New-York tribune., 1907-12-24
SHOPPERS STORM CITY.
FILL STREET. And STORE.
Package Laden Crozcds, Christmas
Bent, Defy Rain and Slush.


,ointee and bitter things have been said in these
latter days
towering clouds and rain-the combination
roeaning. Of course Shiny ard slippery streets in
.be crowded parts of the city and plentiful spew
f mud in sections where trees and grass have a
chance for growth in July; fog that not as
,b;ck and yellow Lcndon's hut entirely 100
.y5dert; heavily loaded drays trolley cars and
o,ber vehicles that halted in ones way an almost
.rreruina bic period and then moved only 10 hurI
their spsttering mark. and. last. but least.
crowds raincoated and armed with umbrellas and
rackaCes of myriad shapes. apparently made
rjb digging and that alcne-crowds to the right
Of them, crowds to the and Well. they
were all there. and all blame. least indirectly
for the test put on the souls and the tempers but
TO get the bottom OF it. if chose, impend-
.ng Christmas caused all the trouble.
The tales of short money which have spread
abroad in the last two months. unlike those in
which Caliph of Bagdad prominently figured. had
anything but amusing and enlivening effect.
Were personal presentation a shrine necessary
tbe example Of the Little Italians-oT rather of he
Inhabitants of the Little Italy in New York-in
erecting al fresco altars would have been neces-
sary some weeks ago TO accommodate ali those who
wanted register their solemn that this
wear would he giving of Christmas presents.
Take from IheTn. they meant it they'd stick TO
It and they couldn't be blamed considering the bad
lie Of the land whichever way you looked
AND WHAT TINE THEY HAD.
Some wise men of the West as well as of the
Z
ening and said: -yaitr' Many more. who have
lived through many sieges of Christmas traffickng
and endured TO count the profit got worried or ex-
cited the outlook. They began week or more
ego get irrtated the slow going OF their stock
treasures special prices for Christmas But Of
course. it always ought 10 be- the wise men won
A walk ride. stroll dash in any part
Of New York yesterday where articles that may be
presented the willing the unwilling may he
bought would have convinced any one of that
Only there strolling than dashing, at
least among the pedestrians, no matter how quick
gated they They might fume and complain.
perhaps swear, hut there getting through
the mob which moved. at least in the chief shop
ping centres, with just about one-hundredth of
the speed of healthy pendulum. So it seemed.
anyway, to those who marking time. And
who wasn't2
OF course they blamed If on the others who had
time TO do their Christmas shopping long ago and
had the money to do it with But could one expect
more than unreason from the tens of thousands
who had shamefully forsworn their vows and.
frightened and prodded alike by the realization
that this the of Christmas Eve, ventured
forth from homes and also from hotels and apart
rnents and furnished room places, to do what they
had Just bet only few short days ago that they
guessed they would not2
Wherefore they dug into their pockets and sailed
forth on Of the days that does not at all be-
come a December in the north temperate zone
Wherefore, also. 1t is unnecessary to dig further
into the why 2sd street and S4th street,
Sixth avenue and Avenue D were a mass. jam.
a mob, all day yesterday, sheling it out with
lacrity that easily made up for all the self-re-
traint of the last fortnight One always
little more leisurey in Avenue, and there
always professional persons. whose peregrinations
OF meditation the advantages of several
ceIlent offers congest Broadway. But why speak.
even softly of West I25th street. Fulton street.
In Brooklyn?
S. CLAUS FULLY INDICATED.
Whatever the value Of the gifts bought, at
euy rate there buying. and many was the
merchant last night who licked his chops dgura-
lively the crop OF broken vows If he knew
of the breakage did he care? AT any rate, it was
a Christmas crowd Of unusual size All he cared was
that the laggards had there at last and in force
Little difference did it make IL there were demon
etrations Of lack Of arniability Anyway, whoever.
outside OF a shoplifter, out TO shop with
umbrella and wrapped in wet weather togs. and
with the certainty Of meeting thousands OF others
in like arrnor, who could be blamed for getting
tft pjoued at what he pushed was pushed UP
against?
That is not saying they all were, but there was
always ''Ane chanct' for disposition display yes
terday. upon the statesmen and saleswonen
TO stall it of terminate il. If it was not the
right kind Judging from the estimated receipts in
ernporia and shops last night these hard working
people did noby in this respect They Will have
another great opportunity for their talents to-day
The reckoning of the week will show one S Claus
and traditions vindicated and thousands and
thousands of sef-svyorn tight wads" Of week ago
nothing more or less than horde OF perjurers
Patience OF both the preferred and common
issue. was much depressed, not only in the stores
but in the express offices, baggage rooms, post
Offices and wherever else Christmas giving figured
conspicuously in the downward tendency. 1t
seemed that everybody had just woke up to the
fact that Christmas coming and that there
were things to be bought. things to be bundled.
things 10 be marked and things to be sent Few
there were who could say with the Grand Monarch.
AFTER me the deluge!" 1t was already there when
they arrived-not the rain. but the crowd Fol-
lowed a long wait course colored with remarks
about the speed and efficiency Of pretenders at
public service.
Viewed from any point, Monday, the 23d, wes a
big day in New York, the first zeal. od-fashioned
Christrnassy twenty-four hours in 1867 The en-
ployes of Uncle Sam certainly had nothing to say
yesterday about the lack of Christmas gifts they
had received-for transmission to other persons.
They have just cause complaint in that every
holiday they are compelled to work day
after DAY for several hours overtime without re-
ceIving g cent of compensation. Possibly General
Public. whose dignity and patience are ruffied by
having to wait ir line long. might take 1t more
gently if he knew that the approach Of the time
OF Peace an. Good VIII means the opposite the
postal employees who. however hard they work. get
stocking full Of gold from their fostering uncle.
PITY THE POOR POSTAL CLERKS.
For instance in the registry division of the Cen
eral Postofice sixty extra clerks were taken on
sbou, a. fortnight ago. Nevertheless with this In
creased force, every man on every tour. from Ed
ward s. Post the superintendent. down. has had 10
90 his fwo Or three hours overtime in trying to
DO the right thing by Christmas givers and keep
ing the Office from being swanped with packages.
This year 1T has been an unusually oif1cuit task
owing the large amount OF registered maii that
has been received at the local office sor foreign
countries a consequence it may be OF the un-
<o- tla:e nafi