Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1908-12-25
Hundred Families Helped.

helped out hundred really deserving
families this morning. Every boy who
presented a card had been Investigated
by the agents of the Associated Charities,
and his name appeared on typewriter
list which Mr. Cans had.
The list showed, in a few words, ex-
| actly why the boys should get a really
useful Christmas gift this year.
There were boys who have eight broth
ers and sisters at home, whose fathers
earn never more than nine dollars week.
| and whose mothers work from starlight
until long after bedtime trying their best
to make the two Or three rooms look like
a home.
These are the deserving poor-the poor
who do not regard the charitable inclna-
lions of the richer folks as an easy graft.
There was one boy who came on
clutches and whose feet dragged along
| the ground. Last year at Christmas he
was running around as husky as any Of
his friends, but rheumatism almost to the
point of paralysis has made him cripple.
One mother came with twin brothers,
both of them blind, and cropping their
way along with that uncertainty which
makes pitiable the blindness which comes
after several years of perfect sight. Their
mother is a widow and works at wash
ing to support four children. Both blind
boys went away with long listers.
Bright Boy This One.
ESlt " DIS cIt idtucI dluiCSl Dlluu, WHO
brought one of the brightest six-year-olds
that could be found in a days journey.
He can work only at very small paying
jobs. and work is not steady. His wife
is totally blind When the child had
been fitted with fine brown REFER. with
a red eagle on the arms, the father came
up to Joseph Saks, who was watching
every boy carefully, and said:
Il wish you. sir. the happiest New Year
had"
And the same to you replied Mr.
Saks. That's fine boy you have
Every now and then there would be
Il boy whose shoes looked il they
were merely worn for the sake of con-
yention. Soaking wet. with toes sticking
clear through the leather the boys feet
must have been half frozen after his
| tramp through slushy streets.
| Although the red card said nothing
about shoes. s. Splitter. manager of the
| shoe department. had come down town
| for just such cases. He always picked
| out pair of broad-toed. thick-soled shoes
that will be good as new for months to
come.
Would Not Come Again.
Some boys got coats last Christmas.
This year when thy agent called their
parents they found the same coats
| passed on TO younger brothers. Many
| parents refused to ask for coats this year,
| saying theY got one last time.
! There was one boy whose clothes were
mere rags. His little jacket was safety
! pinned down the front; his underShrt
! had once done duty as Voman's flannel
waist; his stockings were so full of holes
| that there more bare skin show ing
| than stocking. and his shoes were inst
| nothing at all.
| Mr. Saks grabbed him and made him
stand near steam radiator for Il while
| Then he turned him over to q man who
| put him through a mill that turned out
| d chap entirely dressed in decent things
! While the boy was sitting in glory on a
| bench in the shoe department he told the
! story of his Christmas:
| "A lady come to tn house an brought
4 two games an an awful big woolly dog
She brought basket . chicken, too [
got tn games an my brother-he's two
/ years oI'-got tn woody dog but he's
! scared a death of it.
BESIDES Joseph L. Saks who this
! morning watched the tWenty-third over
| coat-gift Christmas celebration that his
/ firm has conducted and DIR. r. Hubert
Jones of the Associated Charities and
Mr.. Cans, the other gentlemen who gave
up their time this morning were George
/ S. Daniels, the manager In charge of the
| clothing department.; S. Splitter, manager
/ of the shoe department: Bruce Willis.
/ manager of the hat department: Sam
! Peach. Charles Bast. Charles Hoover.
! Sol RrcSiau and r.. :. Chairman