The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1915-12-16
Way Up in the WoOlworth
Building st. Nick Is at Work
to Make 10000 Happy.
GETS AID OF UNCLE SAM

grea. battles. because 1t touches on
that old Man Santa Claus Is hard at
work high up In the Woolworth Building
preparing to make 10000 children per-
fectly happy OH Christmas morning.
children who would awaken otherwise to
all OF the bitter disappointment that
empty stockings bring to the little people.
N story tellers have always been
fond Of picturing Old Man Santa as
starting somewhere near Pearyville. at
the North Pole. on Christmas eve. n
racing. with a great Jingle Of bells and
whip swapping over fleet reindeer, to
distribute his bsGfuls Of presents.
Maybe they were right, but THE SuN
Is absolutely certain that the jolly Old
person can he found to-day and every
day thereafter until Christmas In his
own office on the twenty-ninth floor of
the Woolworth Building. head over heels
at work among clicking typewriters. a
slaT of secretaries, great heaps of let
ters from Riddles. card index files and
many Of the other essentials of "A mod
ern up to date business office.
OF course. he may he able TO hurry
n%orthward no as to be at the pole on
Christmas eve for the annual reindeer
drive to all points south. for santa Is
a wonderful person VINO can do. as
every child knows. and every grownup
ought TO know. perfectly impossible
things but the world grows so fast. and
so many new problems must be solved
every year tina Santa has found II
necessary to adop. scientific business
methods to keep even with the times and
make certain that no kiddie Is over
looked.
In Private once Maybe.
The reporter vino called at Santa's
Office yesterday has a conviction, per-
~sonally, that at about Ave minutes TO
l2 o'clock on the night OF December
"a he might he seen stepping over
the windowsill OF his office on the twen-
ty-ninth fioor Of the Woolworth building
and into the sleigh that the reindeer
have speeded to him. Why not? The
reindeer know the way from the pole as
would have to do would be to wish
them to come. wouldn't It? And besides
It looked yesterday as n he would be
far too busy to leave New FORK ana
his office before time for starting 10
distribute all the things that the Riddles
have asked him for.
ABSOLUTE truth requires one to say that
tie caller did not actually sec Mr.. CIaus
in the Office yesterday afternoon pot
just not being able 10 see q person or
thing IL by no means proof that he or II
doesn't exist or IL not present.
The reporter knew that Santa was
somewhere about, because his sec.
retaries and managers winked ana
whispered so mysteriously and because
there was so much of happiness ana
the promise OF Joy in that room full OF
children's hopes.
One susI ected what Was probably the
truth, that the old fellow WAS In his
private office insisting on necessary Sc
clus!on and leaving the duty Of receiv-
ing mere grownup callers to John ID.
Gluck and II. II. Sommer Mr.. Giuck
Is the president and Mr.. Sommer is the
vice-presldent OF the Santa Claus Asso-
citation. which has been in existence now
for three years and which takes over
from the post office in this city all the
letters that children write 20 him.
Nearly all OF these letters are from
little folk whose fathers and mothers
look forward ~sorrowfn.ly TO Christmas
because life TO them means an incessant
struggle to get clothes to wear and food
TO eat and a few dollars for rent. with
scluOIl any tUIil6 icit WV !" ~ 's'""S
toys and candies. Thousands OF these
letters were stacked on desks and chairs
In San,a's office yesterday afternoon and
we're even piled upon the fi0or. Mr..
Cluck, who spoke for Santa, explained
exactly what the association Is doing and
why il Is doing II.
All Work Voluntary.
T h association" he said, "is one
of voluntary work. No one OF US Ia paid
a salary. Every one contributes his
labor. We do not ask for money to buy
presents because we ourselves buy no
presents. Our effort Is to take charge Of
all the Santa CLAUS letters received In
the malls. to investigate the authenticity
of the letters and then, when that In ac-
complished. to turn the letters over to
the many we'll to do persons Of Fifth ave-
nue. and Riverside Drive and elsewhere
who will personally see that the children
are remembered.
I'VE have 30 far received 10000 let
ters from tho post office and we expect
to investigate In all O 10000 letters.
This means hat 10000 children who
would otherwise have no happy Christ.
mas will be remembered through the
generosity OF The anonymous Klyers.
Some OF these generous persons take care
Of As many rs 500 children each. We,
a. an association, pay all Of the nost-
80 H,.A "a vYpcl> aa- ga A.