The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1914-12-25

THOUSAND IN BREAD
LINE GET TOBACCO
Santa Dressed as Ordinary New
Yorker Provides Free
Smokes.
VISITOR AIDS OLD WOMAN

From some place among the icebergs
and the snuwdrfts. or maybe II was
the West Side. Santa Claus. disguised
as an ordinary New Yorker came to THE
SrN's free bread depot yesterday and
very much astonished Tom Merry and
nick Bright with the single word, TO
bacco."
"Ycs. sir" said Merry. beaming AT the
idea. but you don't mean to say. sir,
that's your name"
"Ha. ha. Ina :" chucklcd this particular
Mr. Claus bless your heart, no though
It might as well be for all you're going
TO find out about it," And Tobacco went
of into another ripple Of merriment.
But YOU see" Merry went on. risk
lns another guess, "its bread We give
away here. not tobacco"
We'll, my man. just to SHOW you how
much you know about 1t. there's going
10 ne tobacco given away to-day and lots
Of ii. 100" with that the ordinary New
Yorker opened the door and ushered IN
two men. each with his arms full of
packages
Al the spectacle Merry and Bright both
dspossessed long whistle OF astonish-
ment But the ordinary New Yorker. who
was in his usual hurry, had no time for
establishment and seizlng. one OF The
packages and bidding his two men to do
likewise he started out Of the door with
al much rapidlty as he had come In.
Thousand waiting In Line.
II was little before . O'Clock and there
nj
sons. each mantled and cowled with new
fallen snow. The ordinary New Yorker
whisked out n package of tobacco, "A book
or cigarette papers and q box OF matches
and handing them to the first man In
line. said. for the first six of YOU"
Purple fingers were drawn from emptv
pockets the men danced "A sort Of chill
ban step not yet introduced on Broad
way. IN accompaniment to the twirline
SNOW cigarettes were rolled pipes were
nlled; guilds were slowed away beneath
hungry tongues, and in ten minutes 500
men were putting out smoke. In as much
more time 900 other men had Joined then,
IN q Merry Christmas Smoker and Ex-
ira Place. y blind alley where the line
~ formed. looked very much as IL IL needed
the immediate attention Of Chief Kenlon.
As the last package of tobacco was
handed out somebody's watch announced
'h.. O'clock had arrived. The doors
ni the bread depot were thrown open and
the great throng of smoking, chewing.
shvtring and starving men began to mark
time and slowly to press forward toward
the loaves for which many OF them had
been waiting an hour.
Wouldn't have believed it," said an
other caller who came in soon. This
s really terrible. sir. And the way they
eat n--like starved wolves
Tells Of Needy Mother.
rin
oculatihg this gentleman with his smile |
as is his custom. 81 wish more of 'em
Ike YOU would come and see for them |
selves It's grub these boys need. Grub. .
or how are they to keep strength in their
bodies TO go on looking for work or
performing that work when they do get
!t| Just moment, excuse me-"
As he spoke Merry stepped over to the /
'ne and drew "A sickly-looking woman |
aside TO the radiator. She was hatI.Ss !
except for heavy layer OF melting snow
or ner iron-gray hair.
stand here by the radiator u moment /
mother he said, land thaw some of that
frost out Of yourself"
But 1t amt for myself that I'm COM |
ING, II you please. It's for "A poor woman |
IN N" same house. She's actually starry !
ing sir"
What's her address," asked Merry.
ITS Second avenue. 1876. sir She !
has four little children and her husband
Aes jcwelry workers. out Of work |
TOW for six months. Mrs. Sufko's her
name Thank YOU. thank you" This .
last as Merry slipped couple of loavcs
under the voman's arm and told her to !
ra'l again to-day.
"Now." said tho man who had found
gre sleht of so many destitute persons
terribl" do YOU have many Ike that"
Yes responded Merry. quite a num- |
nc, some OF them We can investigate.
Pl' most Of them We can't. But there's
plenty sir, az you see, who pronounce
themselves honest through their faces, /
Now then, look AT this old woman"
Helped 10 Her Home. (
AZ he spoke very old and decreplt .
woman. leaning ON n stick as she walked, ,
O rather shuflied. crept into the place.
} ther the cold or the pain which racked .
her body, for II was very evident that |
u caused her great agony TO walk had .
brought tears TO her eyes. She took the
loaf that was handed to her and letting
tHll into bag said. Thank you and
COO bless YOU But as she turned to
81 she WAS quite overcome for "A moment
end could not summon strength to move
The man who had been speaking to
H'rrN stepped quickly forward and taxi
Ing hor arm helped her out to the street
end TO her home two blocks away.
Donations received yesterday for the
purchase Of more free bread from read
erS amounted to sl49.92. They follow
Dorothy Spencer Brown, SO; Mrs Dex-
TER Elliott, So II. L. NJ. So; Friend,
$50 J. V. u. T.. 81, no name. 81;
N = ". $40; W. J Henderson. So:
Gardner Cornctt. s25; n. q. D., 1926
Grace NJ. II. Graham. $40; II, +. Ben
lt'nin. Slo Wall Street, SO; G. G. s.
8 II II. w. S.; T. NJ s. So; J, b,
j. t392 friend, SO; r. q. Goodrich.
s. % Chemist, So; Montclair, So;
ThhIt y, Brown, So; SchnNldes SHE
lie -.
AID CHEERS MRS. CLARK.