The Washington times., 1910-12-23

Crowded streets. rumbling delivery
wagons filed with innumerabIe bundles.
Jostling t-rOngs In the city's stores.
overworked mail carriers and express
drivers. and tired shOpgirIs and shoppers
tel today OF the Christmas spirit that
Is abroad
It is the day before Christmas eve.
and. despite the sdmonitiOns OF mer-
chants and those who have beer
through the grind befoEs---%sese- are
thousands Of shoppers who have but
fairly started upon the annual sift-buy-
Ing expedition
It's a good-natured crowd however.
Everybody and his OF her bundle seems
70 be in the way Of everybody else. but
they al manage 70 get around the load
ed counters some way The nan who
gets jabbed II the eye with a holy leaf
OF who connects with the business end
OF an umbrella that some wife is look
ing over as a pro sDectfve gift for hubby
Just smiles and Lakes IT. Perhaps he's
q bit bothersome himself IN that he is
putting a gift cigar which came ahead
OF the holidays. and may have been Sc
lected by some one who never had a
smoke
Real Big Christmas.
to indicate that this is to be a real
Christmas The merchants report an
unusually great demand for reneu-
brances Of every kind Prosperity is
abroad IN the land and friendship and
kindIiEess reign Employe wants TO
remember employer and the latter in
tends to reward faithful service
Of course, thee viii be the general
observance. Of the hOliday-speCiaI ser
vices IN the churches distribution of
baskets BY charitable organizations and
hundreds OF Individual acts Of kindness
that will 80 to make the more UnfOrtu-
nate happy However the little things
that are being done and which are evi-
oenced along the shopping highways Of
the city today. show the true Christmas
spirit OF SCod cheer and humanity.
Here are a few OF the Christmas side
lights in the National Capital;
White House Plans.
Archie Butt is the Shopmaster general
for the White House, although PresI-
dent and Mrs Taft were themselves
among the shoppers yesterday after
noon. walking through the stores Just
like other people. The White House
gfft list is a lOnG one
Uncle Sans holiday Offering TO his
twenty-CGd thousand employees IS a va
cation from this afternoon until next
Tuesday morning
OHiceTs OF the numerous bureaus OF the
Government departments are trying TO
kin the Christmas spirit which prompts
the gifts Of neczties, cum links, scarf
pins, and similar tokens Of esteem, by
posting notices reminding the Govern
ment sznployes that such gifts are pro-
hibited by law.
But no laws nor notices viii be effec-
tive Some OF the gifts already have
arrived and the official superiors Of the
donors say that under the rules Of the
I
with thanks
Among the Diplomats.
Foreign ministers and ambassadors to
this country are making the rounds Of
the jewelTy stores today in search Of
fancy cigarette cases scores of which
viii be presented TO the attaches of the
various legations The cigarette case IS
q favOrite gift among the diplomats
The telephone girls at the Capitol have
received the annual Offering Of a box of
CANDY each. the gift of the memLers OF
the Press Gallery.
made happy through the receipt by each
of them Of a s. gold piece, donated BY
Representative Frank 0. Lowden. the
wealthy owner Of Pullman Car stock. of
Illinois. Mr. LOwden has made similar
gifts to the pages for two preceding
years
Chief Wagner. Of the Fire Department.
boxes Of cigars today among
some Of his close friends IN the AIu-
EicipsI Building. including the members
Of the press who are assigned 10 that
building
Extra Holiday Granted.
Finding it impossible to give 10 the
thousands Of employees individual re-
membranes. the Commissioners viii
grant an extra holiday The building
CONTINUED on Twelfth PaEe)
Reduced Christmas Holiday Fares
Via Southern Railway.-Advt-