New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1905-12-26

The one cheerful day of all the year on the
Bowery is Christmas Day. The homeless the
friendess, the disheartened and despaTlhs
wanderers OF that famous thoroughfare look Tor
ward TO it for weeks. for 1t means to them
hearty welcome to bountiful dinner and KIND
word. all of which they seldom know in the
other days of the year. About 5000 of these
men we're literally provided for yesterday IN the
general distribution of holiday cheer
OF that number nearly 5,000 were ethe guests
of Congressman Timothy D. Sullivan. at his
ninth annual Christmas diner to the lower East
Side while 300 we're fed at the Bowery Mis-
sion 81 ~ Bowery.
There are three great annual affairs on ths
Btwery one is the election of one of the Sullt-
van family to public office. another the chowdar
of the Timothy D Sullivan Association, and the
third Big Tim" Sullivan's dinner to the poor
Yesterdays dinner was served as 1t always IS
at the club house. No. 207 Bowery 1t was
more successful and on a larger scale than any
that have been held heretofore
As one of the Ccngressman's guests expressed
it. as ne puffed contentedly on a perfecto. which
every man received: Gee, it was de greatest
ever and he looked eite.e
The dinner was announced for II o'clock. hut
long before that hour the hungry ones moved on
the clubhouse and ranged themselves in line 70
await the signal for attack
1t was typical Bowery crowd that lined the
curb for several blocks al ound. Most Of them
were thtuly clad and shivered as the chilly WING
swept up and down the street. There was the
old tirer who remembered the first Of Big
Tins "biowouts" and had not missed one since
then and the youth who wes 10 eat his hTst
Christmas dinner away from his home; the
square jawed young gent" who wore frayed
sweater and was not far from home, and the
young man who had tried, failed and just nat
uraliv drifted with the tide Of adversely to the
Bowery.
Every man held an Invitation" in his hand
for Big Tim does the thing right, and is
sues nvtaton enclosed II envelope just like the
swell affairs There was disorder and the
police had little to do.
at II o'clock the first relay of % men was
admitted to the club house. Three long tables
we're set each accommodating seventy-fve din
ers Alderman Little Tim" Sullivan in
charge and the walters we're men well known in
notifies. especially IN the Bowery. Some of these
were: Senator John c.. Fitzgerald, Charles An
derson Warden OF Ludlow-st. Jail. ex-Assembly-
man Henry oxford Colonel Mchal c. Paddon
and Larry Muiligan
The host knowing the keen appetite Of his
guests had made liberal provision for them and
notwithstanding the optimistic view of one 81
the number that every day'n be Christmas by
few and far between for these men.
The turkeys and chickens has been roasted at
y 14th-st restaurant not far from Tammany
Hall where much ROASTING has been done re-
Gently. The man who marketed for the Sulh-
van dinner had ordered the following supply
2 oeo mounds of turkey 1000 pounds of chicken
GOO ,nince pies 20 dozen crates OF celery, oV'ooo
mounds of coffee 40 pounds of tea. 20 pecks OF
-cranber-ies Besides. there wee 60 kegs OF
boor. And what is more interesting, there were
three kegs left after all the men had gone as
far as they liked"
Az ihe men consumed plate after plate or
,urt.ev or chicken the Gatherings OF knives.
forks and spoons against the plates and cups
made :: noise like a boiler shop. The "distin-
gilished' walters. wearing aprons moved about
tray in hand. serving the guests every want ard
With as much as they wanted.
As the mon left the table to make room for
The others with equally vorGcious appetites, they
received a cigar. pipe and pouch of tobacco
also a ticket cxchengeable on February FOR
nair Of shoes at the clubhouse. Relay followed
relav until Little 'rfm" began to wonder
whether they were repeating
TT makes no difference" he said; they can
eat as long as their appetites hold out"
Long before the last had been fed, which was
about o'clock. many OF the knives had pieces
bitten out. but that made no difference.
Big Tim" the hero OF the affair, appeared on
the scene late IN the afternoon. As the tall fig
ure and smiling face OF the Bowery idol came
IN sight MS guests stopped eating. and while
:sey banged with knives and forks n their