The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1914-12-21
EXERCISES SEND
HUNDREDS HOME
WITH new HOPE
Five Thousand Persons
Crowd Coliseum at Second
Municipal Tree Program
Children Made Happy.
1,2OO RECEIVE GIFTS
Younger Children Get Lost
From Parents After Filing
Past Saint Nick for One
Hour.

Hour.
The largest indoor public gathering
in the history of the citv crowded
every inch of space in the big coli
scum last night To attend the second
Municipal Christmas Tree celebration:
hundreds of people were disappointed
by their inability to secure entrance
to the building, number of them.
unfortunately, being poor people who
brought their little ones to see John
Zwissler, Santa Claus. and his wonder
pack of toys, candles and fruits
But most of these people are known
to the gift distribution committee and
one day this week Santa Claus will
visit their homes and distribute a ton
or two OF gifts which were not placed
on the Christmas tree. so after all the
celebration will be big enough to go
around and be city-wide in its scope
1900 Receive Presents.
1t is estimated that over twelve hun.
dred children filed past Santa Claus
last night as he stood on the big stage
near the brilliantly illuminated tree
and in front of the fire place, through
which he made his entrance to the
building. and every child received a
pail of candy and some toy. They
were distributed by number Of wom-
en-, clad in white under the direction
of Mrs. H. L. Monarch. 1t was some
Christmas" to quote a ragged urchin
who grinned with delight when pre-
sented a small assortment of tools.
When the coliseum doors opened at
$50 O'Clock there was a line of men,
women and children extending from
the building to Main street and an
other line extending north almost to
A street. By O'Clock the building
was congested and after that hour
very few people were able to gain en-
trance to the building. the exceptions
being small boys. who. of course. are
able to gain entrance into any place.
Worries Fire Chief
Looking at the crowd from the stage
a wonderful spectacle was presented
Every seat was occupied and people
were wedged into the aisIes until they
could not move an inch. This greatly
worried Fire Chief Miller and his
squad of firemen but they were help
less to prevent the congestion 1t
was realized by Miller and the COM
mitteemen that the slightest thing
might result in panic and the pro-
gram was greatly curtailed so that
no time would he lost in distributing
the gifts and getting the crowd out %
the building. BY Q o'clock the coli
scum was nearly emptied and twelve
hundred children were very happy
youngsters. Good Father Richmond
had been very generous to them.
The way the immense crowd was
handled and the gifts presented was
admirable and the members of the
committee received praises from all
quarters over the flawless CARRYING
out of their arrangements
When the exercises began at 73O
there were several hundred children
on the floor in front of the stage and
it was then announced that all chill
dren who wanted something from
Santa should come upon the floor. A
squad of men then lined the wainscot-
ing and helped several hundred other
boys and girls onto the floor Men
and women with young children in
their arms were also admitted to the
floor. In ten minutes there was
scarcely an inch of floor space not
occupied. But as fast as space in the
balcony and gallery was vacated il
was promptly filled by people crowd
ing in from the street.
The exercises We're opened with a
prayer by Ellis Learner and a select
ion from the City band. which donated
its services for the evening TO the
committee Then Il Christmas carol
was sung by chorus of one hundred
little girls under the direction Of Mrs
George Chrisman. This carol and two
other choruses the little girls sang
were among the big hits of the even
ing and evoked storms of applause
Charles W. Jordan, master of Cere-
monies, then called upon Mayor Rob
bins, who welcomed the citizens and
the children to the celebration and
pronounced the official "a merry
Christmas and a happy new year
Then for a brief space there was
silence. finally broken by the faint
jingle of sleighbells. which gradually
became louder. A suppressed but eX-
cited murmur arose from the hun
dreds of boys and girls on the floor.
Here comes Santa Claus shouted a
boy giving free vent to his enthus-
iasm and a shrill chorus of childish
voices echoed the announcement.
bursting into Wild shrek of wei
come when the patron saint of child
hood clad in a red suit. jackboots and
wearing his familiar flowing beard
stepped ont of the fireplace before
their startled vision.
Give Santa Stormy Welcome.
One little girl sitting on her fathers
knee at the corner of the stage hae
came so excited that she almost crie,i
No conquering ear ever received sE.n
a tribute from loyal subjects as that
old ST Nick received from the boys