Evening capital and Maryland gazette., 1912-12-26
OLD TOWN OBSERVED
THE HOLIDAY QUIETLY
Cessation Of Business Makes Day
Like That of Sunday.
MIDDIES IN HILARIOUS PARADE.
First Classuen Who Could Not Leave
City Participate in Revival of Old
Custom.

Christmas Day in this city was OBJ
served in the usual quiet manner.
Services were held in all Of the
churches and special musical pro-
grams, appropriate of the occasion,
wers rendered
In fact the day was much like a
Sunday. All business operations were
suspended for the day, and practi-
cally all of the merchants closed their
places of business throughout the
day. Many of the old folk derived
much pleasure IN distributing gifts
and paying calls among relatives and
friends.
1t was a gala day for the youth of
the city. Santa was unusually boun-
tiful in the distribution of sleds when
he made his rounds on Christmas
Eve, and with the ground covered
with several inches of snow that had
fallen on the night previous, the
little girls aud boys had jolly good
time trying out their new pleasure
craft. And it was a tired bunch of
kiddies that equally tired Fmamas and
papas had to tuck away in their beds
after nightfall came.
Down at the Naval Academy the hol-
iday wac general one. The princi-
pal observance there was the Christ
mas parade which was revived this
year after lapse IF several years.
because many Of the first elassmen
were compelled to remain at the in
stitution on account of unfavorable
conduct reports, by which they were
denied the privilege of taking forty
eight hours leave to visit relatives
and friends out of the city. Many of
the naval officers and their families
kept open house during the day.
Governor Goldsborough spent the
day quietly at the Executive Mansion,
surrounded by members of his family
and a few friends. There was a
Christmas tree from which the pres
ents brought by old Saint Nick were
distributed among the children of the
Chief Executive. The Governor and
family attended divine service in St.
Anne's Church during the morning.
The Governors guests at dinner were
his niece, Mrs. Burr Powell Harri-
son, of Baltimore. and Mr.. Harri-
son, Mrs. Showell, mother of Mrs.
Goldsborough, Mrs. VIM. G. Dawson
and Midshipman Hutchins.
The Christmas parade at the Ma
val Academy was the revival of an
old-time custom Of the first classmen,
bat which in late years had been
abandoned, because of the extra priv
-, - ysesf
of the city. Ninety-fve midshipmen
participated, for that many of the
class were deprived Of the extra lib
erty. 1t was neld at & o'lock in the
morning through the several corridors
of Bancroft Hall, thence out in the
grounds and winding up in the armory
building.
The middies, as usual, were attired
in weird and grotesque costumes and
did all sorts of stunts. The ma5que
rade had been heralded by hundreds
of posters, printed in regular circus
style and distributed by the midship-
men among their friends. The bill
announced the 1912 pompous, petri
flying parade, the advertised features
being The Rosenthal Crime Repro
duced, The Velocipede Estricanistical
Brothers, Thirteen Famous Fire
Fighters. Seven Marvellous Monstro-
stiles and Crispo, the Worlds Small
est Giant. All of these and many
other comical figures were faithfully
reproduced, the female impersonations
being particularly popular.
The parade followed route over
every corridor and rotdnda Of Ban
croft Hall and then proceeded to the
armory, where huge tree bore gifts
for every member of the class who
took part in it. There were no lights
but those on the tree, and it present
ed an attractive sight When the
gifts had been presented, the lights
were turned on, and tbs parade ended
in grand dance, in which turkey
trots, bunny hugs and similar per
formances were the main features.