The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1913-12-25
Bursts Into Blaze of Myriad
Colored Lights to Accom-
panirnent of Music of Band
and Hymns of Children.
SUCCESS ENSURES
TREE AS FIXTURE
Idea New One in Richmond,
First oouthern City to adopt
1t. Charitable Organizations
Worked lizard to Make it a
Success.

Synbolizing the true spirit Of tina
uIet!de season ana Witnessed ~
Iuny zV,OVu, Alehlnond's usr COM
mun!ty Christmas tree burst into a
piaze OF myriad and nu4tlcoioreu
ng nts last eSeAIHb a lew inmates AFTER
1no eiock struck sax, while The star of
the k.ast, beacon oI peace on eartn,
so0a wal to men, desceaded on all
lnt.sAD4e ware Aroin "a w4nu0w OF the
N1ty malt and setleu over the nugs
CCu.tr.
WIN this setting. the SCENE proved
to ne one OF spectacular beauty and
provoked uabot.naea ptaua.ts from
the lnImenae assem- blas,.
Christmas Carols.
Meanwhile. a chorus OF nearly a
thousand voices mostly children,
s.tug an appropriate carol with
melody and volume rarely heard In
Richmond on such occasions, Other
carols. flashed on canvass in the
rear OF the lot. We're sung by the same
voices ever and anon as the program
proceeded, TO the accompaniment Of
r>essnicns band.
IL remained for Miss Cora Lucille
Thompson, the pretty young daughter
of City Electrician W ii. Thorn pson,
and adopted daughter OF tha National
Association OF Municipal Electricians,
to turn the switch which started the
Star. cleverly executed piece of
motion down the WIRE She also
operated the lever which illuminated
the tree by electricity,
as early as . O'Clock the c. owds i,e-
gan docking to the scene. tnrcngins
every street and avenue OF spproaen.
ana by $40 standing room was all
ready at IL premium In the vicinity OF
the lot on which the tree stands, inn
mediately to the east of the City hall.
BY O'Clock the streets were blocked
with a veritaoie mass OF humanity.
In tho crowd were old men, young
men. boys. giils, women and children,
from every section OF the "ity and ths
surrounding country, all eager 10 view
the inspiring spectacle and all inn
bued with the Christmas spirit OF
good cheer.
O,y Hall Crowded.
Many found points of vantage in the
City hall, stadoning themselves at
window on The east side and getting
perhaps the test view from their ele-
waited positions Practically every
building was thrown open - the pub
Tic. Upstairs on the second floor
Judge Richardson kept house in tho
Hastings conlt. with the efftclent aid
and kindly services of Walter Chris
tian his genial and ever courteous
clerk.
Nowhere was there the slightest
sem hlance Of disorder everything
passing off as merrily and rs happily
as the proverbial marriage bell, thanks
TO the well arranged plans and the
Gordon Of police and soldiers sta
toned here and there. Then. too,
1 there were the boy scouts In their
khaki suits, scurrying nither and
/ thither, ever on the alert, during the
hour the program lasted.
That the Community Christmas tree
viii become n fixture in Richmond for
{ each Yuietde was practically the
unanimous opinion of those who Wit
messed the aovel spectacle last ever~
ling. although the sentiment is q new
one here.
| The tree, At was announced. will be
! lighted each evening at $3.50 during
| Christmas week and will be kept
lighted until an hour after midnighe
as an object lesson to those Who would
I have impressed upon them the OLD.
! old story that it is more blessed %
! give than to receive.
Bears No Presents.
| The Community tree bears no pres
I ents, the idea being TO train the min0
! to think more of what can be done
for others rather than to speculate on
| selfish purposes and schemes. Inc
! presents are sent out through the
| regular channels OF charity, care be-
| ing exercised that the stocking OF
every poor child is filled eEd every
poor family provided with a basket Of
I good things TO eat .
New York first gave the Community
| Christmas tree a trial two years ago
and made a success of 1t, repeating the
| idea each successive year And ina
exa m pie Is now followed by num-
Der of other cities In the Hor.n ne
West. notably Chicago, M-Iwaukees
/ Cir cinnati Philadelphia, EalttmOr0
and Washington.
Richmond is the first city In the
South TO try out the plan and II y
believed the example it has set Will
soon be followed by othe- Southern
cities.
| From the very start, the idea met
with the unbe unded approval OF pran-
ticallv the entire community. the city
/ officials taking the lead in launchan&
| the plan ani insuring Its success.
None joined more heartily In the en-
/ terprise thai John HirschherE. mem.
| her OF the d administrative hoard, VINO
was named chairman OF the generA3
committee. WI
! The charity organizations also Joins
! ed heartily in the movement 70 co
| ordinate their various interests In onG
mighty effort to make 1t AbSolutel9
certain that not single poor or o.
serving person should be overioOk41
at this Christmas time, III
Those Who Did II.
/ Those principally responsible eo4
the execution Of the plan and ~ ps
qualified sncccas were the fDll0M4mXz
| w. ID. Duke. ~cf1e<u41A NJ N ssss