Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1914-12-26
CHRISTMAS WAS
MOST WONDERFUL
In CITY'S HISTORY
No Person Went Hungry
and Thousands Were Fed.
Skating on the Lakes in
Fairmount Park.

gone into history, but the glad carols Of
the Yuletlde stin sound today They viii
continue to osund until after the first
day of the New Year in nearly every
home in the city, and in thousands Of
hearts the Joy this Christmas brought
WIN live forever.
Philadelphia surpassed itself this year
in giving After the supreme effort OF
supplying three ships with food for the
starving Belgians, the city turned its face
toward home and did more for It's own
poor and unfortunate than at any pre-
vious time.
Charitable organizations said today that
no person went hungry yesterday in
this city. There was provision for every
one, and the most wonderful feature OF
the Christmas giving was that It did not
wait to be asked by the poor and needy.
but sought out the unfortunates and min
istered to them.
The day was ideal for Christmas. As
predicted by the weather man, the snow
fall stopped before the dawn OF Christ
mas Day and the thousands Of happy
youngsters got their first opportunity to
try out new sleds. There was little
sleighlng. the fall being not heavy enough
for this sport
BEST SKATING OF THE WINTER.
Every lake in the Park and every pond
In and near the city was swept clear
Of snow and found to be covered with
a CLASSY surface of ice, which made the
best skating OF the winter. Throughout
the day men, women and children in ever
increasing throngs 1ourneyed to the Park
to indulge in the sport
-.
dreds of Philadelphia homes yesterday,
according to the records OF railroad
travel, which was exceptionally heavy.
Other faces, of those who work In Phila-
delphia but have their homes elsewhere,
are missing today in many instances,
Everybody who could went back home"
for Christmas dinner and a happy day
mained away over today and win not
return until Monday. Today has been
made fun holiday by many.
One thousand families who otherwise
might have had to subsist on hard crusts
or go without food yesterday sat down
to a bounteous Christmas dinner In their
own homes, the guests of the Salvation
Army. Baskets containing the dinners
were distributed at Musical Fund Hall
by Colonel and Mrs. Richard F. Holz,
provincial officers OF the army for the
Atlantic Coast Province. Each contained
sufficient good food for a family OF six.
In the hall was a big Christmas tree, and
each of the hundreds Of children who
came to the place with their parents was
given toy.
1000 HOMELESS MEN FED.
The Galllee Mission at 1923 Vine street
tried to take care Of the men without
homes who were unable to buy their
Christmas dinner.
60 ,,,N.R Rfa
Invited the men who early yesterday
morning stood in the bread line outside
the Inasmuch Mission for breakfast OF
bread and hot coffee.
The one thing needed to fill to the
overfiowing Philadelphias cup OF hap
that the third food ship, the British
steamer Batiscan, Captain Green, had
reached Falmouth, England. The Bats
can left this city December s with 800
tons OF grain for the Belgians.
At every hospital, asylum and other
institution OF their kind in the city some
kind OF special observance was held.
Gifts were presented to the inmates In
each instance. Sixteen hundred inmates
OF the House OF Correction had the feed
OF their lives Three thousand at Block
ley enjoyed Christmas Day to the utter
most, the halls and rooms OF the big in
stitution being decorated with holly and
eVergreenB. There were gifts also for
the women and children.
The Lighthouse, Lehigh avenue and
Mascher street, distributed hundreds OF
boxes of candy, toys and other gifts TO
the little ones of the neighbOrhood. At
the Eastern Penitentlary gifts were dis
tributed to 40 children OF prisoners by
the Big Brothers Association. There
was a special concert and an exception
ally good dinner for the prisoners.
HUNGRY KIDDIEs FED.
One OF the most interesting OF the
many Christmas Day detds of charity
was that engineered by the Boosters
| Club OF the Hotel Adelphia, who took
100 children OF all ages, colors and ma
| tionalities from the streets OF the city
and led them into the hotel for their
| Christmas dinner. Then they sent the
| little ones home with new shoes and
/ plenty OF toys.
Two Santa Clauses distributed the giftA
| provided by the Abrahamsohn commit
tee to the patients at the University Hos
/ pltal. Children In the Municipal and
| Frankford Hospitals received gifts
through the generosity OF the students OF
the William Penn High School Toys also
/ were distributed at the German Hospital
| and in the Children's Homeopathic Hos
pital. The managers OF st. Joseph's Hos
pital presented each married man em-
| ployed with a turkey and minee pie.
Each nurse received some substantial re-
membFanee. A special turkey dinner was
provided for all patients where the doe
tors allowed It.
A dinner for all the inmates Of the
Catholic homes for children was pro-
vided by the Knights OF Columbus. Christ
mas dinners also we're served at ths
Bethany Anchorage for Girls and W0m-
en-, at So5 North 6th street and the Chris
tian Volunteers Church sm North 9th
street The Brotherhood Mission. 40l East
Girard avenue. fed more than $50 fami'
lies. Two hundred baskets were distrib'
uted BY the Bedford street Mission. 81
Kater street, and 800 By the Helping Hanc
Rescue Mission. The Bethesda Rescue
Mission was host 70 15o men At MS South
street.
Baskets hlled with Christmas dinner
were distributed BY the Baptist Church,
Frankford avenue and Settsriy street.
Other organizations distributed baskets
OF fed men at the tables of their head
quarters, according 70 their facilities
SAILORS OBSERVE DAY.
special obssrvanee of the day was held
on nearly every ship az anchor In the
port Of Philadelphia. or at the sailor'l
mission houses At LeaBue Island thi
y n. c. "A. had a vaudeville eutertaln-
ment after the big Christmas dinner foi
those unable to set leavs Of absence e
80 home for the day.
Provost and lIra. Edgar Eahs Smith