Los Angeles herald., 1906-12-25
MANY TEARS DRIED
THROUGH EFFORTS OF
BIG HEARTED PEOPLE
CHRISTMAS CHEER SPREAD AROUND
Salvation Army Distributes Baskets of SeasOnable
Dainties to Poor People Who Had Looked For
ward to Dismal Day - Volunteers of
America Do Good Work

That It Is more blessed to give than
to receive seemed to be the motto OF
everybody in the city yesterday, foI
from the happy little urchin, who gave
some trifle to another urchin, to the
/ business man who carried home some
costly present to his loved ones, the
/ one idea of giving seemed to take pos
session of people. The charitable insti-
tutions distributed cheer to the less
fortunate ones, and all day the deacon
esses could be seen carrying market
baskets filed with fruits and flowers,
as well as presents, making their way
into the homes where, perhaps but for
their presence, little Christmas cheer
would have been carried.
Christmas Is one of the most cheer
full times for the successful, but at the
same time one of the dreariest seasons
of the year for the less fortunate. But
with all the charitable institutions do
ing their best to reach every one who
may be forgotten few homes in Los
Angeles can be overlooked today In the
general Christmas joy.
"One-half of the world does not know
how the other half livesl" When this
old saying was repeated to a Salvation
Army man yesterday afternoon he said:
Yes, it is a fact, and the Salvation
Army knows the full meaning of it, but
1t is better that some people do not
realize the condition or they would be
driven to insanity"
The Salvation Army, with its usual
enterprise, supplied about 125 baskets
of provisions to poor people, represent
ing about 600 men, women and chill
dren. The baskets were gathered at
1904 South Spring street and at 10
o'clock yesterday afternoon they were
ready for distribution. Each basket
contained chicken, celery, two kinds
of potatoes, bread, can of tomatoes,
apples, nuts, cranberries, candy can
of cream, sugar, tea, coffee, a War
Cry and a Christmas greeting in the
form of a neat pamphlet.
Maj. and Mrs. Percy Morton, the of
ficers in charge, were very busy, assist
ed by the following: Adjt. and Mrs.
j. F. Hamilton, Adjt. and Mrs. Plum
stead, Capt. l.. w. Kenning, Capt. c.
E.. Roberts, Mr.. and Mrs. William Rice
and others.
Poor Made Happy
When the doors were opened the men,
women and children clambered up the
stairway with faces of great expectancy
to receive a good Christmas dinner and
they were not disappointed. All ages
and conditions were represented among
the poorer classes and they were all
treated with great respect and with a
with happy faces, bespeaking a merry
Christmas dinner today.
Some of the little tots looked at the
baskets with much anxiety depicted in
their little faces. When questioned one
little girl said: Mamma an me an
the rest wants a good dinner, but 1
jest awfully wants a dolly" And the
little girl was assured that probably
Santa Claus would give her a dolly at
the Christmas tree given by the army.
Hunger did not seem to dispel the
sympathetic feeling of one little girl
when she looked at the dressed chick
ems, when she said: "Too bad to kill
chickens, an the one that killed them
ought to be kilt hisself." The small
reformer turned away and, seeing one
of the neat souvenir pamphlets, pre-
ferred thai to the chicken, although
she will probably enjoy the chicken to-
day with the other members of the
family.
A Herald reporter accompanied one
of the several wagons sent out by the
army yesterday, driven by William
Rice, a member of the army, and wit
messed some of the distressing condi-
tions of those to whom the baskets
were given.
There were represented conditions of
poverty and suffering, among which
were two families crowded into one
dilapidated shack. An olG man, appar-
emily ready to drop into his grave, was
in a terrible condition. He was much
emaciated and his wife, an elderly wo-
man, seemingly ready to drop with
exhaustion, accepted the basket with
a tired but grateful smile and express
sions of thanks. She said that she had