The Leavenworth echo. [volume] (Leavenworth, Wash.) 1904-current, 1911-12-15
CHRISTMAS IN
new YORK.
sy JAMES A. EDGERToN.

copyright by American Press Associa-
ton, 1871
M osT of the 100000 people liv
i" ing within the twenty mile
HH radius of the American me
tropolis "sit up and take no
tice" on the approach Of Christmas.
They do more. They sally forth in great
droves, buying things to give away,
to eat, and what not. They make life
a burden to the expressmen, the post
men and the department store clerks.
The feminine New Yorker is especially
In evidence. Sometimes she goes it
alone, sailing into the bargain counter
scrimmages like a regiment going into
battle. At other times she drags along
her bored looking husband or some
other male member of the family, who
execrates all shopping and who swears
under his breath or looks as if he
wanted to. In companies. battalions
and divisions goes forth the shopping
army, marching through the streets,
making attacks and counterattacks
upon the candy department, the mil
linery department, the toy department
and everything else In sight. Sales.
men grow haggard and wan under the
onslaught, and great wagon trains
haul away the spoils of battle.
Christmas in New York is pretty
much as it is in all other cities, except
that there is more of 1t. There is so
much of it, in fact, that the figures
which make up the holiday statistics
stagger and wabble under the load.
Big figures never did have to bear up
under such burdens as they do in
American statistics. anyway. They
carry millions on their broad shout
ders, millions of population produc-
ton, wealth and. by no means least
of all, in Christmas outlay.
But figures are not the only things
that stagger at Christmas The post
office department staggers, the express
companies stagger, the dray horses
stagger, the store managers stagger.
and even the old mans pocketbook
staggers. The only reason the shoppers
do not stagger is because they are
wedged in SO tight they can't. Alto
gether 1t is a staggering holiday, and
the ancient, ruby and athletic S. Claus
staggers most of all. The only ones
who do not stagger are the small folks.
They have all the best of it. and the
nl6nF nnnnln
the joy of the little ones.
The winter solstice is hardly the time
that one would look for blossoms. vet
at about that season the streets of New
York bloom with holly and evergreen
There are festoons of ivy and wreaths
of mistletoe. The green is in the win.
dows and over the awnings The street
vendors are along the curbings with
all the latest novelties to gladden. the
heart of the small boy. Last years
dolls are trotted out into show places.
and the toy stores do a land office busi.
ness. Even the east side. where con-
gregate all the nationalities of the
earth. is not without splotches of color.
The Chinese quarter, it is true, does
not show much more than the usual
animation. About the only time the
Celestials break out into holiday attire
is at the time of the Chinese New
Year. but then they so riot i'm color
and sound that they make up for the
rest of the year.
A trip through the east side a few
days before Christmas furnishes an
interesting side light on the universal.
ity OF the holiday. Here peoples of all
lands will be found preparing for the
celebration Of common festival. Rus
SLAMS at home, because of the difference
In the calendar, do not hold their