The Washington herald., 1913-12-25
HOLIDAY REVELRY
in ORDER TODAY
Washington Not to Be Lack
ing In Celebration Of
Ylletide Season.
SANTA CLAUS SUPREME
Serious Side Is Not Forgotten, How.
ever, and Worship viii Play a
Prominent Part.

Santa Claus reigns supreme today, no
only in the National Capital, but in ever!
Christian community throughout tn,
world. With carols sung in every churcl
Of the city, and with feast and sounds o
holiday revelry, Washington will joiI
today with the rest OF the world in III,
celebration of Christmas Day.
Official Washington assumes an alb
sent air, but residential Washington IL
rampant with the spirit OF the holiday
Churches throughout the city, of every
denomination, will unite in morning anC
evening services; Christmas trees, ladeI
with gifts ard made brilliant with burn
ing tapers, will gladden. the young heart.
IN the thousands of homes. Washing
tons poorer half has been provided for
and, one and all, the city will make thi,
Christmas Day a memorable one in tht
history Of the District.
With the approach of Christmas the
various departments of the Federal and
District government turned out its thou
sands of employees in honor of the occa-
sion, while the 75 per cent of Washing
toms population who are not job holders
the people who really have their homes
here and are not thinking back longingly
toward other Christmases in Dixie or New
England or ''out West began their cele-
bration of the holiday yesterday. when
more than 10000 of them witnessed the
Community Christmas Celebration" "
which was held on the east plaza of the
Capitol.
White House Employees Remembered
President Wilson and his family are
spending Christmas far away in the
South, but before their departure they
took care to see that all White House
employees were remembered in one way
or other with some little token of Christ
mas cheer. All the members of the Cabi-
net, with the exception of Postmaster
General Burleson and Secretary of the
Treasury McAdoo, are spending their
Christmas holidays away from Washing
ton. Both Mr.. BurlesOn and Mr.. McAdoo
took walks yesterday afternoon after they
closed up their business for the day and
accidentally met on Pennsylvania avenue
opposite the White House. They stood
and chatted pleasantly about Christmas
Tines under a tree near Lafayette Park
while unconscious of the hundreds of
shoppers, some of whom turned and gazed
at the two Cabinet officers as they hur-
:iedly passed.
The Capitol is deserted. A great ex-
odus Of members of the House and Sen
ate has followed on the heels of ad-
iCurnment, and very few of the members
will spend their Christmas in Washing
.On. Many of the members who live
within easy reach of the National Cap
tai will leave today for their homes, but
most Of them are already on their way.
Employees of the Federal departments
were given a half holiday yesterday, and
in many cases held little celebrations
among themselves before they dispersed
To- their homes. Typical of these was the
l:erTymaking at the Department of Com
merce, where a Christmas tree was
ID al
4 motor launch that wound up with
key.
Each member of the Cabinet before
ris departure, however. received at leds;
1re Christmas git. This was a small
!'icturC presented by Andrew Carnegi",
s.iuwing a soldier taking leave of his
little daughter who inquired: DADDY,
are you going to xii! some other little
-irI's papa?" A card with the picture
r-ished the recipients "A Peaceful Christ
mas"
Mails Being Pushed Through.
Postmaster General Burleson an
nCUnccs that very few persons would be
disappointed at not receiving gifts be-
IGUse Of delay in the mails. In face of
an estimate that the Christmas postal
per cent that of any previous year, M.
BUrIeson believed there had been less
-ungestion of the mails than ever before.
This efficiency ON the part OF the postal
svTvice, he said. mas been accomplished
through Il general speeding up and the
addition OF about Il,o0U employees to the
regular force.
In the Presidents mail there came
81 bill. accompanied by this note: please
send the inclosed dollar to the conscience
fund and relieve penitent." The money
was forwarded to the Secretary of the
Treasury.
For the first time since the Cleveland
administration the White House played
Santa Claus ~ the poor of Washington
yesterday. Although the President and his
family were absent. "A long list OF needy
families and children who have at
traCtrd the attention of Mrs. Wilson and
the Misses Wilson We're remembered with
gifts delivered in two big loads by the
White House automobile. The Wilson's
selected the toys and Christmas goodies
before they left and charged Secretary
TumuIty with the care of a carefully
prepared list of poor. There were boxes
Uf candy for the youngsters; big roast
turkeys for the widowed mothers, with
the children whose addresses had been
sent in by friends of the President; dolls
and mechanical toys. drums, rocking
horses. popcorn. apples, and other good
things to eat for the holidays besides
substantial garments from babies socks
to women'S dresses.
All of these gifts were made in addition
to those which had been personally de-
Iivered or sent by members of the Presi-
dents family before they left for the
South. When the Cleveland family oc-
Cupied the W.:ite House a great quantity
of children's toys |:.e sent to them by
Democratic admirers and these Mrs. |
Cleveland distributed throughout the city.
President Wilson's family purchased all
til. gifts that were sent out yesterday.
Presents for President's Family.
nc White House was almost swamped
with presents yesterds which came from
far and wide, and Secretary Tumulty, |
Withheld down the sob" at the executive |
offices, shared in the receipt of the Christ |
mas tokens. This Christmas will be a
nRIGIAkI