davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
Omaha daily bee., 1905-12-17
How Money Flies During the Christmas Season

such thirsts as some people develop on
Christmas! There are 4,737,2H gallons of
domestic wine and 5,Ol7159 gallons of i'm
one year The domestic, at an average of
90 cents a gallon. costs S26,S42,3iG, and the
imported, at an average of SIP a gallon,
costs 1921, AS.
The expenditure for domestic wine for
one day is, therefore. S73,54O, and for i'm
ported s17,1S2. or for the total for Christ
mas, estimated at three times the usual
amount consumed, S272 1876.
The amount expended for beer, although
much cheaper, rcaclhA a higher figure. The
annual consumption of beer in the United
States is 69,093,771. For one day il is $751;
$40, and for Christmas $569,53S. or about
7 mills per capita.
1t is easy 70 learn that the daily sales
in whisky amount to g., 296 237, and that the
total amount expended for Christmas may
be fairly figured at $6,S9S,7ll, or about Sl2
cents per capita for the day.
Then there are the soft drinks" used
in some places, like the Subway Ta.ern Of
Bishop Potter fame, as "chasers."
There are Ash pop and soda bottling con-
Germs in the country, with total annual
sales of about 100000. One hundred per
cent of this is profit and to the consumer,
therefore, there is an expenditure OF $lO,-
OOO,O0o or $27,397 daily, or $S2,l9l on Christ
mas.
in all parts of the world indicate that most
Omaha daily bee., 1905-12-17

mony Even the emperor does not furego
this feature of the observance. Merry
making. supper and dancing follow.
In some parts OF Germany, Scandinavia
and Holland the custom is for all the chill
dren to offer a petition at the chimney
corner on Christmas eve to kriss kringle
asking him to fill their stockings for
Christmas morning and many houes and
fears are confided to him. "Kriss Kringle"
is a corruption of "Christ-kinden," who
IS supposed to descend the chimney with
gifts for all good children and has In Ger
many superseded St Nicholas, or Santa
Claus, the patron saint of children. The
way of observing Christmas In Holland is
of peculiar interest In all the towns and
villages at midnight on Christmas eve the
men, in varied costumes, meet in the priu-
cipal squares, chanting the Gloria in EX
celsis." a large star, in which there are
several lighted candles shining one, is
mounted on a pole. This star is symbolical
of the star that guided the Wise Men OF
the East. The scene is deeply impressive.
AS the long procession, chanting the
Gloria" marches slowly along the star
casts its radiance in the dark, winding
streets.
Christmas in Italy centers around the
church. Nearly all the Roman Catholic
churches have a reproduction of the stable
Of Bethlehem, with all the prominent fig
ures of the nativity. Before the Presepio,
as this representation is called, the moth
ers gather and urge their little ones to re-
cite their hymns of praise to the Madonna
and the Child. Roman children receive no
gifts on Christmas day. The children Of
the evangelical churches have lovely
Christmas trees their green, aromatic
branches laden with yellow oranges, sill
vered balls and strings of gilt paper, bright
with lighted candies of red, white and
green, the colors of Italy, and with mimic
snow. The Sunday schools generally have
Christmas trees also laden with gifts.
on Christmas even in many Italian homes
n family festival is held where the old and
young to the third and fourth generations
meet at a supper of fish, cells, nuts, cakes
and fruit or vegetables. No meat is in
cuded in the magro, which is, however a
satisfying repast. 1t is followed the next
day by the sumptuous dinner, graced neCes-
sarily by fat capon. and ended by pau
gallo, n sort of coarse nut and fruit cake.
1t is the perennial holiday custom of the
Italian tradesmen, we'll as the German
and Russian, to send to their patrons COM
pllmcntary gifts at Christmas-time. These
tokens are recognized in italy by the
mancic, or small sum of money given in
return.
In France. as in Italy Christmas has not
the same status in popular regard as in
Omaha daily bee., 1905-12-17

