The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1904-12-27
3CelebratiOn5O Of the Great
ChristMidansA'n u ! i I n. verSarly y 4.
Cen erdl \.
THOUSANDS ATTEND D
sSL)ND AY SERVICES
y Yesterday Da Day Of Abstinence
From 4 =, Work, Y OIL, 81 81 ! n, ot,iisy 1ebra-8
tion., of ''l; : ;asting and 4 Con- Co B
vi:vialitty, Family Reunion .33s
y Ions, y,14, Social Calling ca 5.as. j
81 and Gift Giving. 5l.l

and Gift Giving.
Christmas, 1904 Is now but ia memory.
saand to many & one OF the p.easantest or
M their lives Tho celebration Of the day
was more nearly universal ,f more orderly,
5yand happily sciinractcrized by fewer 4; en- y
$$ualtlcs u than any cclcbra tion for m1t1y5
N years past. II was "a, lay y of splcnt too
s2a,id &c any one went hungry, y was thelr3
Il owi, fault, for never was charity 80 l!fo-33
\; orally dispensed Sor 50 syst teina tlealy and
n bya 10 many a lenciesja az yesterday. Many
& secret and benevolent socie ties, Churches
religious: and chart bic ~ organtza Ions
theatres, clubs blslness lrrns and cor *
tspo,ationsa d and thousands OF indy ylduaiB
a nlinrad their plenty with Il their less 5 for
ft,lnatc brethren. and the " low and the
4 6rohni, were cared for by loving hearts
and e willing Hands. Indeed, the ~ true
Sspirlt or Christmns. ns y 2 ever sl peloTel lll
mark cd he observance. both Of the Sab
i9Dath and Of the follow ng q
8 Ii true there was re very 81 ~
In intOx MI some w
II see,ni conduct. but "a IS Inc genera y
5 opinton that there was less Sdrunkenhesss M
& aid bet ter order than has 4 been known 10Y,
;Sinsft ~ ty4 for many years. s q 1uldrec1s
y anrve.tl egg -nogg and WI nes one OK potti.
but there was no oycri ulgence ana l, dfYety
little unsecnlly hilarity lth q Is VI 4ss ex n
4 ccpti onnl cases Tho street ca T
# ors, who are III 70 posi- ton to eilcoun.sl
ha worst g OF the cases of runke nness :.
x MA nc police whose business y llts ls = to
main q ii, der and preserve the4 pesaice psi
both report having observed fewer cases s
& Bnfsdrunkenness ~ than ever pc orc u a. q
Chris mas: # VI
w Gather Was Bad s83
1,urey. wtntry skies with ainfall 3 q at t
b m ci.y,, Ia both OH ssuntlay and yest
al III ,Dnnewiiat 5Inarrcd the y y. I, q
y, ho occn Ala and tend Cd to- diminish cali
81 81 tns, h,,t here was much vi slting ana pt
MI, n 8 nersol1 braved The VERT "a aug
apenr muck, ont q
t,he churches were ! Ms't -
& ewervwhere appropriate to the 5occa sioIl, :,
% Tho story OF the birth Of Christ was toip
ao,,., and sermon and IN sEtles sipiA
Z X nv that t& marked he n com
and hal AZ !. s'lls ag
Ehvn,r1s or praise ard ad Grafton ol! tlie ,,os
$aof ethlehem resound ed ln ". ~
churches and engaged lne ,,ean;, ~.
n =, ~ 4, services. both morning 3 ana eys
I Id esp1ecinlly the morning fseiSlce.
i,..,s. veil attended, and the sunday
u were wise uea ~
, ,,n,,sa nds 81 Tho little ones "a q Z,
fhristrnas Is the grcat occasion, a.,,, ~,
whole year, the date y :, ~, = -, IL
a,n,,d with longing hearts. ne .l,l
sBiofWatu ,.ioms churchcs was OF the high
q -. ,ri,oI ~ interest and exc ellence &c ,se!i
the N %programnes rendered neiii5
l,,;r, 4, = elected and finely rendered 9:
A WY, 4 ho neal OF the n1ldnlgh netl NY
non,,inr celebration Of the s reaft no''uaS :.
bern n with salyos exp! osiNe somna W.
S mo firing OF rockets ana ans = ny Sop
III a,.a, = q pyrotechnic celebrat ton WAS =,
,arrod ~ the morning, w hen ma
~ before the dawn and made curry
,,,,yr,, Il n,inous and reverb beran WI tlic
sa ahiaza% of fireworks and he boom q y. ~ q
nlosives. All during the day ana lnr .n.o
the evening the picket ot
,,a ne devices being utilized to# dellsn
HI IN. juvenile heart. In every qua rteE; g !
d thn city the small boys made pphNres
inSthc streets and kept them bias 1 , "
day. Empty barrels and carnage 4 lDoSss
IA red badly all nd m any a one con.
E tributed Ito the comfort and dells I his5o14
III tho ubiquitous smal boy, IVY lth ms love
81 snn 10 IA IA for nolsc O. 1S These bonflres
5hlazinr In the streets were the raj 8
n points for groups and crowds OF boys and
81 nirls ali day. and until tired nature de-
4 4 rmanded respite from the exerttons Of the
DIV and the dampncss and chill OF the
evening, As night fell over the city the
5flash Of Roman cnndlcs and the soaring
9 streak Of fire from rock Is, the ttering
III or min wheels. mines and various other,
pyrot tcohnic DEVICES with occa s!onal burn
81 Ing of red fire powder, madeB the Ga ness IS
Il luminous Small crackers. lar rge !. ones.
dynamite crackers, large and nd small ana
big .,bn y;wakerss rcsou unled VII y more more
Or less reVeberatlng noise MI day.iaind sii
\ until 10 or p. N, ,3 Ia frontao Of the B,ou
Theatre the y boys had n captured y beer
kcg, and this crowned their bonfire ana
afforded fuel for quite a time, In Yar'ous
* parts ofSthe city, the snlal II boys at the
81 Imminent risk Of the loss OF sa " eye Or
her serious injury on gag ged IN II oman
B5candl le dlels, and fred candle after ca NJ ie
with great precision sat each 9th heT,ft q p
Rparently{ little Srecklng whether the fire
ta halls landed In tho opponents eye .or5not,
This was q frequent diversion fofa the
small boy e is5 s5 sss sl M
a All Manner Of Explosives,
ID TOY 3cannons and {reyol Yers loaded with
blank cartridges and some; that were load
81 Cd with bal curtrldges. were resortcd to
$sin the effort to realize the boys idea q +
q celebruting-ln -lnakingga great noise, Many.
minor injuries resulted X from careless
handling Of fBflro-crGakers and from burns
caused by candles, Vi In some cases real