The Montgomery advertiser., 1908-12-27
Salvation Army Christ
 mas Tree Tomorrow.
A BIG EVENT AMONG POOR
Seven Hundred People Are Provided
 For.
New Clothing, Food, Toys ana Christ. mas Joy wnI Be Dlspcnsea at the Home en whitman
 Street Monaay Night

All of Christmas is not over yet---tlo. no! For to 7eo more of Montkomery's people there is yet to come the crown ang event Of the holiday season-- Christmas tree of the salvation Army. Un Monday nfgnt. at I o'clock at the Army barracks on Wnitman and Bell. Streets, Captain Odom and his helpers will dispense, with q free hand, every commodity and every dainty procur- able to probably 20U needy families; m all. about 70V persona.
 Carefully worked out for months, the plans of the Army for an exten- slve dlspensatIon Of charity will find ronsummation on Monday night. It IS expected .aaccording to Captain OdCm. that about l,V0U to I,500 persons will assemble in the home on Bell Street TOT the occasion--probabiy TOO berie-
 aciaries, and the others spectators,
 friends Of the poor and of the Army, and any visitors who might accept the general invitation of the salvation Army to attend. Arrangements have
 peen made for seating accommodations for the women and children of the
 lundreds of guests, anticipated, and
 the men will De made as comfortable as possible. fne barracks, and the
 industrial school in the rear of the noWe will be thrown open to every vis- Itor, and to every one will be gwen an Idea of the extensive work Of the Army.
 Preliminary to the distribution Of
 the gifts, there will be songs. recita- tlons. dialogues, and. in fact, a regu-
 lar Christmas program. in which will participate about forty or nifty chil- drsn who have been associated with the Army heretofore in it's night school and other workings. And after the program will come, the big event, the piecg de resistance, the feature for
 which scores and scores Of M0ntgom- ery's poor children have dreamed of night alter night for weeks--the cn ristmas tree.
 There Will bs a Santa Claus, a real, live St. Nick. with furs and boots and 1 a beard--anh, to be sure. sack we'll filled The distribution will bA made according to families. instead Of to individuals, as far as possible. That is, instead of tagging each articles with the name Of the man, woman or child for whom 1t Is intended, the gifts Will be placed in baskets, one to go to each
 family. Where the families are large,
 there will be two. three or four bas-
 kets. enough to supply every person on the big list of the Army: and no one will be. forgotten, depend Oh 1t. Captain odom has made an approxi- mate inventory of the gifts to be dis tributed; an inventory that Is almost l inconeeiveable by reason of its enorm- ity. phere will be about 200 pairs Of new, shoes. probably seveEty-five new suits for tho boys, seventy-five to, i0o ! pairs of suspenders, 100 hats for boys | and girls, shirts, underclothing, dresses. ! aprons, and apparel to clothe all those
 who have told of need for gar ments.
 I Provisions, wholesome food of every | wugfFf 70 ra1a aON n 1 family basket; toys for the smaller
 children, knick-knacks for the more \ mature; fruits, nuts and candies for | all In all, according to Captain Odom, about $I,0OO has been spent, besides 1 the clothing. food and other articles donated by those of the more afiluent public to whom appeals have been
 made. It is expected that the Christ. mas charity of the Salvation Army
 will be accomplished on a larger scale l this year than ever before.
 1 one tn ing is certain, and that IS that | the Christmas tree has been arranged by Captain Odom and his assistants ir the most intelligent way this season. Careful canvass of the city during the past year has given the Army. workers 1 a fair idea of who and where thf
 worthy poor are. and the names of ths families and individuals who need most the assistance that will be furnished Monday night. have been entered on 6 list their wants ascertained. and, al far as possible. filled. And, by careful investigation, arrangements have beer made to expedite the actual distrtbu. ton. Instead of tagging each separate | article to be given out with the name of the person for whom 1t Is intended 1 the system of providing for the family in a lump, by baskets, will be followed But not one of the members will bs forgotten, they are assured.
 The large crowd will necessarily make the distribution a slow process but the congestion will be obviatec as far as possible by disnissing tht benefciaries as each Is supplied. Thus as according to the plans of Captain odom, a name will be called. the basket placed. and the recipient asked to re- tire. Thus room for the next will bt made, and the big room cleared for tho excited throhk still awaiting gifts.
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