The first big item in the ledger is toys.
One retail concern in New York City alone
sells 100000 worth of toys for Christmas
The head of this concern estimates that
during the year each family in the United
States averages s. for children's toys.
As there are 100000 families in tho coun-
try this would indicate an annual eXpendi-
ture of $32,OO0OOO, and as 90 per cent of tho
toys are sold during tho Christmas season,
SSSOO,COO must therefore be paid out for
them at that time. This estimate seems
quite reasonable when one considers that
there are 1907 toy stores and Col depart
ment stores selling toys in the country.
Then there is candy. That comes right
along after the toys Anybody knows that.
Taking basis one big store in New
York that sells 100000 worth of candy dur
ing the month Of December one may get
something of an idea to start on In this
great business
For instance, there are %, fO4 cOnfection-
cry stores and ISL department stores that
sell candy, making a total Of 297S5. During
the month of December 1900 of these stores
sell $3.50 worth of candy each, or 500 500 O0C
altogether Fourteen thousand sell 500
each, or 100000 altogether, and 6,7S5 sell
slOO each, or s67s,5OO, a total of $3017S, 800
Ninety per cent Of this candy is for Christ
mas day; that is. s2T,lG0GJO.
Omaha daily bee., 1905-12-17
Observing Christmas Day in Foreign Lands

other lands Yet Paris, it is stated. uses
50 600 Christmas trees each year, the result
of German suggestion. In 1870 the famous
old cathedral of Notre Dame was made the
scene of the German Christmas celebra-
tions. which have left a permanent I'm
preston In the converts of France Christ
mas eve is a very beautiful festival. The
sweet custom of making gifts for the poor
is carried out. Tho children all receive
Christmas boxes. and usually the first gift
taken from these Is placed in the basket
for the poor. II Christmas week is a great
week in Great Britain. the United States
and Germany, 1t is greater still in Russia
The celebration of Christmas in the car s
dominions is an extensive and unique cere-
mony. The Christmas holidays comprise
two entire weeks. Beginning with Decem-
Der "A there is one long line-pf successive
holidays till January s. Work is stopped
in factories and school is closed. Every
body takes a vacation and this condition
of things is attributed to the fact that the
Russian peasant is not possessed with the
fever of money-getting, and has not yet
reached that stage of civilization where
money is everything.
The business streets of Russian cities bear
the aspect of brilliant fair in gay decora-
tions and thronged with crowds of different
races-Tartars, Armenians, Circassians and
many more, in their varied national cos
tunes. The Christmas tree laden with gifts
is the prevailing feature in the homes of all
classes. Large sums are expended in pres
ents. A quiet family reunion marks the
first day. This is followed by a day of
congra tuations, when both front and back
door bells are kept constantly ringing by
friends both rich and poor. Carriages and
cabs fly through the streets bearing callers
to extend the national form of holiday
greeting. "Sprasdnkom," with the holt
days" which is the Russian way OF saying
Merry Christmas" Tips are expected by
all classes of servants and dealers. and
visits from the clergy involve an invariable
donation.
The Russian society man is bound during
the holidays to kiss the hand of the women
whom he greets. But the custom of Christ
mas calls, like the former New Year calling
of the United States, is becoming obsolete.
IT is now looked on as tiresome, useless
and expensive. The third Christmas day is
marked by the court reception, during
which Nicholas II receives the highest
councillors of state-the senators, the rep
resentatives of the synod, the army,
navy, and other chief subjects. Among the
Russian common people the Christmas
time has customs of local and peculiar
English custom when peasants gather in
groups, singing carols i'm front of the
noblemen's houses, and eagerly accept the
Omaha daily bee., 1905-12-17

llsh monarch who would forbid any OBJ
servation of the 18th Of December. The
example is set by the royal family OF the
ideal way in which TO spend the happy
merry Christmastide which the English
people cherish. Ii is the custom of King
Edward VII and queen Alexandra to pass
the holiday quietly at Sandringham, and
there to give personal supervision to the
distribution Of gifts.
Their majesties observe the best English
traditions by attending service on Christ
mas morning at Sandringham church, which
is prettily decorated with flowers and ever
greens. The choir sings Gounud's "Bethle-
hem" and familiar hymns, such as Hank
the Herald Angels Sing" and 80, Come All
Ye Faithful" The religious service is fol-
lowed by a quiet family reunion, proto-
type of the gatherings in humber homes
throughout the United Kingdom. 1t is said
that nothing creates a better impression
in Great Britain than that the sovereign
and royal family should observe national
customs in the national way.
The Christmas customs of the English
speaking people are drawn chiefly from the
fatherland, where the joys of the holiday
season are ushered in on Christmas eve.
To Germany we owe the Christmas tree
and the maintenance of the best of the old
customs. Throughout the Fatherland the
decoration of the house begins as early as
the morning of December "a. one room
from which all save die Mutter' are rig
idly excluded contains the Christmas tree.
Greens are hung from window to door and
garlands are placed upon the wallis. On
Christmas eve, promptly at p. m, at the
ringing of the bell the doors OF the
christmas room" fly open and the tree
is revealed to the impatient, admiring fam
lily in all the glory of its candles, tinsel.
sweetmeats and gifts They find not only
the adorned Christmas tree, but each one
of them a special table set for him.
Before Christmas everybody in the house
has his secrets. Now these secrets are be-
ing revealed, and the children hasten to
their different tables, curious 20 see
whether their hopes and wishes have been
realized. But these tables are not limited
to the children in the German homes. Not
only the immediate family, but the whole
household, meets under the Christmas ire.
For each of the servants Christmas boxes
are provided on big table. Sometimes
the servants prefer receiving money, but
even then some Christmas token is added
in order that the table may be full. After
the distribution of the gifts there follows
a distinctively German custom. Every one
both large and small, INDUCES in Il hearty
embrace and an affectionatc kiss. No one
is exempt Young and old, friend and rela
tive, rich and poor, take part in the cere
Omaha daily bee., 1905-12-17
Consider the Doctor.

