The Evening statesman. [volume] (Walla Walla, Wash.) 1903-1910, 1904-12-10
AROuNDING MERRY CHRISTMAS
is PREDICTED FOR METRoP-
OILS OF AMERICA.
Salvation Army Will Look After Fully
250,0OO Poor People-Give the
Annual Dinner.

an Astounding Merry Christmas. The
good humored, jostling throngs in the
streets and avenues give little sign
of any necessity to stint in their pur-
chases. In many of the best shops the
buying is already at flood tide, though
Christmas is still two weeks off. None
seems too poor to purchase some ex-
preston of good WILL In front of the
great Sixth avenue and Broadway
shops where the millionaires trade
carriages block the way. In the cheaper
quarters pedestrians swarm so thickly
that it seems at times as if the mass
would be unable to disentangle itself.
One week ago the familiar pots and
tripods of the Salvation Army were
placed at the busy street corners and
during the week the pots have boiled
merrily. In the financial district it
has been no uncommon sight to see
we'll known bankers and brokers stay
their steps long enough to shove a
crisp bill of large denomination
through the wire covering of the pots.
In other quarters the pots have been
kept jingling with the pennies and the
nickels dropped in by poorer but
equally generous givers. AS result
| Of these and other contributions the
army's Christmas dinner parties
promise to be great success.
Commissioner Eva Booth, who has
| headquarters of the Salvation Army in
Fourteenth street, states that fully
| $50 900 men, women and children will
obtain their Christmas cheer this year
through the efforts of that organiza-
| ton in the United States. In this
city the Grand Central Palace has been
| leased for the big dinner, for which
| about 200 tables are to be laid. The
work of arranging the celebration in
the city is subdivided into two divi-
sons, one for collecting funds and
supplies, and the other for distributing
the good things after they are in hand
| Each division is organized systemat-
ically, with it's head officers and sub
officers, each having his particular du-
ties mapped out for him beforehand
The collectors of supplies are to lay
in 1000 pounds of coffee, 5000 loaves
of bread, 1900 pounds of sugar, and
thousands of turkeys and chickens, not
to mention barrel or SO Of cranberry
sauce and proportionate quantities OF
the other things that go to make ur
the proper sort of Christmas feast.
Besides the dinner there comes with
in the scope of the serving divisions
duties the no less important distribu-
ton of Christmas baskets. About five
thousand of these are to be made
all the other eatables in evidence at
the dinner. During Christmas morn
ing the baskets will be distributed tc
poor people of every section of the
city. The giving is not done promis-
cuously, however, for members of the
army have been making Investigations
several weeks with a view Of discov-
ering who were deserving recipients
Lists of names and addresses have
been turned in at headquarters, and
numbered tickets will be issued to each
! family.
In cases where the family is unable
to call or send for the basket at the
Grand Central Palace, it will be de-
livered by the army. Each one will
contain, in addition to the eatables, a
pretty Christmas card, and previous
to their distribution all the 5000 will
be displayed on the tables in the pal
ace. The charity of the army does
not end with the distribution, though
During the few days after Christmas
the same families will be visited by
officers assigned to that duty, who are
instructed to see if anything in the
way of fuel and food is needed to tide
the poor homes through the rest OF
| the winter.
There is to be no artificial limit on
the hunger of the Salvation Army's
guests. Those who go to the dinner
may eat just as long and just as raw
enously as they like. If they want five
cups of coffee and three plates of tur-
Key, they will be satisfied After the
tables have been set the waiting multi
tude will march to their seats at a
given signal, and the feast will be on
Clad in white aprons, the army men
and women who have. been selected to
wait on the tables will serve the steam
ing turkey and coffee, and then the
sweets. as fast as the guests demand
new portions. The arrangements are
| so systematic it iS Sai,7 tbot No ,oot+or