The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1914-12-21
CHRISTMAS IN CITY SQUARES.
Last Years Celebrations in Cleveland, the
Canal Zone and Many Other Places.

What is claimed to be the first com.
munity Christmas of its kind was held
last year in Cleveland. Team work in
| charitable action was the principle OF
this effort, according to an account of the
occasion. Then on Christmas eve, before
a yO-foot tree, illuminated and star
tipped, in the public square, Moses
Cleyeland's great family sang songs ex-
pressing the common hope for better
city and better world. A permanent
community Christmas committee pur.
poses to make definite capital of the ex-
perienced gained i'll this first community
celebration.
Evansville, Ind, benefited by a piece
of rapid fire accomplishment as the
twinkling of an-eye performance OF St.
Nick in "The Night Before Christmas"
But five days before Christmas nothing
had been done. Then a woman took hold
This was Vera Campbell, and she tells
what happened. Before $3.50 that morn
ing | had written little poem. BY
$50 the chief dealer in Christmas trees
had promised to put up his biggest tree
in the courthouse square, which,
learned by o'clock-the county commits
sioners were glad to have so used.
"By noon the electric company had
promised TO wire the tree and keep it
lighted from o o'clock until midnight
every night between Christmas and New
Years. BY o'clock In the afternoon
there seemed to be enough assurance that
the affair would be success to Justify
presenting the matter to the papers. The
city editor OF each OF the three papers
in town kept the municipal celebration
before the thought Of the people from
then until Christmas day, featuring it on
the first page.
"The crowd that gathered at the court
house Christmas eve showed that the city
was ready for a 'get-together' time at
that season. When the pianist struck
the first chords Of 'Stile Nacht' a spirit
Of deepest reverence prevailed the waiting
crowd. The solo made deep impress
sion After the whole crowd had sung a |
Number OF the Christmas songs the
chords OF the 'Halleluiah chorus peai-,
forth At the first note. the hands OF
men who. carrying dinnerbuckets, were
evidently on their way TO their night. /
shift IN mine or mill. went straight to
their hats, and in deepest reverence
they, with us all, heard the whole cho-
rus with uncovered heads"
Baltmore's first community Christmas
festival was initiated by one Of the daily
Like most Of the commu.
lity trees the tree on courthouse plaza
vas illuminated throughout the week
rom Christmas eve 20 New Years and
% each day was assigned some special
interest On Christmas eve, from the
moment that the mayor pressed the but
on that illumned the tree. to,th close
u the concert by the Unied German sing
- and a rcgimental band, the celcbra
ion was definitely the community's. One
lay was "Tiny Tim" day. IN autorno-
lilies lent for the occasion. crippled chill.
Iren from al parts 81 the city were
'rought TO the plaza for a special must
al and the illumination ON another
vening band played chiefly the airs Of
'oland. Lithunania. Bohemia. Italv and
he other countries represented in Baiu
uore's community.
Details 81 the great gatherings in Chi
ago and New York have been often told.
-he originstors u these plans are hard
D find Back 81 The first Gree 81 Light"
b Madison park Was the Lake PLACID ]