The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1916-01-01
PRODUCE EXCHANGE
HOST OF 1000 KIDS
Floor Cleared for Really and
Truly Circus, Including
Clowns and a Band.
PRESENTS FOR EACH ONE

The old red walled Produce Exchange.
on every other business day Of h year
a cave Of the mysteries Of Wheat No. 2
Red, r. o. y. and similar commodities,
hummed yesterday with the delirium OF
a brass band. cackling clowns and the
laughter Of 1000 children. II was tho
tenth annual ChrismastNew Years
party Of the exchange. NTH the brokers
playing host to needy boys and girls Of
lower Manhattan from the Battery to
Canal street.
At ~ o'clock the traders we're claw.
ing at one another a. usual. Al 1
O'Clock every desk and table had been
removed. bleachers had been knocked to-
gether to form a big rectangle In the
centre OF the room, and on a stand at
tine south end the members OF Nahan
Franko's band were bursting their but
tons In u welcome to the little ones as
they filed in through the suddenly opened
doors. Every child clutched OF was tied
to a ticket that meant something i'm
portant later on.
Hut first there was a circus-not mer
| clumsy amateurs painted UP, but a
| regular circus. Starrett's old fashioned
one. which the brokers import from the
South every year for this one perform
ance. There were trained dogs. aero
bats. clowns. tight rope walkers. trained
ponies, fancy roller skaters, magicians-
| oh, whatever lower New York could
| want in the way Of a circus. II was all
there. And when a clown stood on n
table and pretended to be falling Off
| and then on a chair placed on the table
and then on another chair still higher
up and leaned over backward until no
body could tell how he was able to keel
his balance. every girl on the bleachers
said OH with a long breath. and
every boy took mental notes Of Just how
he thouwht the thing was done 30 tina
IL could he repeated before the dazeo
eyes OF the gang when he got home.
When the circus was over George w
Blanchard. who off stage Is president vi
the North American Grain Company
bounced into the ring as Santa Claus
Under his m~inistrations the children
were formed In W long lines to ge
their presents.
For zach crippled boy there were g
train OF cars. blocks. mittens. games. 9
pencil box and a harmonica for elcf
crippled girl "A work box "A doll. a fame,
pin, a hair ribbon. a necklace. a book
games, a pencil box and mittens. TIT
other boys got roller skates. skating
caps. harmonious. games. marbles
crackers n candy. and for the g,rl'
there were roller skates. dolls. neck
iaces. hair ribbons. m!ttens, necklaces
crackers and candy.
Although the number OF packages
duplicated the tickets that had beer
given out, a dozen children at the end o
the lire were still waiting when the pill
was exhausted. But watchful broker
we're seen to have a private word will
each OF these leftovers and TO escor
them from the building toward certain
interesting trade centres.
James II. Warner. president OF IN
Produce Exchange. was busy Throughout
the afternoon. Committee chairmen WHIT
assisted Mr.. Warner and Santa Clau
were Walter Moore. stephen Is. Oliver
Arthur Doyle and stephen ]. Hin. Jr
The tickets were distributed through
many churches and charitable institu
tions. The affair cost the broker
$500.
More than worth IT," said one VIII
stood a, the right hand OF Santa Claus
Anyway. Il was certainly up 10 us to d.
more than usual for n kids to-day, 10
itis been an elegant year on the eN
change