Fair play., 1906-01-13
LADY SANTA CLAUS.
NAVY YARD BENEFACToR 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, ac-
cordng 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 arc
sound asleep.
The navy's Santa Claus is lady
Santa Claus. Maybe a lady Santa
Claus will appear to some as odd as
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 some
time, and this year she's buster than
ever before. You see, it's this way
with the officers of the 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.
"Of course, many of the officers have
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
a description for one who does the
Santa Claus act so well as this young
woman does it.
"She buys things for wives ant
sweethearts. mothers and sisters, cous
ins and aunts. She picks out lots o
presents. too, that are to go to brother
officers.
"All these she selects in good sea
son, and she forwards them with thu
donors greetings to their various des
tinations. It's surprising how far she
can make a ten dollar bill go. But, O.
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 ever!
other such shopper, she gets a commits
sion from the stores where she buys.
Besides, Christmas time isn't tn,
only period when she's busy. The fac
is. she's buying all the year arounC
for naval officers. She's a regular lit
Ito mother to many of them.
whenever they need anything o
the kind that women ordinarily bu!
for men they send word to her ant
she executes the orders. To be sure
a lot of the officers who are married
have their wives do such buying TO
them. But not few are bachelors
without women relations so located al
to do this kind of job thoroughly
These are the fellows who are her reg
ular patrons all the year round.
Shopping for the officers is only
small part of this young woman's bust
ness She controls practically all tn,
printing done for officers of the navy
That alone is big item.
Every officer must have visiting
cards. These she has engraved in tn,
latest approved style. The card beari
the officers name and his rank When
ever he is promoted he must have
new set of cards.
Another commission of hers in tn
printing line is to supply the menus
for banQuets given by naval officers
When Prince Louis of Battenberg wal
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 al
their stationery.
when the picture postal card Graz,
first broke out this young woman haC
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 lant
office business selling postals to tn,
officers and men Thousands OF thes,
picture postals were disposed of lik,
hot cross buns on Good Friday.
Another profitable side line of thi
enterprising young woman is the sal
Of candy to the navy, She acts as tn
AGENT of one CT the largest candy man
ufacturers in the city. As told in tn,
Sun few Sundays ago the bluejacket
consume candy by the ton every month
A consi ierable proportion CT what I
sold to the navy is ordered througl
this young woman.
In the interest of her various line
OF business she visits the differen
navy yards along the Atlantic coast
Wherever Uncle Sans ships fin
berths she is on hand at some perio
of the year Her business is growin
steadily, and many a professional ma
cannot boast of an income eula' 1
hers"