Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1908-12-24
SPREADS GOOD CHEER
AImas Temple, Mystic Shrine,
Real Santa Claus.
GIVES AWAY MANY BASKETS
Provides Happiness for Nearly 8
Thousand Families.
EXCURSION PRODUCES FUNDS
Outing Last Summer Raises Money
With Which to Purchase the
Christmas Supplies.

With Which to Purchase the
Christmas Supplies.
city: were made happy and comfortable
today as the result Of one day of merry
making down the Potomac river last
summer.
Most of those who took the trip
thought little of what the occasion
might mean to others than themselves.
But they bought tickets just the same.
prepared good lunches, took a day of
and enjoyed themselves under the shade
of the trees at Marshall Hail. The
weather was hot then. There was no
chill in the air. no slush on the streets
to creep through worn shoes and bring
pain and illness to the poorly clad.
Washington was worrying through one
Of those muggy. sweltering spells that
occur during the summer months, and
the picnickers were glad to escape to a
spot where there was no asphalt. where
there were fresh breezes. green grass and
trees.
All Is Different Today.
All is different today. The bright sun
shine of that summer season is missing.
The skies are gray and the streets a
mass Of slush and mire. Yet the spirit
of that summer picnic Is present 1t
emanates from the National Rifles ar
mory in G street, and extends to almost
every quarter Of the city.
At the armory the Mystic Shriners are
giving away their Christmas baskets. 1t
was Almas Temple. A. A. o. N. NJ. s..
that gave that picnic last summer, and 1t
is Almas Temple which Is spreading gen.
uine good cheer to many Of the needy OF
the city today from the proceeds of the
outing.
The giving away Of the Christmas bas-
kets is nothing new to Almas Temple. IL
has been done before many times. The
story is of the class that are old, but ever
new.
The doors OF the ground floor of the
armory were thrown open. at o'clock
this morning by William C. Long, chair
man, and John Ellinger, vice chairman.
of the committee appointed to conduct the
good work. All day yesterday the COM
mittee labored hard preparing the baskets.
sand baskets were in position on the floor
OF the big room.
Applicants Appear Early.
The applicants early began to appear.
Each had to present a written order from
a member Of Almas Temple in order to
get basket 1t took nearly dozen mon
r.
Ellinger alternately passed on the appli-
cations. and If there was doubt or I'M
certainty they referred to card index
which had been arranged for purposes of
Identification.
There were frequent mistakes, of course
Some of the callers had left their orders
at home. and many had not secured or
ders. That was the hard part of it. To
those not really entitled to baskets, Mr.
Long and Mr. Ellinger pretended to pre-
fo11 1n
unfortunate ones how the distribution Of
the baskets was arranged and that they
were sorry, but could do nothing.
Something for Everybody.
Then. when the disappointed ones turn
ed away and moved with tagging. weary
steps toward the door, Long or Ellinger,
whichever happened to be on the job at
the moment, would call them back in
tone, rough enough to brighten the stout
hearted. Back they would come, often
with look that showed they expected q
rebuke.
Here" Long or Ellinger would direct
one of the colored men who were assist
ing, fix this person up some sort OF
basket"
The colored man would go to far cor
ner Of the big room and pick out of sew
eral piles some groceries and vegetables,
fill basket with them and hand 1t out.
It was not as we'll filled a basket as
those regularly prepared, but there was
enough in 1t to keep family we'll fed
for several days. If any one appeared at
the armory today who was really In need,
whether he or she was sent by member
of the temple or not. and went away
empty-handed, 1t happened after all sup
plies had been exhausted.
Big Hearts Rule.
Long and Ellinger talked mighty big
and mighty rough at times about the
system of distribution they had to follow.
but the big hearts Of both Of them ruled
in the end every time, and they never
failed to carry out in their actions the
spirit of true charity that moves Almas
Temple every year to think, in midsum-
mer. of those who will be in want In mid
winter.
And the baskets were good ones. too.
Nobody, no matter what his circum-
stances, would be ashamed to be caught
carrying one of them home. The biggest
thing in a basket always strikes the eye
first. 1t was a ham in the Almas Temple
baskets. Then there were good-sized
sack of flour. can of baked beans,
can of tomatoes, a sack OF salt, half a
peck of potatoes, half a peck Of turnips.
a quart of hominy. two pounds OF sugar.
half a pound of coffee. half pound OF
tea and a loaf of bread.
All Manner Of Persons.
All sorts of persons reported for the
baskets. Men. old and young. women SO
delicate that they could never have lugged
the baskets home, sturdy boys and shy
little girls. The service was prompt. AS
they handed the women the baskets Long
or Ellinger would ask II they had street
car tickets to take them home. II they
had none they received them. But that
was not all. A woman would pick UP a
heavy basket The slightest glance was
sufficient to show that her strength was
unequal to the task. Such conditions had
been anticipated. That was what the
husky porters were there for.
Here. Sam one of the two distributors
would call out take this lady's basket to
the car line
Sam would pick up the basket and start
out, the surprised and grateful woman