Newark evening star and Newark advertiser., 1915-12-18

"Oh, thank you, santa Claus. Here
a kiss for good night Good-by.n
Santa Claus, this is Tommy Gibson
speaking. I live on Essex street, Cald-
we'll you know, Do you remember
me calling you up last night2"
Let me see, aren't you the little
boy that wanted to know how much a
long distance call from Caldwell to
the North Pole would cost %
Yes, sir, that's me, Well, sister
wanted me to call you up and tell you
she wants a brown Teddy Bear, She
is too little to talk on the telephone
herself; she is only three years old.
She's here now, waiting to know what
you say. You can bring her one, Oh,
thank you, Santa Claus, she says she
loves you. Goodnight, Santa Claus
I'm good boy. I'm going to be a
good boy every day until Christmas. "
At Hahne's department store
Santa's work Is expedited by a big
mail box, Into which are dropped all
the Santa Claus letters sent in by his
I devoted admirers residing within a
! fifteen-mile radius Of this city. Ever
! since the Christmas of 1918 these let
ters have been personally Investigated
| and literally answered by one OF
Santa's many secret service societies,
whose splendid charities are per-
formed unostentati0usly without ex-
pectation or desire for publicity or re-
ward. This particular society, how
| ever, is recruited from a large num-
ber of the employees in one of New
arks s largest and best known business
institutions, and the same degree OF
efficiency and thoroughness which
characterizes the business activities
of the company Is carried into the
charity work which 1t espouses.
Christmas Dinner Growth.
Two years ago, when the society
decided to constitute themselves
Santa's delivery men, over fifty
families were supplied with Christ
mas dinners, and $50 children who
would otherwise have had empty
stockings on Christmas morning en-
joyed visits from Santa. Last year
S57 children's stockings were filed
and nearly 100 families supplied with
dinners. This season It is expected
that nearly twice as many will be
benefited.
Pathos, piquant humor and anus
ing instances of childish preSump-
tion upon the expected generosity
of the good Saint Nick are indicated
in the letters, which continue TO pour
in every day at the Hahne's Christ
mas mail box.
The following letter is a naive ex-
ample of the last named quality
Dear Mr.. Santa Claus" it reads.
'T am eight years old and always
q good boy. And for Christmas
would like a piledriver fire truck
trolley car, milk wagon. hair
horse, a set of soldiers (Boy Scout
soldiers / mean), a linen raincoat, a
bucking bronco, q set of false teeth
to play scarecrow with, a police pa
troll. an automobile, a stable, a
motorcycle and a stocking full OF
nuts and candy. And please. dear
Mr.. Santa Claus, trim my Christmas
tree for me with little electric lights
and angels"
In modest contrast is the letter OF
another little laddie, which reads:
..Santy Dear:
ut is very kind of you to take SC
much trouble every Xmas. hope
you do not get too tired coming
down chimneys. Does it ever hurt
your corns? 1 have one more brother
and two little sisters and they would
all like to see you. but they are all
too little to write. Bring us any
thing you got left over. Sanity, dear
and we will be satisfied. Our stock
ings are all ready for you right neal
TIE uulitDNdlitI. IL NOu lnillh you
can get in better that way"
"A sand pile, great big horn and
a searchlight like they have on wal
ships" expresses the sum of another
young gentleman's earthly wants.
Asks Santa Questions
Another letter goes straight to the
point, asking, as man to man:
my Dear S. Claus-I want to
ask you a question. 1t is this: viii
you please give me a white rabbit,
like the one that gives presents tc
the children in bunnie land, only
white? If you can't get rabbit
would like to have little gray-and-
white kitty with pink ribbon and a
bell on it
A dear little girl, whose letter
stated her age as seven, eyidentl,
felt that it is more blessed to give
than to receive, and enclosed in hei
letter picture of the Blessed Virgin
beneath which was printed carefully
ITO Sanity Claus for Christmas from
his little friend Mary"
Still another young lady wrote that
Brother Tommy, who is five years
old, would like to have a little rec
sweater. Brother Jack is two years
older and he wants some real rubber
boots. Little sister wants a white
straw carriage for her doll. and
heard mamma say she wished she
had the bullet (ballotD. So If you
have any of these things left when
you get to our house, Santa Claus
will you just keep this letter to re-
mind you of us?" And the letter was
concluded without any reference as
to what the writer desired for herself.
In order that Santa Claus may keep
these daily office hours for little folks,
fol rfY-les nd
busy store voluntarily extend their
long day by two full hours each night,
and this, too, in the busiest, most try
ing season of the shopping year. But
the service is performed willingly and
cheerfully for it is the tiny tots,
| whose faith in a personal Santa is
still unshaken, who benefit by the
sacrifice, and for those who make il
the dear privilege of sharing in these
! childish condolences and listening to
the innocent wonder Of their prattle,
is an all-sufficing reward. So also in
the two other stores, where Santa is
enshrined, much seemingly unrequited
labor by workers, already overworked
and overburdened with extra duties,
goes into the effort to preserve intact
the glamour and fairy charm of the
most elusive, yet most humanity per-
sonal, of all the childish beliefs. But
just because it is Santa Claus, in
whose name the work is done, the
labor becomes a labor of love, and
J through these voluntary ministrations
| to little children, those who minister
are drawn nearer in spirit to Him
who, though Maker and Ruler OF
earth and heaven, came down to earth
as little child, that He might draw
! all men unto Him.
Smoke Beneath Trolley Car
Caused a Temporary Stil