The Detroit times. [volume] (Detroit, Mich.) 1903-1920, 1914-12-24
DENTISTS TO GIVE
GIFTS TO 10000
POOR CHILDREN
,C.ut,.usd from PAGE oasn

morning. shiverlng group OF young.
sters huddlsd up In the hallway ot
the Board Of Health. whore more thhn
5000 youngsters were presented Win
the candy, brush and tooth paste 10y
3 o'clock. the line extended the en-
tire length OF Antoine-st, from GIN
ton to Mullett-sts. A German oanu'
engaged by DIR. g. w. Oakman. presi-
dent OF the Detroit Board OF heaiih
and OF the First District Dental SO
ciety, arranged itself In front OF the
health board building. and began 10
play popular airs. The single nles OF
children grew and grew. Those VINO
had come early were blanketed IN
thick coats of snow. Before the doors
Of the health board were thrown open
dozens OF the youngsters began %
whimper and stamp their feet. JACK
Frost took some OF the happiness our
OF them. One girl. Emma Litcne'
weise, eight years old, collapsed on
the sidewalk. A patrolman carried
her into the Board OF health. and phy'
sicians attended her.
The one block on Antoine-st;, MIL
lett-st, from Raynor TO Antoine-st
and Clinton-st.. from Antoine-st. 70
Raynor-st. was packed with children
! before presentation OF gifts began
Each little one was required TO pre-
sent q ticket, which were distributed
by dental inspectors OF the Board OF
Health.
Confusion. accompanied by much
sobbing, broke out soon after the hrsi
entered. Some had lost their tickets
Others came with their big brothers
or big sisters. and could not get In
Several OF those who had waited In
the snow for hours broke from the
line as soon as they entered the hall
way, and chung closely to warm redia
tors. Frost-nipped hands, In many IN
stances. were unable TO hold on TO the
candy and other parcels. Candy bags
fell on the floor and broke. and child
ish walls filed the hallway when the
victims Of such misfortune found that
they could not get back into the front
Of the line.
Mayor Marx, who with Controller
Engel, and Commissioners George w,
Fenkel. commissioner OF public
works, did volunteer services In be-
half OF the children whose hands were
too cold TO hold their gifts. The
mayor and the two members OF his
cabinet provided candy from re
serve supply which they acquired.
The rush at the Board OF Health
had its little tragedies Of childhood
but when Dr. Oakman, his assistants
from the dental society, the city ON
cials and others came TO Harper hos
lpital, the nature Of the Christmas OBJ
servance changed.
The pale little figures on cots and
In invalid chairs caused the men to
ttip-toe. The mayor OF Detroit greet
ed each little sufferer with hand
shake. Physicians and dentists came
forward with cash contributions. and
the children, not well enough 10 show
the usual noisy indications OF youth
Il full enthusiasm, merely looked W
wide-eyed, and murmured "Crismas.
or Santa Claus" Even the little
German band fell into the spirit OF
the affair. Before, they had played
rousing. popular numbers. At the
hospital, they grouped themselves sol
EMMY about a big tree, and there
they played the old German hymns
OF Christmas time. H. Mueller. phar.
macist at the hospital. dressed his
six feet Of physique In Santa Claus
costume and made merry with the
children.
The oral hygiene committee OF the
dental society, which was In charge
Iof the arrangements for the Christ
mas giving had worked for more
than three weeks In preparation for
the event. DR.. W. A. Giffen Is chair
man of the committee.
To cover the IL clinics and dis
tribute the packages 70 10000 chill
dren, DR.. Oakman and his workers
were due 10 work all afternoon.