, the keeping of these pots
meant that two-thirds of the corps
should be detailed for this branch of
the work.
The third member occupied the time
or among the Wholesale houses and
retail business men. Then a large
number of letters asking aid was sent
to people in the city. BY all these
methods was the feast gathered to-
gether.
win the money obtained provisions
were purchased. The contributions of
articles were called for and carried to
the barracks. Then out of the chaos
was wrought the miracle of orders.
Hours of toll were required for the
packing of the articles into the bas-
kets. into each basket went a similar
list of edibles During this labor the
room where are usually conducted the
religious service resembled the inside
of commission house. And those in
charge looked like laborers when at
last the task was completed. They
were tired, too.
There is about the Salvation Army
worker in his efforts to bring relief
to the impoverished on Christmas Day.
a quiet air of determination eaualled
only by the sterling quality of his zeal
To llustrate Even at the outset when
not an article Of food is i'm sight. when
not a dollar for the purpose is possess
ed, the Salvation captain viii begin the
distribution OF tickets for the dinner
He never questions but what the din
ner Will be forthcoming. and that the
100 tickets will be redeemed for lust
what they call for.