Los Angeles herald., 1909-12-19
HOLIDAY RUSH
IN FULL SWAY
EXTRA CLERKS EMPLOYED AT
ALL STORES
CHILDREN HAPPY AT PRESENT
SEASON OF YEAR
Cosmopolitan Crowds Throng Down.
town Streets, Buying Presents for
Loved Ones - Postofflee
Issues Advice
Six days until Christmasl
Five dnVn In which To h1Xl

Six days until Christmasl
Five days in which to buyl
Have you shopped2
Were you caught in the swlrling,
swaying masses OF humanity which
eddied in apd out of stores and ebbed
znG flowed up and down the streets
yesterday? Did you hear the cries of
joy OF the little ones? Did you see
the smiling faces OF the babies?
If you did you had one of the great
good gifts Of Christmas, ii communion
with the spirit of good will, tho hu-
manlzing touch of the season.
OF course the stores are jainmed. or
course 1t isn't easy to get waited upon
nor easy to get what you want when
you are waited upon. OF course it's
difficult to make your way through
the crowded streets. OF course the
clerks are tired and overworked and
nearly ready to drop from sheer ex-
haustion. But there's compensation
for 1t all. EYerybody's happy, for it's
Christmas week, the best of all tho
year.
On the streets, in the stores, every
where, West Adams and Sonoratown
mixed and mingled yesterday, gave
mutual aid and advice and felt more
humanized for the contact and ex-
change of courteSieS.
But, after all, Christmas is tho real
children's hour OF the year. 1t is they
who find the greatest happiness with
the least effort. Their simple hearts
and ingenious natures are more in
harmony with the spirit of the season
than their fathers and mothers, whose
responsibilities make the pursuit Of
happiness battle.
The Broadway sights of yesterday
n. ul.AH Il IuV VFF
made a good fairy godfather out OF
the crustiest old Scrooge, for there
were any number of Tiny Tins look
ing longingly into store windows.
The lady from Wiltshire boulevard
shopped in her auto; the humble Sc
nora from Sonoratown shopped with
a baby buggy and n crowd of clustor-
ing children. One bought diamonds;
the other rhinestones. Yet each was
the seeker for something which would
gladden. the ohildren's hour on Christ
mas morning.
Cosmopolitan Shoppers
In a walk down Broadway one could
see an anxious, hurrylng father fur
lively glancing in the windows, a
Chinese mother, resplendent in gaudy
native costume, laden with boxes and
bundles, an Indian mother and daugh-
ter, dressed like the "Gringo," but with
faces painted and lined as only In
dams dare use cosmetics, thousands
of mothers, thousands OF sons and
daughters, all bent on Christmas err
rands.
Up at the postoffice Christmas was
in full swing. One hundred and fifty
extra clerks with the full force toiled
and sweated that the present for
'the folks back home" might not be
late in arriving.
There are some dog and "don'ts''
which the postoffice department wants
all who send away Christmas pack
ages to observe. Here they are:
use ink, not pencil for addresses.
Write sender's. and receivers ad-
dress plainly on every letter, package
or parcel.
put plenty of stamps on all mail.
Register valuable mail matter.
do not use common cotton string
for wrapping mail. Use heavy cord.
do not send fragile presents through
the mail.
'Do not put writing in second-class
mail matter such as packages, etc.
do not seal seeond-class mail. Send
II in such a manner that 1t may be
easily opened for inspection. g,
'Please smile at the clerks. They
have a harder time than the people
outside the window, and are doing the
best they can"
Stamp sales have been about $15,-
900 more this year than last for the
first eighteen days of the month. This
means that there is prosperity In Los
Angeles. and that a good many peo-
pie whose Christmas might have been
a sad one, will know what 1t Is to
have Merry Christmas and Happy
New Year.