The Republican journal. [volume] (Belfast, Me.) 1829-current, 1905-01-19
CHRISTMAS IN FLORIDA.
An Out Door Christmas Tree at Palm Beach.


must tell you something about the
Christmas festivities here, which were
quite unlike anything of the kind that
ever occurred here before. 1t was
Christmas in which the whole city cele-
brated, and one in which the children
had the "time' of their lives. Christ
mas coming on Sunday this season
there were the usual programs before
and after; and that of Saturday even
ing, Christmas eve. was perhaps the
most novel of anything ever given in
America. 1t was Christmas tree out
of-doors, with the warm bfeezes draw
ing through the city park, with its set
tings of shrubbery, and the moon she'd
ding light on the tree and the hundreds
gathered around it.
Through the kindness of Mr.. Charles
F. Bingham of Buffalo, N. Y, and the
energetic work of the Palm Beach
News, was given the first out-of-doors
Christmas tree the south ever saw. 1t
was a gigantic tree, and as member OF
the staff of the News | came in for
share of the work and had the pleasure
of assisting in decorating it. MI. Bling
ham, who is a visitor at Palm Beach,
with the assistance of the News con-
ceived the idea that he would give
every child, poor or rich, i'll the city a
present. The News, therefore, secured
the names after an energetic canvass OF
every child in town, poor or rich, and
with funds which were furnished by
MI. Bingham presents were bought
and tagged with the names of the chill
dren. The News furnished the tree
and had it set up in the centre of the
large grandstand in the city park and
there it was beautifully illuminated
with various colored electric lights, and
with a star in electric lights above. The
tree was then decorated and the six
hundred and more presents placed Oh
its limbs and around its base.
The children from the schools with the
local pastors furnished a program,
which was given at eight o'clock, and
soon after through the crowd came a
little wooden cart drawn by goat in
which rode Santa Claus in his quaint
toggery. The little children went wild,
and the sight was one never to be for
gotten. Just picture, if you will,
large park with some six hundred chill
dren and their parents gathered around
a Christmas tree in mid-winter, with
warm mild air. gentle breeZes from the
waters near at hand and the golden
light of the moon mingling with the
bright colored lights of the electrics.
Santa Claus was represented by young
Englishman named Edward Thomas of
Bath, Maine.
Probably in all the world there was
never such sight as was that Of
Christmas eve, in Palm Beach. l
might tell you more about it, but |
have conveyed the story and attempted
to give the picture. Let me say there
were none happier in that vast as
sembly that night than was Mr.. Bing-
ham, the giver of the tree. With his
pockets full of dolls and gifts he wan
dered through the audience and dis
tributed presents to the little ones,
while the sparkle in his eye, told of the
pleasure he received and may God bless
him for this work
There are others who deserve mention
and prominent among them the force of
the Palm Beach News, who all worked
with a will, and next to Mr.. Bingham,
come the Dean Brothers, who devoted
both time and hard work to the success
of the program and engineered it with
MI Bingham's financial backing to the
great success it proved
On Sunday, Christmas day, quiet
reigned in the little city and it was one
of those beautiful southern winter days
when one can hardly believe that there
is snow in the north. The thermome
ter ranged at eighty during the middle
VI GlC udJ, Oue eHCAO "CIC SOOlluS
breezes and the conditions were beauti-
full. In the afternoon with a young
friend l enjoyed long bicycle ride
through the cocoanut groves and in
the bicycle paths of the jungles. Later
in the day we went in bathing in the
waters of the Atlantic ocean, and it
was the most sport l ever enjoyed in
that line The waters here are warm
ed by the gulf stream and the big
waves which roll in almost as high as
one self are right from the ocean, but
cold enough to give the bather the de-
sired effect. The beaches for miles are
composed of clear white and brown
sand, smooth, and the shells are SO
worn with contact with the waters of
the ocean that they are sharp olonger.
The beaches are wonderful, the finest |
ever saw, and never knew what bath
ing was before l was out on Christmas
day and enjoyed the sport in the waters
of the Atlantic at Palm Beach. Out to
the east as far as the eye can see there
is naught but great rolling waves. No