Arizona republican., 1907-12-21
A GENERAL
CHRISTMAS
IA Movement for Phoenix S
Poor Children
A Business Man Proposes
a Fund to Be Increased
at His Offices.

those of them who IL was feared might
not be remembered OF santa Claus, are
about TO attract his attention after all
| In reply TO an article printed b. The
Republican few days ago on tie
subject of TOYS and Christmas gifts,
and the unequal distribution OF them
there was received the following yes
terday from a business man:
ITO the Editor of The Republican, Sir:
Your article in today's paper sus-
costing that the poor children OF our
city b. remembered with Chrisima.,
ghIs il a valued and timely JOn. but
To the Editor of The Republican. Sir:
pletion wiz DO not you take this
matter up and act as custodian of con-
tributi0ni and call upon the citizens
and churches OF our city for aide Then
divide such a fund between charitable
| Institutions. say. the Salvation Army.
Associated Charities, etc.
| IF you start such a fund put me
down for $40 and more. IL necessary.
l am sure there are hundreds of kind
hearted people who would be only too
| glad of the opportunity TO give for
such a purpose II some one would take
the matter up. | learned yesterday
from the Salvation Army that they
| have not half enough means to take
care of the sick and poor and any sur
plus fund might be given for this
purpose.
Hoping you will take this matter
in hand, l ramain.
Yours truly.
"CHAS. WATTAWA.
Phoenix. Dec. 10"
I Acting upon the suggestion OF Mr..
/ Wattawa. The Republican will under
/ take to collect such a fund and any
subscriptions TO II will be gladly re-
/ ceived at the business office OF this
paper. AS has been mentioned. this is
a branch of charity which has often
been neglected: in fact 1t is generally
neglected for the reason that most OF
the people who are engaged in char
liable work are of mature age and are
apt to have forgotten that they were
children: or. at any rate they have for
gotten how they felt when they were
children. They act upon the assump-
ton. and correct one. that gifts
should consist Of those things which
are actually needed. such as clothing
and food-something that will do sub
that toys and other gifts which delight
children are unnecessary. is not a COR
rect one. Whatever affords pleasure
OF the healthful or the harmless sort
is necessary and substantial Unless
something Of the kind proposed by Mr..
Wattawa is accomplished there is
many a little boy and many little
girl in Phoenix who will hunger and
thirst after something more than food
and drink.
A toy does not cost much but the
pleasure ii brings is tremendous A
little doll for a girl would be more
highly priced next Wednesday morn
ing than a scals&in coat would be
priced by her a few years hence. A
cheap train Of cars or little tin en-
CINE would give a little boy far more
pleasure than he would have in the
possession of a $4,000 automobile fiji
teen or twenty years fater. In this
kind of a comparison men and women
can convince themselves that these
toys are necessary TO a complete en-
joyment OF Christmas.
! 1t is more than ever necessary for
the enjoyment OF these unfortunate
children should have these things for
n large majority of their playmate,
will have gifts which VIII be Haunted
in their faces and these will be made
10 feel that they are very poor and
! inferior indeed.
I They will not think that Christmas
( is so much OF day after all and when
/ they are told that ii is the anniversary
of the day on which Jesus was born
they viii ask themselves wherein they
I have been proflted by his having been
born at all.
This is a kind of charity which will
do much good and can do no harm as
charity sometimes does by instilling
sense of dependence a habit OF receiv-
ing something for nothing. But the
children will not look at these gifts In
that way, for in their way OF thinking
the toys belong to them; they were
made for children and In their cases
they have hitherto been wrongfully
deprived OF them.
Come in with contributions to the
Christmas gift fund. # need not be
very big to make happy all the chill
dren of Phoenix who have no parents
or whose parents cannot make them
happy.