Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1909-12-18
BEREFT # OWN;
SANTATO OTHERS
Visions of lormer Christmases
in Home Prompts Dona-
ton to Fund.
IN MEMORY oF4LITTLE SON
Parent Wants to Make Child Happy
as His Had Been at HuleGde
Season in the Past.

81 enclose a dollar bill to buy toys
for some poor child of the city," runs
letter that came to The Argus Santa
Claus Fund committee today. It was
signed "A Friend"
1T will not be of interest to anyone
in particular who l am" the writer
continues. 1.-The knowledge that | will
be contributing to the happiness Of
some little craving soul will be a sat
iSfaction and reward for me. Last
Christmas l had little son whom l
was Santa Claus to. He has since
been called by death. The sunshine OF
that child's smile has gone from our
home. He was the only one we had
He had every desire of his heart ful-
filed. AS L pen this letter I can see
him as he toddled from his bedroom
on Christmas morning a year ago, and
rubbing his sleepy eyes, spTang to-
wards the bullying stocking that he had
hung over the fireplace the night be-
fore. In the adjoining room there was
tree lighted by dozens of candles. Ny
wife and myself had sat up late in
decorating the tree. There Will be no
tree in our home this Christmas SO
when I read your paper the past few
evenings il struck me that the load
might in a measure, be lifted from my
heart by the joyous thrill that small
contribution that | would make might
send TO the breast of some other little
bOy-some little fellow about the age
ours was when he left us. That Was
all l wanted to say. You know what
n wi -,
give more at this time
Lost Al" Reveals Pathetic story.
In the Issue OF The Argus last
Tuesday evening an advertisement aD-
peared in the Lost and Found col
umns II stated that weeks WAGES
had been lost. amounting TO $1CI5. To
day the whole ory was told 10 rep
Tesentative Of The Argus.
The man who lost the money is the
father of a family OF five children.
Christmas for this family would not
have been very bright under ordinary
circumstances, BUT the family has been
struggling against adverse r.rcgm-
stances for more than year. n No
vember. 1883. the father was taken
sick and it was found Necessary tc
place him under the care of a physi-
clan and in a hospital For several
months he lay sick, and when he was
discharged. finally. he was unable to
work as before. For weeks he worked
at odd jobs. and only reaeatIy he was
able TO return to his regular work.
First Pay in Year.
Last Monday he received his wages.
1t was the first full pay that ne had
had for more than 4 year. He wa.
wearing a pair of overalls over his
trousers, and in order to make sure that
he would not lose his money. n al
tempted to put It into his trousers
pocket. Instead Of this. he just put ~
inside of his oveEalls. and the result
was that it fell 10. the ground. He was
hurrying home, to tell his waiting
family that he could again command a
good weeks pay. But when he reach
ed into his pocket he found it empty.
He was driven almost frantic by the
thought that he had lost his money. He
was scarcely able to tell his family
that he was penniless.
The man is one of very good habits
and never drinks. He and his family
are in great need of the money which
was lost to enable them to pay their
household expenses. Can you imagine
what their Christmas will be if tht
money is not recovered? You have an
opportunity to help them through The
Argus Santa Claus fund.
Preparing Lists of Names.
All those good men and women of
the city who have applied to The Argus
Santa Claus Fund committee for names
of poor children for whom they desire
to buy Christmas gifts will have the
number of names that they have asked |
for by next Monday morning, affording /
them ample time to make their pur-
chases and deliver the same TO the I
homes. The names and addresses will /.
be supplied on special blanks of the .
committee. The cash subscriptions re-
ceived from those who desire the COM
mittee to act for them in buying gifts /
and distributing them are In the hands f.
Of the committee. Receips will be /
mailed to each donor. The committee /
will "go shopping" early in the week |
with the money that the Santa Claus /
fund committee has. This will be ex-
pended SO that each child will get |
those things that, in the Judgment of |
The committee, will be most pleasing |
10 him or her Every child whose /