The daily morning journal and courier., 1906-12-26
CHRIST ' AS OBSERVANCE
 AT HOME AND ABROAD
NEW IORK CELEBRATES THE MOST BOUNTEOUS IN MANY
 YEARS.

Thirty-Seven Thousand of the City's
 Poor Share in Distribution of Din-
 ners by Salvation Army-Toys for
 the ChiIdren-Thaw's Wife Sends His
 Dinner from Cafe-LOngwOrths the
 Only Guests at White House--Ten
 Thousand of Chicago's Poor Families
 Cared For-Kuiser William Gives
 Gold Pieces.
 New York, Dec. 25.-New York cele- brated to-day the most bounteous Christmas it has known in many years. Ideal winter weather-clear, cold and sunshiny-marked the day. It is seldom that New York does not turn out it's myriads of thousands on a holiday to tax the transportation lines, but to-day it seemed that the city stayed at home for it's dinner, and other Christmas pleasures. To those who had not homes and a dinner, a feast was provided by the many charitable societies, and no one had excuse for going hungry.
 Thirty seven thousand of the city's poor shared in the distribution of Christmas dinners by the Salvation Army, Timothy D. Sullivan and the Bowery mission, Five thousand bas- kets and 1000 bags, each containing a. fowl and 'fxings7 sufficient for fam fly of five persons or more, were dis tributed by Commander Eva Booth of the Salvation Army at the Grand Gen. tral palace from il to 1 o'clock. Tick cts entitling the bearers to dinners had been given out by members of the Sal- vation Army, and the holders were ad- mitted to the great hall in squads of 200, and presented with a basket of food.
 The usual Christmas dinner at the palace was abandoned, as Commander Booth was convinced that the recipients 'of the gifts preferred to take them to their homes, and prepare their dinners after their own fashion. This made it possible to add 1000 bags to the amount usually distributed
 In the afternoon occurred the annual Christmas tree and distribution of more than 5000 toys to the children. Com mander Booth said that the poor had suffered more this year than last, as the price of food and rents had been advanced.
 More than 5000 of the homeless of the East Side partook of Christmas dinner at the Timothy D. Sullivan association rooms in the Bowery. No distinctions were made between applicants, except that the lame and blind were given preference in the line of those waiting for admission.
 The majority of those who came for food were evidently in sad need of clothing, for many were without over- coats and hundreds wore only the remnants of shoes. The day was bit terly cold. As each man departed from the hall, a pouchful of tobacco, a pipe and a ticket for a pair of shoes was given him, and then the hall was clear cd for the admission of another group of BOO. One hundred and fifteen bas- kets of food and clothing were distrib- uted to poor women at the Bowery mis- sion this morning, and tonight more than 1,200 men participated in the mis- sion's annual Christmas dinner.
 Five hundred dinner bags, each con- taining enough food for a dinner for ten persons were distributed by the Vol- unteers of America.
 Twenty thousand persons in the penal and charitable institutions of New York city enjoyed Christmas dinners, the gift either of the city or of charita- ble organizations. In many of the insti-