Los Angeles herald., 1909-12-24
LITTLE CHILDREN OF THE POOR
CAN SCARCE BELIEVE IN SANTA
Kringe Time Forcing His Way Through Narrow
Confines of Cour-But Mexican Mother Has Spirit
Cheer Always with Her in Little Tots

Docs Santa Claus ever come In
here? Does he ever find you?'
1t was "A question asked Of a baby in
two-room adobe house in what is
known as Lopez court, that occupies
the center Of the block across from 6ls
New High street.
"He don't come here very often,
said the little one as she sat up In a
bed in which sister was cuddled. He
only come once"
with all the glad cheer Of Christmas
tide at hand, the crowded two and
three-room houses of Lopez court, said
to be the most crowded. and most In
sanitary spot in Los Angeles city, child
after child last night woke up from bed
at the mere mention of Santa Claus,
but shook its head when the question
was asked as to whether the spirit OF
yuletide ever invaded their miserable
! homes.
Before these questions were asked
of the babies, it was found from Of
fetal reports that in Lopez court,
known as 635 High street, in the short
length Of half a city block, Mexican
| Slavonian, Greek and African laborers
had been gathered together in this rear
tenement and that i'm these two and
three-room shacks ninety-elght men,
thirty-three women, twenty little girls
and nineteen young boys were max
ing their homes.
| To get to Lopez court one must
walk through an alleyway that leads
| from just across the street from the
Ei Club Belen of the Bethlehem insti-
tuition, wlrose lights are shining across
the way. They were shining with
added Christmas cheer last night. And
| there was good cheer there and a help
| ing Christmas right hand.
Only a blind alley leading past three
| i'll smelling closets was the pathway
under the clear moonlight to the row
of houses where 10 people make their
homes.
How about Santa CLAUSE" That was
the main question on this visit to
Lopez court.
Most of the houses were dark; but
there was light in one, and there the
reporter found two negroes and little
negro boy.
Are you going to see Santa CLAUSE"
he was asked.
II don't know. The Salvation army
| and Mr.. Bartlett may do something
for us. but I've kind Of thought Santa
Claus had forgotten us" was the frank
answer of the youngster.
He can talk Spanish and give you
talk with some of the others here,
mer of the oil lamp. The lad was
John Lee Hollis, 10 years old, of Lopez
court, and with the spirit of Christmas
in his heart he announced that an au-
tomobile was what he wanted-he
didn't care how big or small 1t was
and then volunteered the proposal that
he would take the visitor TO see some
of his neighbors.
With the hope of some sort of
Christmastide before him, little John
Hollis danced out into the moonlight
that flooded the court and led the
looker-on to a Mexican home a little
further down the court.
II was a crowded home-for Christ
mas time-or for any other time, for
the matter Of that. There were only
two rooms in the house. One was
bedroom and the other a sitting room.
In the bedroom the five members OF
the family were sleeping. The magic
name of Santa Claus, spoken IN the
soft Latin, woke them up, and 1T was
a sorry outlook for Christmas that
greeted the visitor.
Pelisa and Juanita were Sleeping