Palestine daily herald. [volume] (Palestine, Tex.) 1902-1949, 1909-12-24
GiRI5IHAS III EtN TORR
Thousands of People of the MetropO-
lis Wait Until Eleventh Hour to
Do Their Shopping.
tHerald snecialN

New York, Dec. 24.-This is tn
last day for making preparations 70
tomorrow's Christmas celebration and
judging from the crowds which
thronged the shops on the main bust
ness streets all day long, making thei
final purchases for the holiday, many
thousands of people must have ne
elected their shopping earlier in The
season or must have been somewhat
forgetful in planning their list of gifts
Many of the stores will keep open this
evening to give to those at work dur
ing the day an opportunity to com
plete their purchases.
Christmas trade has been unusually
brisk this year and everything points
to joyful and cheerful celebration to-
morrow. The percentage of expensive
gifts seems to be much greater this
season than last, indicating an i'm
provement in the financial condition
Of the people. That the poor of the
city-and there are always thousands
of them, no matter how the financial
conditions of the country may be
will share in the general prosperity is
evident from the fact that the char
liable gifts and contributions this
year are considerably greater than
during the last few years.
For large metropolis, full of push
and progress, Gotham is remarkably
conservative in its methods of cele-
brating its holidays 1t is true, there
have been few changes of minor
nature, but, in a general way, the
people of New York are celebrating
Christmas in the old-fashioned way of
fifty years ago. Probably the mos
noticeable change is the gradual dy-
ing out of the custom among the
weather. classes of giving Christmas
dinners at their homes Home Christ |
mas dinners among the rich have
practically become a thing of the
Apast That does not mean that the
Wealthy people of Gotham have de-
ped to forego the delights of a Yule-.
feast They merely have changed
lace for the feast and congregate
dining rooms of the big hotels
istocratic catering establish
where they can enjoy the most
feast without. the trouble
lance so often accomnanying
Prs
former years the big ho-
aurants were practically
kS,liss;ie,HSlas day they VIII
IA men TOMORROW. The NO
tells and prominent catering establish.
ments in the heart of the city have II
been overwhelmed with orders for
Christmas dinners during the past
week and their culinary departments
are working frantically to complete
all preparations for tomorrow.
For many thousands of people
Christmas actually began today. The
banks in the lower end of Manhattan
paid out an unusual amount in gold
and crisp new bills, all intended for
christmas gifts. Tomorrow all the 4
banks, broker offices and business
houses of every description in the
financial district of the city will re- j
main closed and in nearly every case
ne customary distribution of bonuses 81
md Christmas gifts to employees took
'laee today Some of the large bank =
ng houses and trust companies treat :
d their employees with exceptional Ill
perality this year and the smaller
ouses proportionately so. The jani.
u.s. elevatormen, etc. were not ne pl'
lected and it is estimated that the in
'tal Of the bonuses and gifts dis. go