Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1908-12-25
CHRISTMAS WHITE AND GRAY
GOOD START Is MARRIED BY
DRILLING RAIN.
And It Will Rain Tonight and Get
Colder, the Weather
Man Says.

Christmas day. 1903. dawned gray and
gloomy, with a sort of north pole chilli
ness in the atmosphere before sunrise.
1t was white Christmas after all, but
early in the day falling weather set in,
and the man out on 24th street. who
forecasts the weather, said that the rain
which began this afternoon will continue
tonight. and that it will become colder.
The Minnesota storm is working south
ward and bad conditions may be expected
Out on the highlands that surround
Washington snow is laying for depth of
several feet in places and there is a gen.
uine Christmas picturesqueness.
Belated holiday purchasers had touch
OF Roosevelt strenuosity while making
their purchases last night. Tile streets
were fairly damned with men. women
and children. while the roadways were
clogsing with vehicles as the jaded horses
strove to pull tho carriages and wagons
through the choppy snow. Automobiles
impelled by electricity or gasoline bump
ed and bounced along over the snow
ridges like rubber balls. Along eth street.
pennsylvania avenue and F street the
thrODgS elbOWed and joStled in a hurly-
burly, while the department stores and
other establishments where Christmas
goods were sold we're packed to their
capacities.
The markets overlooked with holiday
so high as TO become practically pro-
hibitive to people of moderate means. All
the small and medium sized fowls were
sold early in the day, and toward twilight
only whopping big fellows remained, and
they were priced at - and even 80 cents
a pound by many dealers.
"A turkey trust has been formed de-
clared an irate government clerk at the
Center market. land hope it will get
stuck on every bird it handles at such
high figures
The turkeys that are not sold at -
and 80 per-, said a bystander. will go
into cold storage, and will be dished out
to an unsuspecting public New Year day
COR on Christmas eve. 1907 suggested
a short and pudgy individual who was ne
sotiating for the purchase of a black hen
in the feathers and of uncertain age.
Chicken and Pork Popular.
AS result of the high price OF turkeys
many Weslingtonians contented them
selves with chickens or pork for roasting
for their Christmas dinners rather than
pay the exorbitant figures charged. Some
of the poultry dealers also expressed dis
gust at the way the prices of the tooth
some fowl had scared. One of them de-
clared that trust in New York had been
busy for weeks buying up all the turkeys
that could be found in the middle states.
the south and southwest with the view Of
cornering the market.
And he added, Il hope the trust will
get so badly stuck on the birds that they
Will never attempt again to monkey with
the food market to fatten up their for
tunes
The street cars were damned full Of
purchasing people last night and riding
was made most uncomfortable. There
were numerous tie-ups. as there had been
during the several preceding days. and
anything like a time schedule was out
of the question.
Crowds of young folks on fun bent were
abroad last night but there was no horn
footing. as on former Christmas ewes, for
Maj. Sylvester had declared that such
blaring noises could be we'll dispensed
with without seriously marring the holi-
day fun.
There was but little Of the holiday
spirit for men and women Of a number Of
vocations in the District today The
policemen found their time fully occupied
preventing holiday excuses The street
worked today while other folks were
having a good time: the nurses in the
hospitals and physicians could not inter-
rupt their works Of mercy because Of the
holiday frivolities.
The letter carriers on their rounds this
morning resembled human pack horses.
They were piled high with packages of all
kinds and sizes. 1t was noticeable at the
city post office that many of the holiday
parcels bore the little holly berry Merry
Christmas stamps of the Red Cross.
In order to give their employees a chance
to enjoy three-day holiday the follow
ing piano houses closed their doors last
day: Sanders & Stayman. Knabe & Co.,
W. F.. Frederick Music Company, Young
& McHugh. A. V. Grimes and e. F. Droop,
Sons & Co.