Los Angeles herald., 1908-12-26
HERALD CHEERS
1000 CHILDREN
SANTA CLAUS GREETED BY
CLAM0RING THR0NGS
EVERY CHILD GIVEN USEFUL
AND PRETTY GIFTS
.Jud1e seIph Takes Part of Good ST.
Nicholas, and Hundreds OF
Youngsters Will Long Re-
member Event

Christmas. Santa Claus and all the
cheer and blessings which go to make
I'M that greatest of days in the year
for the youth were changed from
dreams of fancy to firm realities for the
2000 poor children who crowded Slihp-
son auditorium yesterday afternoon at
the big Herald celebration. 1he mann
moth auditorium was jammed to the
doors with a clamoring, gesticulating
and eager mass of children OF all ages,
classes races and conditions.
There were tots held in the arms OF
tired looking mothers, blinking IN
amazement at the scene before them;
there were tiny Mexican boys and girls,
chattering in their soft Latin tongue;
excited Italian youngsters voiced their
pleasure in shrill voices and with eX-
pectant gestures; hundreds of Russian
little folks sat stolid and quiet; niue
negro urchins giggled and chuckled.
Viewing the scene from the stage the
interior of the auditorium looked ike
a swaying forest of minute human life
sending up its roaring buzz OF con-
glomerate sounds, punctuated at inter-
walls by a shout or loud peal of laughter
from some enthusiastic child
And it was a good natured, happy
army of children which swarmed into
the auditorium at o'clock and scram-
bled and jostled one another to secure
seats near the front. They were happy,
for 1t is their nature to be happy when
we'll fed, and they just had come from
The Herald dinner across the street,
where they had crammed into their
stomachs tons of turkey, cranberry
sauce pie cake, lemonade and all the
other good things that go to make up
perfect feast for children.
Christmas Tree Is Attraction
Every one of the 1000 pairs of youth
full eyes were focused on the ponder
Gus Christmas tree, placed in the CEN
ter of the stage, its limbs aglow with
many colored lights and sparkling with
shilnmering ornaments. Mountains of
packages rose on either side of the
mammoth tree, and the remaining
space on the platform was occupied by
n great pyramid of toys, which gilt
tered in alluring profusion before the
expectant and eager eyes of the chill
dren. Childish argument and fierce dis
cussion prevailed everywhere through
out the hall regarding the possible con-
tents of the hundreds of large pack
ages.
Suddenly something happened and
there arose a great clamor. Some lit
tie boy had espied an engine in the
stack of toys and had leaped to his feet,
shouting with glee, "Oh, gee, fellers!
It's a real steam engine" Then an
other little fellow, at the same mo-
ment, caught sight of the end of gun
sticking out of the pile and had started
forward with a cry of delight; please,
sir l want a gun; gimme de gun, please
do, sirl" A small girl with childish
body but immaturely drawn face had
seen the golden haired head of a beau
tiful doll and began to sob: 'Oh, l
wish that could have doll like that!"
For a moment things looked like a
stampede for the pile of toys and the
officers had to use nearly every known
art of gentle persuasion to keep the
children from climbing to the platform
and rushing for the good things.
While the arrival of Santa Claus was
being awaited an interesting program
of songs and dancing was presented.
The Socialist lyceum sang a number of
patriotic songs which We're greatly ap-
preciated by the youngsters, who joined
in the chorus of many of the more
popular airs Mrs. Elizabeth Strong
gave a dialect selection, followed by her
daughter, who gave a sleighbell song
and dance. Both were heartily APP
plauded by the youthful audience.
Then in. leaped Santa Claus, with his
bells iingling, his long, white beard
flowing down over his spacious stom-
ach. In an instant every child in the
auditorium was on his feet, screaming
at the top of his voice santa Claus,
From that time on excitement and in
terest glowed at a white heat.
Few people who had not been pre-
Viously informed would have recog-
nized in Santa Claus the genial per-
son of Justice e. e. Selph. and no one
could have better represented the part
of the good -natured st. Nicholas than
did the judge. Prolonged shouts
greeted his entrance ON the scene, each
child exerting his or her lung capacity
to its limit in an effort to drown the
voice of his neighbor and make known
to Santa Claus the particular present
he desired.
In the immense outlay of presents
there was something suitable for every
child in the auditorium. But the task
of distributing the presents so that
each child should receive just the right
gift was a task to tax the ingenuity Of
any Santa Claus
Marshaled into line by the kindly
police officers on duty the children
filed past the platform where Santa
Claus and his host Of willing deputies