Pine Bluff daily graphic. (Pine Bluff, Ark.) 1893-1942, 1907-12-26
Police Were Kept Busy But
Had the Situation Well in
Hand-Fun Started on
Christmas Eve
POOR REMEMBERED
Elks Christmas Tree Was Big Fea.
ture of the Day-Holcomb Cared
For Destitute Families-DowntOw
District Crowded.

No fatalities were reported in Pine
Bluff on Christmas day and taken all
in all this years Christmas was q
most satisfactory one. though it was
far from being quiet in the downtown
districts. The booming of fire crack
ers and the attractive display of fire.
works was a. continual reminder of
the fact that Xmas was on.
The fun began early Christmas eve
with the blowing of horns, the ring
ing of bells and the discharge of fire.
works. The downtown streets were
crowded until midnight with a mer-
~ throng OF pleasure seekers who
TOOK advantage of the fact that Xmas
comes but once q year. 4 noticeable
feature was the presence of so many
ladies among the merry-makers, but
as the night passed the number thin
ned out for many men, who INDUCED
TOO freely, became boisterous and the
women decided that home was moth
ing like that and they went to their
respective homes.
AS far as can be learned no boys
were injured during the day in the
careless discharge Of crackers or
Roman candles. Several drunken ne
groes caused excitement several times
during the day but the police quickly
put a stop to their lawlessness and
! things passed off smoothly after that
Several fights in negro saloons We're
also stopped by the police when the
! ftisturbers were jailed
Christmas trees We're displayed in
many homes and the various mer-
chants Of the city declare that their
| business exceeded that of the previ-
Gus Christmas holidays, regardless Of
the Cry OF the scarcity of money. At
! the Elks theater Christmas morn
ing nearly three hundred poor chill
dren We're made happy. The Elks
! had a Christmas tree there and none
o. the children who went there were
overlooked Clothing, toys. candies,
nuts and money was given out with
a lavish hand.
! Reverend S. S. Holcomb, city mis-
sionary, looked after the destitute
. throughout the city. He says he was
busy from early morning till late at
night distributing clothing and pro-
visions. He provided many poor fam
lilies with meats, -four, rice, coffee,
sugar, which was given out at the
Mission relief rooms, No. 220 State
street, and many a sad heart was
made glad there. An aged couple,
destitute and without relatives, STAT
ed after being given clothing and
provisions. that they had had nothing
substantial 10 eat for several DAYS.
The wants Of a widow with seven
small children was also looked after.
The woman with her children visited
the mission rooms and went away
happy. with their arms filled with
good things. None were overlooked
Ia his rounds, says Reverend Hol-
comb
The downtown popular priced play
houses did land Office business af-
, ternoon and night. Hundreds were
turned away at both performances. At
the Theatorium four hundred news
boys and other poor boys and girls
witnessed a performance in the af-
ternoon. They were the guests of the
Elks. At the city Jail Chief Stewart
treated the prisoners to a turkey din
ner and they partook OF the turkey
until they could eat no more.