The Washington times., 1905-12-24
Babe Might Have Slept
IN Midst of Hurry
ing ThrongS.
POLICE FORCE ALERT
JeSts There Are, But Quiet,
UnobtruSlve, and With
out Noise.

Although tonight is the theoretical
Christmas Eve. last night was the real
one in the way OF crowding the stores
until midnight. and making the streets
OF the business section look as If ,the
whole Of Washington had decided TO 20
down town and walk incessantl>, zap
idly. and merrfly.
1t was Christmas Eve. but Christmas
Eve as quiet rs tho proverbial mouse,
orderly as a diplomatic reception.
and as free from real noise as 4 pau
per's funeral. There were no fi1e works
because the members Of the Metropioi-
tan police force saw 10 their absence.
For the same reason there wee no Rig
horns. and but few small ones
Christmas Eve on the Quiet.
Had a babes cradle been set in the
midst of the thickest crowd on the
most popular tboroushfare last night.
calm and peaceful would have been his
sleep. 1t was Christmas Eve On tne
Guiet-a very SNUG Christmas Eye-one
with but few cakes and ale-one that
would have been laid in the shade by
a comparison Of its actual disturbances
and disorders with those of a weIl-con-
Quoted home for old maids.
But there were thousands of men.
women, and children on ihe sidewalks
and in the roadways Of the streets and
avenues, and in and out of every store
in the business section there dashed
and eddied and rushed a throng OF be-
lated shoppers. colliding with the
sightseers and those who We're looking
for some signs OF noise. oid-time mer-
ry-malSing. and Christmas confusion.
Familiar Types.
And there were the old figures Of the
Christmas eve crowds, the youths who
tried TO hirt with the girls who would
not fiirt, and the girls who would lirt
with the boys who did not try 10 hirt:
the insanely laughing swain with his
best girl the careworn mother with
her last bit Of good things for the
Christmas dinner. the hen-pecl1ed hus-
band with the bundles he wanted to
throw into the gutter and the white
haired Old man whose merry making
was only from the memories his sad
dened soul brought To his garrulOus
tongue
Everywhere also there were groups OF
boys and girls who talked and laughed.
There seemed to be well-dehned idea
that laughter would not be interfered
with by the guardians OF the peace
Very occasionally little boy who had
no idea what the inside OF a police
cell looked ike would blow "A whistle
with a whizz 10 IL and then dart away
in the crowd.
Sorry He Couldn't Arrest Them.
Pennsylvania avenue. blowing loud
horns.
Those girls remarked a policeman,
ARE violating tine law. But" he added.
with a tinge OF regret I'm his tones
'you can't arrest them.
The girls passed on with a triumphant
flourish. and once more the somber
silence enfolded the crowd.
There was here and there an apti-
tude for real jests-quiet. unobtrusive
jokes which made no noise and against
which nobody could complain. one
came about in this wise:
Hundreds Watch Treasury.
\ group OF men stood on the edge Of
+ street looking intently and with the
universal silence. IN the direction OF
the Treasury. Not word was said
The men merely looked Gradually at
first. and then rapidly the group be-
came larger. everybody staring toward
the Treasury. Finally a line OF humani-
ty two or three deep and a block
long stood looking with owlish solem-
nifty up + street. Nobody knew. no
body asked. what was the trouble
Several hundrded pairs OF eyes tried
10 pierce the half-lit darkness to find
the interesting thing. At last one.
braver than his fellows, asked the man
next him what had happened The ques-
toned admitted he did not know. but
he kept his eyes glued on the Treasury.
Then somebody got an idea that IL
was all joke. IL was-there was moth
ing 10 look at The crowd dispersed
and Iaughed-laUghed. that is. in a SO
ber. chuckling well-bred way. No one
wished to run the risk Of laughing a
note that sounded like "a horn.
Walked the Streets.
But the quiet did not drive the people
home. Washingtonians knew II was
Christmas, and they had the time Of
their lives walking the streets. looking
al each other and going through the
stores. In not few instances parties
of young people formed just To do the
stores walking through them and vis-
iting every floor I'm search of friends
and excitement.
On Seventh street the throas was
dense. Here at times there Were
complete blockades, and the patient
populace-beneath the silent atmos-
phere-waited until motion was once
a 40
and Ninth street there were also great
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