The Detroit times. [volume] (Detroit, Mich.) 1903-1920, 1914-11-09
Committee in Charge of Xmas
Ship Jason's Departure Work
Hard to Complete Task
Gifts Fill Docks
SEVENTY CARLOADS OF
GOOD CHEER RECEIVED
Donations For Suffering Little
Ones Come From All Parts
Of Country

NEW fOhh, NOV. S.--Oiu MAN N.
I1ringle. alias s. Claus never In his
long. jolly, Industrial career. spent a
buster time trying to get things ready
10 make mere mortals happy than did
the committee which Is today loading
the Times Christmas ship, U. 8. 3.
Jason, which will take Christmas
gifts from America to the Riddles OF
stricken Europe. The Christmas ship
was booked to sail tomorrow. but ear
ly this afternoon there was still a
great pile Of gifts piled high at Bush
terminal. Brooklyn.
Approximately--no one can tell ex-
actly--L000.o00 gifts valued at more
than $3.000.000 comprise Americas
response to the appeal OF the chill
dren's Christmas ship.
Some Of the newspaper men who
have been working on the ship insist
the total number OF giftstwill be great
or by q million, but II so there win be
that much more JOY and thankfulness
in the war-ridden countries Of Europe
on Christmas day.
II the gifts were purchased at retail
'{the valne would be much more than
s2,00O.000.
Service Worth S25o,00o.
n The generous donation Of services
BY railroads express companies, ware
house owners, teaming corporations
and other business men who have Civ
en- freely probably represents service
asvalued at more than $250,000. No YES
sci could make the delivery trip to be
undertaken by the United States Col
Her Jason for less than $4,000. Ii Is
due to this generosity Of nation. cor
poration and individual that the cost
OF handling and forwarding the
enormous number Of gifts--at least 20
carloaods--has been kept at low fig-
ure.
Response 10 Unprecedented.
Never befvre In the history OF the
country has there been such sponta-
neous response to an appeal as fol-
lowed the original announcement two
months ago. More than 200 newspa-
pers joined in spreading the movement
from coast to coast, and millions OF
) children. men and women enlisted In
the loading of the ship
BY freight, and parcel post and ex-
press. by steamboat and ferry and
van. the vast Christmas ship freight
has been moving toward the Atlantic
seabosrd
Comes From All Points.
From Manitoba. from Saskatchewan.
from the Hawaiian ISLANDS and from
Cuba Il travelled to Brooklyn.
Seyenty-three carloads were follow
ed ir their journey across the con-
tinent by trafic expert, who Sat at
the end Of telegraph wire in Chicago
and checked their passage from town
10 town, from state to state.
Thirty-seven carloads originated In
concentration centers.
In addition to all these express COM
, panies alone have hauled approx
imately half O million gifts.
Sixteen carloads were packed at the
Pugh Terminal In Chicago and ship
ned 10 New York via the Erie railroad
These were followed by four express
carloads distributed among FIVE Of the
leading express companies. Thus the
!. number of gifts concentrated at the
Pugh Terminal within the last two
weeks has aggregated more than a
million.
centers for Collection.
This vast quality OF merchandise
was collected by newspapers, CONNER
cial organizations, secret and fraternal
societies. churches, Sunday schools
and more than a million individuals.
Towns, cities and counties In many
instances made corporate contribu-
lions; even the United States govern
ment, through its postoffices, war de-
partment and department of-the In
terror, assisted In the collection Of
gifts.
who can compute what the arrival
NJ these millions of gifts will mean to
the saddened, hungry, illclad woman
and child victims OF the war In Eu.
hope?
who can say they will not play
some tremendous unforeseen part In
the future history of civilizations?
Who dares reduce to concrete esti-
mates the effect this great selfiess
service will have on the men, women
and children Of America who united
In ~