Did you ever think how many stomach
aches there are after the big Christmas din
ners, how many colds and coughs there
are after the decollete costumes at the
Christmas balls and the rides in the street
cars after the Christmas entertainments?
Now, the average Doctors fee is 81 a visit
and the average annual income of physl-
clans is $1,000. The average number of
calls day is two, for which 81 is received
as remuneration, making the Doctors fees
for the week SOS.
If the illness is increased one-third dur
ing Christmas week, Santa Claus must add
to his debit account 1888 for each physi-
clan in the United States. There are 127, 200
doctors in the country, and the total amount
paid out in doctors bills a direct result
of the Christmas festivities must be-un-
less the figures are wrong-Sl,1 9l. al.
Omaha daily bee., 1905-12-17

gifts of coin thrown to them from the
windows This is called in Russian the
Kolenda. 1t always precedes quaint
representation by the peasants Of all ages.
They dress themselves in the style of diff
ferent animals. This is done to comment
crate Christs having been born in n
stable.
In most countries Christmas is observed
in a measure religiously. To the natives
of the Philippines. Christmas is largely
a religious ceremony, as in Italy and
France. All over the islands Christmas
bells ring out for hours. \ grand mass is
celebrated in the early morning The
churches are profusely decorated with
palms and fragrant blossoms. Great wreaths
and chains of cut flowers are carried by
the children, who sing songs and parade
through the streets. \ Filipino band leads
the procession. In Mexico, too, Christmas
is fiesta much like others on the calen-
dar. Its distinguishing features is the
Christmas eve market of small booths lin
ing the thoroughfares, where everything
marketable is offered for sale-candles a
foot in diameter, and others scarcely larger
than matches, pottery, baskets, rebozos,
serapes, huge tissue paper ornaments,
candy, fruit, nuts, sausages, mirrors knives
and cigarettes.
In Cuba where the sun shines hercely at
Christmas time, there is no holiday crowd
on the streets. Pig takes the place of
turkey. The Christmas dinner is supper
and part of a religious feast at midnight on
Christmas eve. Whenever English, Ameri-
cans or Germans dwell, the world around,
the Christmas customs Of the home land
have been introduced. Wherever there is
an American man-of-war there is an
American Christmas. This is equally true
of merchant and passenger ships OF all
nations.
The cosmopolitan character of the Christ
mas holiday is best illustrated in same for
eign port where half dozen ship Of differ
ent countries are anchored side by side.
On Christmas day the crew of the Russian
ship, for example, will intone the stately
chant of the solemn Russian hymn. AT its
conclusion there is silence. Then the
sailors on a Dutch trading vessel will chant
the inspiring national air of the Neither
lands. The next ship, perhaps a British
man. of war, and it's crew lift their voices
in God Save the King" There is pretty
sure to be an American ship or two. The
blue-coated sailors all join in, and the
"Star-spangled Banner drifts across the
sparkling waters. High from the signal
yard fiutters the glorious message which
has rejoiced the hearts Of men for ages:
Peace on earth, good will toward men"
From the foreyard flies the universal
friendly salutation, "A Merry Christmas"
Jane Stewart in Leslie's Weekly.
Omaha daily bee., 1905-12-17
Getting TedIOus.

