Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1904-12-26
FOR THE UNFORTUNATE
Christmas in the Local
Institutions.
GOOD THINGS SERVED
PROGRAM OF ENTERTAINMENT
ARRANGED TO AMUsE.
No Change in Fare at the Jail-Chari-
tably Inclined Take Cheer
to the Sick.
GOOD THINGS SERVED

Old Santa Claus on his busy Christmas
rounds did not forget the unfortunate in
mates Of the charitable institutions of the
District. With the cooperation of Superin-
tendenat Zinkhan OF the Washington Asy-
lum. Sanity carried Christmas cheer into the
otherwise cherries lives of the 631 inmates
or the alnshouse. warehouses and their
hospitals and for the nonce smiles replaced
the expressions of hopeless resignation on
the faces of the prisoners of poverty, Of
habit and of crime.
The Christmas celebration began in the
almshouses Saturday afternoon, when Miss
France and her assistants reached the in
stitution and distributed 1926 packages con-
tanning Christmas good things to the men
and women.
The i'll and injured in the Washington
Asylum Hospital were also visited and each
received one of the packages, with a word
OF cheer from the ladies.
The Christmas dinner which Superintend-
ent Zinkham had provided for the aims
house, hospitals, the Old Colored Mems
Home and the female and male warehouses
was served yesterday at noon. The menu
embraced roast turkey. sweet potatoes.
celery, mince pie, oranges. nuts. candy and
rafsin cakes.
The spiritual welfare of prisoner and pa
tient was not forgotten, as both Catholic
and Protestant services were held in the
forenoon and afternoon yesterday, in
which the inmates participated with evident
earneStneSS.
This morning members of the St. Vincent
de Paul Catholic Charitable Society visited
the institutions and distributed large
quantity Of cake and candy, not forgetting
the prisoners solace, pipes and tobacco. .
The program arranged by Superintendent
Zinkhan for Christmas week will include
an entertainment of music and Rotations
at the almshouse on Wednesday afternoon
by students from Georgetown University,
and vaudeville performance on Wednes-
day night under the direction of Miss Van
Doren, assisted by number of her friends.
The prisoners in the new workhouse will
be treated to vaudeville performance.
Thursday night. by Mr.. Thomas and
friends. This performance will be an in
novation, and is in line with the policy of
Superintendent Zinkllan. to rule the unfor-
Inmates under his charge with kindness
and the Christly touch of gentleness." as
he expressed it, which he believes to be
more efficacious than the brutal methods
employed in some prisons.
In the District Jail.
In the grim. brown jail out in the eastern
extremity Of Washington, to the 465 prison
ers sentiment is almost an unknown factor.
There was no Christmas celebration or dis
tribution within it's thick iron-barred walls,
and beyond the few baskets or bundles of
food, fruit, cakes and CONNECTIONS sent to
some of the prisoners by their relatives and
friends, yesterday was without incident to
change the usual prison routine. The
Christmas dinner was the same as it has
been on other Sundays-corned beef, cab
bage and corn bread. This simple meal was
preceded in the morning by a breakfast con-
sisting of hash, white bread, potatoes and
coffee. There were few Christmas callers
at the Jail owing to its inaccessibility to
street car lines and the bad weather con-
ditions.
At the reform school for boys, on the
Bladensburg road, there were numerous evil
dences of the happy holiday season. The
assembly hall was beautifully and taste
fully decorated with evergreen, holly, mis-
tletoe, palms, ferns and flowers.
Lecture by Mr.. w. b. n. Smith.
The holiday celebration began Friday
night when Mr.. William H. II. Smith of the
Navy Department delivered lecture to the
boys on the life of Christ, which was il
Illustrated by stereopticon views. The Pres
ident's pastor. Rev. j. NJ. Schick, conduct
ed pretty and impressive service yester-
day. and today the boys are celebrating
Christmas in earnest The dining rooms are
decorated with winter greens. leaves and
flowers and the superintendent has provid-
ed for today a dinner consisting of chicken
and dumplings, vegetables, side dishes,
mince pie, oranges and coffee. Each boy
will also receive one-pound box of candy
and nuts.
A beautiful Christmas tree is on exhibition
in the chapel of the reform school. 1t was
laden with presents sent to the lads by their
relatives and friends. An entertainment
will be given tomorrow night by home tai
ent, comprising songs, readings, imperson-
atoms, instrumental and vocal music.
Another entertainment will be given Fri
day night, the features of which will be an
exhibition of leg ,rdemain and impersOna
tons and readings by Miss Ethel Wood
ward of the Fairmont Seminary. who Is
q or nf inf 11enf
Miles. During Christmas week there will
be foot ball games and other outdoor and
indoor sports.
Reform School for Girls.
The spirit of Christmas reached the in
mates of the reform school for girls, and
they were as good as can be-" as teacher
stated 1t today. The girls were given a
Christmas eve entertainment Saturday
afternoon, with singing and recitations by
the school. There was a Christmas tree
from which candies, nuts, fruit and doll
babies were distributed to the inmates
Their Christmas dinner comprised roast
chicken, vegetables, cranberry sauce and
pumpkin pie.
At the Government Hospital for the In
sane there was a Christmas eve entertain
ment in the chapel hail. followed by a
sumptuous Christmas feast yesterday with
the afternoon devoted to services in obser-
walton of the religious phase of the festival
The festivities will conclude tomorrow even
ing with a holiday dance. The holiday
entertainment at st. Elizabeth was particle
pated In by approximately 1900 persons
They formed an interested audience at the
specially arranged entertainment, manifest
ing frequently their appreciation by raptur-
Gus applause at the musical numbers the
handsomely decorated hall, but, above all.
at the proper moment, when there was re-
vealed to view on the stage radiant with
soft-colored electric bulbs of red, white and
blue, a mammoth Christmas tree. a giant
cedar of the woods, its top rising beyond
vision, and with its beautiful symmetry
added to by its glittering lights and an ar
ray OF tinsel and gilded decoration.
An Enormous Tree.
The Christmas tree measured twenty-one
feet in height and was lighted by 128 cleo
trio bulbs. The distribution of the gifts
was not made at that time. The patients
had been remembered by relatives or
friends with presents of fruit, candy, books,
articles of wearing apparel. ETC., and the
hospital had. as usual, provided for the is
suance of great quantities of clothing,
pipes, cigars, candy and the like, all of
which was to be distributed directly to the
inmates In their respective wards.
The hospital orchestra, under the direc-
ton Of Leader Joseph B. Caldwell, and the
choir of the institution, directed by Mr..
Edward T. Davis, participated in the pro-
gram, which was as follows: Rogers Bros.
in London" E. ]. Evans, orchestra; Good
n Dov,l he rI,ofv