New-York tribune., 1910-12-27
ARMY FEEDS THOUSANDS
Continued from arst page.

dozen officers under the direction OF
Colonel Edward ]. Parker held the some
what unruly stream to its proper course,
and the Army's Christmas dinner was
under way.
Once started, the heaps of baskets
melted away with incredible rapidiry.
They were carried off by all kinds and
conditions Of poor, without regard to
race, color, creed or previous condition
of servttude- Here came an old woman.
hardly able TO stagger under the weight
Of the good things, and there a youngSter
nearly lost under a burden quite as big
as he. The smile OF an old darkey
threatened entirely TO annihilate her feat
ures as she received into her arms dat
chicken what was goin' to taste like dem
she used to cook befo' de war" A woman
with baby thought so much of her only
gift that when she had to set one down
TO ease her tired arm a while 1t was the
baby that found itself upon the floor.
much to its apparent discomfort
Each Of these baskets was packed to
feed a. family of i've. They contained,
pound loaf OF bread, package Of soda
crackers, a pound of tea or coffee. nine
to eleven potatoes, a pound of sugar and
can Of evaporated milk.
A touch Of surprise was lent to some
by the presence of apples or oranges.
while others held the added attraction Of
a can of soup or beans The Christmas
War Cry and personal card from the
commander of the Army brought spirit
ual meaning to the whole.
Every one of the chickens in the nns-
kets was carefully inspected before be-
ing put in, and the contractors who fur
nished them were required by the Army
to have a man in the building while this
was being done 1t was said that a thou
sand fowls had been rejected, for the
Army holds that on one day in the year
at least the poor should partake of as
wholesome food as the rich.
Two hundred and fifty persons were
concerned in the preparation of this
monster meal, and the greater part Of
them had been busy for days, accord
ing TO the givers of the feast.
Presents Other Than Food.
Dinners were not the only things that
we're given away in this lavish manner,
either Into the hands Of those who ap-
peared particularly disreputable was
thrust, as they received their baskets,
small yellow ticket that pleased some
who had been there before. and puzzled
others who had not. On the way out the
holders of the yellow tickets were sifted
from those who were not so fortunate
or unfortunate, according to how you
look at it-aDd steered, sometimes with
difficulty. to e table over on the right.
where fat bundle Of warm, though per-
haps trif1e faded, clothing was be
slowed upon them At this point the de-
parting throng was again sifted down,
and those who were found without car
fare to take themselves and their prizes
home were furnished with it out Of a
big bag of nickels that was often called
upon.
AS soon as the ebbing tide Of baskets
left a table clear it was taken to pieces
and carried away to make room for the
FIVE thousand chairs that were to seat
the children who had tickets for the en-
tertainment of the afternoon.
Shortly after o'clock everything was
in readiness, and the young ones poured
into the hall in swarrns. The two COM
posite trees were alignt with colored
bulbs, and between them-n1iracle OF
miracles stood no less than seven Santa
Clauses, each under q letter Of colored
lights These letters corresponded with
those on the colored cards which the
Youngsters held 1t was the dear Did
saint standardized and brought most
strictly down to date. But the children
didn't care A wagon was a wagon for
all that.
The seven thousand toys followed the
course of the four thousand dinners, and
with equally great rapldity- Moving
pictures and stereopticon views held the
attention OF the somewhat exacting audi
ence for a time, but the idea Of those
Christmas presents up there behind the
screen was too much for such a company
long TO resist 1t was not until the seven
Santas began their appointed tasks that
the souirming, pushing, whispering
crowd of ragged little rascals were abso-
l1Itely. undeniab bly,, irresponslbiy sure
that they were having just the merriest
and slickest Christmas that ever was.