Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1904-12-24

street peddlers and "fakirs.'' They stood
at street corners or lined the curbs In the
business section of the city. and it would
require thick volume to enumerate all the
articles they offered for sale to the passers-
by. There were novelties in toys and USE
full articles. crawling turtles. automatic au-
tomobies, climbing Willies,' miniature
wrestlers and many other things. The cries
of the fakrs added to the holiday din.
Here's your little Willie Green"
Prize packages, the wonder of the TWEEN
tieth century. Get 'em while they're hot"
These were some of the cries heard on the
streets of Washington today.
Horns? No, we don't sell EN- this time
said a stalwart fakir on market space.
Don't you read the papers? Major Syl-
vester says there'll be no horn blowing this
years, derefore horns is dead stock.
Evergreen Vendors.
Evergreen vendors did rushing business
today in the vicinity of the several mar
kets, and judging from the number of sales
they made many Washington homes will
be decorated with the symbolic winter
growths tomorrow and many children will
awake at dawn to view fancifully decorated
Christmas trees, freighted with candies,
toys and other good things.
Hundreds of fond mammas and even some
papas visited country folk and selected
their trees, and tonight midnight OIL Will
be burned in many homes the parents
trim the trees after the children are IN
happy dreamland
My little Frankly is only ten months DID,"
said a young mother, as she picked out
prettily tapering Christmas tree, but l guess
he will appreciate this tree after 1 have
fixed it up for him. 1t is his first Christ
mas, you know" she concluded with
proud toss of her head.
Salvation Army.
The scene in the main hall of the Saliva
ton Army, at $50 Pennsylvania avenue
northwest; this forenoon was an inspiring
one, and illustrated one phase of the Christ
ly work that is being accomplished by that
organization for the poor waits of human
ity-the poor Of a great city. The floor of
the large hall was covered from end to end
and from width to width with baskets laden
with food which had been prepared for the
annual distribution among poor families
Ensign Frank L. Roper and his assistant,
Capt. Jacques Nathan, were as busy as bees
arranging for the distribution. They were
assisted by corps of Salvation Army work.
ers, who filled the baskets and placed them
in line, tagged for delivery.
I'VE will give out 500 baskets" said En-
sign Roper to a Star reporter, land the
baskets are so arranged that they will fur
nish food for 1000 Christmas dinners for
poor persons.
Ensign Roper explained that the baskets
were arranged by the coupon system, which
gives the number of persons in each family
to be provided for. Thus, while one basket
will contain the ingredients for but two
Christmas dinners another will provide for
five, six seven.
Each basket contained a large mince pie,
oranges, tea, coffee, sugar, creamery butter.
canned chicken soup, a box of spice one
fowl, apples, celery, crackers, variety
cookies, canned tomatoes, a loaf of bread,
candy and all Seasonable vegeta bleS-a total
of twenty-six articles. With each basket
was also a copy of the Christmas War
Cry" with large picture of Miss Eva
Booth. the new commander of the Saliva
ton Army.
In cases of sickness the baskets were sent
to the homes of the poor; Those who were
able to call at the hall did SO and received
their baskets from Ensign Roper or his
assistants
YES 1 am trying to be Santa Claus to
"and we expect to send good, Christian
cheer into at least halr a thousand District
homes"
Some Pathetic Cases.
He described to The Star reporter some
Of the pathetic cases that came under his
observation or that of his visitors. One
was that of a poor woman. who is Ill, and
has a family of five small children to pro-
vide for.
1.-The home of this family said Mr.. Ro-
per. "in spite of It's restitution. was scru-
pulously clean and its arrangement show
ed that good motherly care which Is some
ODScTSdUie III lisc HOucS VI pTOS-
perity."
Another case was that of a venerable
couple, man and wife, who had evidently
been reared in luxury and culture. The
old gentleman was polite and polished, and
showed every trace Of being gentleman,
but grim poverty had overtaken them in
their old age. and they were just eking out
a bare existence in single room. sparsely
furnished and but lily heated.
Preferred to Suffer.
.'They preferred to suffer rather than
make known their deplorable condition."
said Ensign Roper. "They were still proud,
though very, very poor. and the old gen.
tleman possessed the grace of a Chester
field. When he read in The Star that the
Salvation Army was going to give Christ
mas dinners to the poor of Washington, he
reluctantly sent us an unsigned postal
card. After our visitor had called he re-
ported the facts to me- It is one of the
saddest of the many sad cases we have
heard from"
Christmas services will be held at the
Salvation Army hall at IL and O'Clock to-
morrow, and special Christmas service for
the children will be given at the hall Tues
day evening. There will be stereopticon
views, Rotations. songs and instrumental
music by the little ones
Homeward Hound Mission.
The vicinity OF the Homeward hound
Mission Headquarters, 119 Pennsylvania ave.
nue. northwest, presented another busy
scene today. The amosphere was fragrant