The Virginia enterprise. [volume] (Virginia, St. Louis County, Minn.) 1893-19??, 1906-01-19
LADY SANTA CLAUS.
NAVY YARD lBENEFACToR WHO
KEEPS BUSY.
She Does Shopping All the Year
Round for the Officers
Unique Service of the
Young Woman.

'"You don't know, suppose" said a
man at the Brooklyn navy yard, &C.
cording to the New York Sun, that
the officers of the navy have a Santa
Claus of their Own.
Their Santa Claus isn't the ortho-
dox, rolypoly, white whiskered old
chap, with cheeks like roses and nose
like a cherry. Neither does this Santa
Claus drive out to the ships in his
reindeer rig and sneak down the
smokestack when all hands are
sound asleep
'"The navy's Santa Claus is lady
Santa Claus. Maybe lady Santa
Claus will appear to some as odd az
the Episcopal cathedral's lady angels,
but just the same the Santa Claus I'm
telling you of wears skirts
She's been doing the Santa Claus
stunt for the naval officers for soma
time, and this year she's buster than
ever before. You see, it's this way
with the officers of tho navy:
Lots of them are scattered all over
the world at Christmas time. Like
other folks, they want to make pres
ents to their relatives and friends.
But, for one thing, they aren't within
reach of the shopping district, and for
another thing, they're not expert shop
pers.
women folks of their own ashore who
can do their shopping for them. But
at Christmas time they want to
surprise these women folks. Here's
where the lady Santa Claus comes in
handy.
''They write to her. telling her to
whom they want presents sent and
how much they care to spend on this
one and that one, and they leave the
| rest to her. Maybe you'd call this lazy
Santa Claus just a plain professional
shopper. But that's too commonplace
description for one who does the
Santa Claus act so we'll as this young
woman does it.
"She buys things for wives and
sWeethearts. mothers and sisters, cous-
ms and aunts. She picks out lots of
presents too, that are to go to brother
officers.
"All these she selects in good sea-
son, and she forwards them with the
donors greetings to their various des-
| tinations. It's surprising how far she
can make ten dollar bill go. But, of
course. that's what may be expected
| of a woman.
Does she make the scheme pay?
Well. you bet she does. The officers
pay her for her trouble, and, like every
other such shopper, she gets a commits
sion from the stores where she buys.
Besides. Christmas time lent the
only period when she's busy. The fact
is she's buying all the year around
for naval officers. She's a regular lit
| tic mother to many of them.
"Whenever they need anything OF
the kind that women ordinarily buy
for men they send word to her. and
she executes the orders. To be sure.
a lot of the officers who are married
have their wives do such buying for
them. But not few are bachelors.
without women relations so located as
to do this kind of a job thoroughly
These are the fellows who are her reg.
ular patrons all the year round.
Shopping for the officers is only
ness. She controls practically all the
printing done for officers of the navy.
That alone is big item.
Every officer must have visiting
cards. These she has engraved in the
latest approved style. The card bears
the officers name and his rank. When
ever he is promoted he must have a
new set of cards.
"Another commission of hers in the
! printing line is to supply the menus
for banquets given by naval officers.
| When Prince Louis of Battenberg was
dined at the navy yard, during his re-
cent visit to New York, she furnished
the menus and the Invitations.
Through her. too, the officers get all
their stationery.
when the picture postal card craze
first broke out this young woman had
cards printed with pictures of the va
rious ships of the navy on them. With
these she went aboard every war YES
sci that came into port and did a land
office business selling postals to the
officers and men. Thousands of these
picture postals were disposed of like
hot cross buns on Good Friday
Another profitable side line of this
enterprising young woman is the sale
of candy to the navy. She acts as the
agent of one Of the largest candy man
ufacturers in the city. AS told in the
Sun few Sundays ago, the tluejackets
consume candy by the ton every month.
| A considerable proportion CT what is
sold to the navy is ordered through
this young woman.
"In the interest of her various lines
of business she visits the different
navy yards along the Atlantic coast
Wherever Uncle Sans ships find
berths she is on hand at some period
Of the year. Her business is growing
steadily, and many a professional man
cannot boast of an income equal to
hers"