The Washington times., 1914-12-29
GIT rs DISTRIBUTED
TO 1000 CHILDREN
Traction and Electric Compan-
les Act as Santa at Christ
mas Festival.

More than 1000 pairs of little feet
eagerly crossed the threshold of the
National Theater this afternoon, and as
many happy little faces turned ex-
pectantly toward the stage as the band
started and the big curtain slowly went
up, marking the opening of the four
tenth annual festival given the children
OF the employees Of the Washington
Railway and Electric and the Potomac
Electric Power companies, by the d.
rectors.
For several weeks past the little ones
had been counting the days. and long
before the performance was scheduled
to begin the children were pouring into
the theater by the hundreds. Special
cars had been provided by the COM
panies to transport the children to the
theater. but many OF the youngsters
were too restless to wait for those and
arrived on foot long before the first
Play By Children Feature.
Anticipating this, the entertainment
committee had arranged to have the
doors of the theater thrown open at
1890. an hour before the performance
was scheduled to begin, and as fast as
the youngsters arrived they were COM
fortably seated. To curb their impa-
tience until the raising of the curtain a
musical program was given by a section
of the Marine Band.
The feature of the entertainment was
a playlet in which thirty-five children
of the employees, between the ages Of
nine and fourteen. participated The
children had been trained by Mr.. and
Mrs. Howard Lesley Holt, and showed
talent and grace in the songs. recita-
tons. and dances. There were also
several vaudeville numbers from Wash
ington theaters
The program follows: Address. Presi-
dent Clarence 2. King; thirty-tiye> chill
dren of employees in singing and dancing
numbers; troupe of trained animals:
ventriloQuiSt; japanese troupe OF Jug
glerS; arrival of Santa Claus from the
Casino and Cosmos Theaters, illumirl-
alton OF massive Christmas trees; dis
tribUtiOn Of Christmas presents.
After the entertainment. good things
TO eat in the form of nuts. candy and
fruit will be given out and toys of every
description distributed.
The committee in charge of the en-
tertainment are as follows:
Entertainment-Fred J. Mersheimer.
Cndlrnlans W. y DC NeaIe. j. y. h eiSeT.
]. c. Mclaughlin, ]. G. Gray. and L,
Is. SchlOss.
Decorations. L. Folsom. chairman;
Louis Brown, Edward Staub H. h.
Hart, and a. W. Hawkins.
Distributions. T. MoTett, chairman:
". F. Dement,, L. L. Johnson. J. +. r
Shaw. II. $. Gormley, c. ]. Pitt, w. f.
Anderson. George -Derene, r. b. Saun-
ders, J. w. Wenner. :. J. Devine, z. W.
and W. II. Member
Printing-G. P. Mangan. chairman; Z.
+. Brown. L. :. Helm. and c. n. Marsh
PurchasinS-M. NJ. Merrill, chairman:
]. +. HOellman, r. W. Crowell. and V.
A. Sisler.
Trees-W. ). Ballenser. chairman; Il.
T. Frazier, and &. 5. Reich.
Reception-C. :. Eimball, chairman:
W. + Ham. G. G. Whitney. W. o. Glib
son. l.. +. Sinclair \. S. Parry. j +.
Tenley, +. J. Whitehead G.. III. Rettew.
f. NJ. Keyscr, and ]. H stephens.
General Chairman William l.. Clarke
will call a meeting Of all committeeman
n the near future to perfect arrange
nents for the entertainment.