Evening star., 1916-12-25
CHRISTMAS SPIRIT
IS ABROAD IN LAND
Rich in Many Cities Share
Good Things of Life With
Poor Neighbors.
U. S. SAILORS PLAY SANTA
By the Associated Press.

| By the Associated Press.
| NEW YORK, December 25-Not the
| least interesting feature of the Christ
| mas celebration here was the part TAX
| en- by two of the largest American bat
| tleships. the New York and the Penn
sylvania. crews of which played Santa
| Claus with their vessels at the service
| of the children. Between 1000 and 5000
| hungry children were provided with a
/ Christmas dinner and toy made pos
| sible by collections among members of
| the crews that netted nearly $4,000.
| The chief boatswain of each ship
| appeared i'll the role of Kris krin-
| gle. Though the entertainment is pri-
| marily an enlisted mans affair and re-
| ceives no official sanction from navy
ward officials, it nevertheless is given
| official assistance by the tacit suspen-
| sion of rules barring children from
the yard and ships.
| The Christmas observance in this city
began last night with the flashing into
| life of the great tree of light" in
! Madison Square. At midnight prayers
! for world peace were offered at mass in
Roman Catholic churches. With
Christmas trees in police stations
throughout the greater city, the police
acted as Santa Claus to approximately
10000 children.
Under the personal direction of
Evangeline Booth, commander. who, de-
spite her ill health and against the ad-
vice of her physician, undertook the
work. the Salvation Army distributed
5000 baskets. The baskets this year
have greater value than ever before.
The cost at wholesale of the provender
was s10.65O, or s2.13 a basket. Last
year the cost was s1.79 each.
Reports from department stores. ex
ateS ~fT,o
indicate that this Christmas is a rec
ord breaker. One estimate puts New
York's Christmas bill as approaching
S150. 0.000,0 900.
Glad Christmas in Philadelphia.
PHILADELPHIA, December 25-
The Christmas spirit that permeated
the city today found practical express
sion for many in bountiful dinners and
generous gift giving to thousands of
the clty's poor. In virtually every in
StitUtlon housing the sick, aged or
children there were elaborate prepara-
tions for the holiday.
Baskets, heaped with food. clothes
candies and toys were distributed by
the Helping Hand Rescue Mission. A
big dinner featured the day for home
less boys at the Children's Aid Society.
At the University Hospital a commit
tee of society women erected trees in
I
pita1 1,480 men and women were
guests of the bureau of charities. while
500 patients were entertained at By
berry farm.
Sailors on the United States battle
ships at the Philadelphia navy yard
were hosts to many children, and pre-
sented them with gifts of clothing.
candy and toys. Seamen on the in
Friedrich and kronprinz Wilhelm join
ed in the festivities. Nearly 1000
Christmas packages will be distributed
by religious and other societies to the
sailors on foreign ships laid up at this
port because of the war.
Mail Far Behind in Chicago.
CHICAGO, December e5.-Thousands
of sacks of first class and parcel post
mail are blockaded in the railroad ter
minals here. Coming from every direc-
ton the Christmas mail overwhelmed
the railroads, and deliveries are said
to be four or five days behind. Outgo-
ing mall also is delayed. Every train
running out Of Chicago has four or five
extra mail cars. Hundreds of sacks
We're piled in the open sheds of the
railroad stations today.
Mail will be from two to ten days
late throughout the country" said Le-
roy Steward, head OF the city delivery
division of the post Office. One of the
reasons for the great delay is that
nearly everybody mailed Christmas
cards in sealed envelopes this year
These envelopes are delaying the deliv-
cry of package mail
1T will take at least a week for the
Chicago post office and the railroad
terminals to dispose of the mail that is
delivering parcel post and it will take
the carriers all day to deliver the one
trip scheduled for today"
Not Local to Chicago.
The mail now in Chicago terminals
does not belong here said +. l.. West,
superintendent of the middle west rail-
way mail service division. 1T is being
transferred from one railroad to an
other. to be taken to the different sec
tions of the country. j have called for
more cars from the railroads. but they
were unable to supply them"
Gems from the Tower of Jewels of
the Panama-Pacific exposition sparkled
under the play Of a hundred search
lights on Chicagos municipal Christ
mas tree last night. Thousands of per-
sons filled Grant Park and joined in the
singing of Christmas carols led by
score or more choral societies. The for
NAL lighting of the tree was preceded
by a parade of city, officials cavalry
men, naval reserve and citizens. There
We're no electric lights on the tree it,
self nor in the grove of small trees sur
rounding its base. The brilliant effect
was obtained entirely by the search
| lights.
Celebration in San Francisco.
| SAN FRANCISCO December 25-San
| Francisco celebrated Christmas eve last
night with concert in the civic au-
| ditorium. at which a musical pageant
! was presented. This years festival was
| the hrst one undertaken by the mu-
nicipal authorities.
Candles CLEAN on Beacon Hill.
| BOSTON. December 25.-Bands of
| singers trooDed through the streets
| last night singing of peace on earth
good will to men. On Beacon hill and
| in the suburbs, in accordance with an
| old custom, the musicians were greeted
! with the glow of innumerable candles
! with which the residents marked the
arrival of Christmas eve Thousands
| rf men, women and children who fol-
! owed the. singers Joined in the more
! familiar hymns
On the Common great Christmas
| tree was brilliantly lighted, while in
| the Parkman memorial bandstand near
i by there was carol singing and q con-
| cert.
Gift for City of St. Louis.
/ ST. LOUIS, Mo-. December 25.-Au-
| gust A. Busch was host yesterday aft
| ernoon and last evening to 5000 chill
| dren. many of them orphans. when the
| latter gathered at big downtown
{, Christmas tree celebration. Each or
| phan received sweater and cap from