Captain Ryan, the new British naval at
tache said at a dinner in Washington:
The strength Of the heads of some of
our old school farmers is quite incredible.
AT harvest supper, a feast similar in
its way to your Thanksgiving dinner, there
was an old farmer who drank a good deal
of champagne. The moment his glass was
filled he would toss il on, and then, of
course it would be filled again.
But the old fellow grew quieter and
quieter the more champagne he drank. A
trown settled on his forehead. His eyes
flashed angrily under his heavy gray brows
Finally, when the waiter filled his glass
with wine for the twelfth or thirteenth
time, he shook his head and said:
James, when are you going to put the
whisky on the table? These minerals are
getting tedious Washington Post
Omaha daily bee., 1905-12-17

And the feasting, What is Christmas
without a good dinner? The mere mention
of it brings to mind turkey and plum pud-
ding and pie and cake.
Next to Thanksgiving, the number OF
turkeys consumed in one day is greatest
on Christmas. Fifty per cent Of the tur-
keys are used for Thanksgiving. Twenty
five per cent are served on Christmas ta-
bles at a cost of S25,OOOOOO.
But man cannot live by turkey alone.
The bakers do land office business the
day before Christmas. There are %, 500
bakers in the country. For the extra
amount of business that they do for Christ
mas $40 each is said to be a conservative
estimate. That would make this eXpendi-
ture $29S0OO, to say nothing of tho sweet
meats concocted in the private and hotel
and restaurant kitchens.
Beside the eating, there is drinking. And
Omaha daily bee., 1905-12-17

During the National Civic federation's
convention in New York Samuel Gompers,
apropos of mistake said;
1T might have been embarrassing-as
embarrassing as the position of a young
man of Toledo whom l heard about the
other day.
He had been calling now and then on
young Toledo lady, and one night, as he sat
I'm the parlor waiting for her to come down,
her mother entered the room instead, and
asked him, in very grave, stern way,
what his intentions were.
lie turned very red, and was about TO
stammer some incoherent reply, when sud
denly the young lady called down from
the head of the stairs:
Mamma, mamma, that is not the one +"
Omaha daily bee., 1905-12-17
street Car Companies Come In.

In getting all these presents for the chill
,dren and for relatives and friends, and in
going about to see the attractive things in
the shop windows, there is great deal of
extra riding in the street cars This is one
of the expenses Of Christmas In the
United States the annual receipts of the
street car companies from passengers are
1888 S21 ,548. The receipts for a day would,
therefore, be $640,6O7.
At least ten days are devoted 10 the pur-
chasing of gifts and looking about. Dur
ing these ten days s64O6,O1O will be ex-
pended for street car fare. Ten per cent
Omaha daily bee., 1905-12-17
blue Dogs with Pink Tails.

Il will never forget my first experience
in hospital work." said Chief Surgeon Mil
lar of the Central Emergency hospital
There was a green nurse in the detention
ward and we had a very violent case in
there-a man in the worst stage of de-
hrium tremens. l was awakened in the
middle of the night by the head nurse, who
requested me to come at once TO the pa
tient. When / got there l found him raw
ing and very violent with the new nurse
scared out of her wits. / said:
Why did you let him go so far? 1 left
you some medicine to give him as soon as
he got delirious.'
Yes, Doctor she replied; but you told
me to give that to him if he saw any more
snakes, and this time he was seeing blue
dogs with pink tails Chicago Inter
Ocean.
Omaha daily bee., 1905-12-17
Work of Busy Hands.

Uncle Sans bright young men who come
around every ten years and ask you all
kinds Of questions have figured that there
are 371l4,1i5 females in the United States.
Ten millions of them can sew, more or
less productivity. Each sews on an aver
age five days on Christmas gifts
II you don't believe II, ask your pastor
who received fourteen pairs of slippers or
your Uncle Tom, who is 90 if he is day
and who plucked off from the evergreen
tree in the basement of the Sunday school
at the Christmas celebration a week before
Christmas seventeen Bachelors Compan-
ions, or Every Man His own Seamstress."
Well, anyhow, these 100000 women. in
sewing, manage TO keep busy for 100000
days in their efforts to make somebody
happy. And with an average earning ca
pacity of % cents day each-considering
that good many Of the women do not
usually worlI-there is an expenditure of
energy worth Sl2,5O0ooc Right along here
should come the item about the fancy gifts
bought at the dry goods, the department
and the racket stores.
All together there are 81 O33 of these
stores. There are ten stores that do a
business of 100000 each annually-thats
100000 There are COCO that average $50
OCO each-that's S3O0.C0O,o0O and there are
$500 in round numbers that do business
every year Of $2,0O each, making all to-
gether 100000 and a grand total Of 1872, %
oo0,OOo annually. II they were open every
day that would mean a business Of ST. 1856, =
l64 for one day.
People who have watched such things
say it is a modest estimate to treble the
figures Of the business for the one day Of
Christmas. That would make the sales OF
fancy goods and novelties for Christmas
s3,itS, 49,, in addition 10 the articles the
women make with their own clever hands.
Omaha daily bee., 1905-12-17

