Evening star., 1914-12-24
P[0DTHROUGHSNOW
FOR SHR|NERS' GIFT
Poor Folk Carry Away Heavy
Laden Baskets of Christ
mas Food.
WEARY MOTHER WITH
CHILDREN TURNED AWAY
Tears Are Changed to Smiles When
Kiddie Finds Five-Dollar Bill in
Her Worn Jacket.

AS early as o'clock this morning q
crowd of more than nifty men, women
and children waited before the closed
doors of 1913 II street northwest, ex-
pectant. yet wholly patient, for at $
O'CLOCK these doors were to be opened
and the distribution of the $50 Christ
mas baskets. prepared by the members
of the Almas Temple. Mobiles of the
Mystic Shrine, would begin. And
throughout the morning those who
were to benefit by the kindness of the
shriners came and went, cheerful and
smiling in the assurance of a merry
Christmas
For the baskets which filled the big
hall when the doors opened and whicl,
dWlndled in numbers with startling
rapldity as the morning passed, were
to provide the dinner which is a ma
tlonai institution on Christmas. and
which otherwise would, in all proba-
biiity have been denied these poor
friends of the slriners Each con-
tanned ham. one-quarter of a peck OF
potatoes, sack of flour, one pound OF
sugar. one pound of coffee, one pound
of hominy, can of corn and a can OF
tomatoes.
History of the Custom.
The fund for this charity is raised
annually by the excursion of the Shrin-
ers to Marshall Hall. Back in 1885
the custom was inaugurated and IL
now fixed incident in the yearly pro-
gram. Charles w. Brown, who packed
the first basket twenty-nine years ago.
is still on the job, and says that this
years crop is the biggest and heaviest
he has ever handled. w G. Long,
chairman of the charity committee. had
charge of the packing and distribu-
tlon, ana assisting him in the task or
playing Santa Claus were James T.
Gibbs, potentate: Harrison Dingman.
recorder; Charles w. Brown and ID.
Mexican.
Each Shriner has the privilege OF
naming one family worthy of this
charity. and the family receives a
card emitting it to one basket.
Spirit of Season Reigns.
Powdered with snow and gratefully
expectant they came; old. beshawled
women and little. red-cheeked children.
gray-haired men; capable looking
mothers. and for each and all there
was a basket and car tickets. n friendly
greeting and hearty wish for merry
Christmas. Twelve stalwart boys car
ried the heavy baskets to the car lines.
No. 1913 H street was filled with the
spirit of the season.
Perhaps this spirit was carried to
the onlookers. There came a tired
looking mother and three wide-eyed
children. Some mistake had occurred
She had no card. Genial and hearty
w. c. Long was genuinely distressed
as he explained that the number OF
baskets was limited and that some one
would have to go without If he de-
parted from the formality of giving
her one without ticket. The woman
tried to smile, but one of the children
started to cry as they turned away.
There was to be no Christmas dinner
after all. They went out into the snow.
But five minutes later they were seen
on the corner of 14th and II streets
and the smallest girl was wonderingly
showing the mother a fve-dollar bill
she had found in the pocket OF her
worn jacket. And the mother was
smiling and crying at the same time.
No. 1913 II street was filled with the
spirit of the season.