there is no day in the year when flowers
are in as great demand as on Christmas.
Included with the flowers should be the
evergreens and the trimmings in the
churches and the houses. Those who buy
flowers just before Christmas know how
the prices jump The florists think Moth
ing of adding 100 or 200 per cent to their
usual charges.
Roses, for instance, sell about Christmas
time for $50 a hundred, while usually $3.50
to Sc hundred is considered good price.
Carnations sell for Sc to $40 a dozen, and
so on for all the others. But one must re-
member that the 2,S45 florists in the United
States, who do a retail business, must live
so that they can have little bit of the
good time themselves on the 25th of De-
Cember
Omaha daily bee., 1905-12-17
Large Enough.

Senator Foraker was talking about a poll
tician whose erratic conduct had estranged
him from his part
This man." said the senator, was show
ing a visitor over his new house in Wash
ington the other day.
He exhibited the large drawing room, in
white and gold; the spacious dining room,
I'm mahogany; the vast ebony hall, with its
onyx pillars, ard then he led his visitor
into the littlest bit of room of the hall
a mere cubby hole, containing but a table
and two chairs
" Not very large, eh?' he said Small
and coy, isn't il? Here l entertain my
political friends
"'Ah,' said the visitor, it will bs large
enough for that "-Washington Post.
Omaha daily bee., 1905-12-17
Turned the Tables.

John Philpot Curran, the famous Irish
lawyer ranks among the wittiest men the
emerald isle has ever produced. His wit,
however, was sometimes turned against
himself by the intended victim. the follow
ing story furnishes an amusing example OF
how Curran was once outdone \ brisk
young widow. in some part Of Ireland, used
to preside at the table of a coffee house
patronized by Curran. Her name was Honor
and one day there was some disputed
charge Curran slyly winked at the friend
who happened TO be dining with him and
proposed Honor and Honesty" by all
means" added the widow, briskly, holding
Omaha daily bee., 1905-12-17
On the Trolley Car.

A group Of traffic managers and auditors
of the convention of street railway men in
Philadelphia was telling stories of street
railroading. Irwin Fuller of Detroit said :
"A pretty Irish girl, fresh from the old
country, sat in a trolly car looking at the
strange American country with modest in
terest.
she had soft gray eyes. face like roses
and lilies. beautiful hair and white teeth
Your fare miss said the conductor,
pausng before her.
She blushed and bit her lip.
Your fare, miss he repeated.
Sure said the girl, an what if l be?
You must not be repeatin' it like that be-
fore folks New York Tribune.
Omaha daily bee., 1905-12-17

men are habitual smokers Take it in the
United States for instance. Last year
there We're 6,7SG,39O,5S3 large and GO, 499, $40
small cigars smoked. That means ex-
penditure of about sos, So, 32S. or 1886, 937
a day.
The Christmas money that goes up in
smoke from the ends of cigars is placed at
A,19O,S11. And that doesn't include the
cigarettes, of which there were 3,O4l, 573. G6S
smoked III this country in 1903, the cost
being s2O,2T,157 for the year and S55,553 for
one day. The Christmas sales, therefore,
being $l66, $50
The good people of the United States
having eaten all these tempting things and
drunk all these hard and soft DRINKS, and
smoked all these fine Havanas and ropes
and Turkish and cheap cigarettes-some-
thing is pretty sure to happen.
Omaha daily bee., 1905-12-17

General Wistar was for a number of
years the president of the Pennsylvania
Academy of Natural Sciences. At one of
the academy's meetings a rather odd and
original method OF reaching the north pole
was suggested. OF this method the presi
dent said smiling:
1T reminds me of the way two San Fran
cisco friends of mine once took to get rid
Of some guests
These guests came to spend the evening
and didn't know when to depart. My
friends were patient with them, vey pa
tent; but when IL, Il and finally l o'clock
struck, the husband realized that some
thing must now be done.
He was an original chap, and, in his
original way, he looked over at his wife
and said, mildly:
My dear, hadn't we better get up to
bed? Our friends may want to be going. Z"
New York Tribune.