The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1916-12-25
Ceremonies Yesterday After
noon Drew Immense Crowd
to See Community Tree
THOUSAND VOICES in
CAROLS OF PRAISE
Huge Star Moving through
Air Brought Home Teach
ings Laid Down by the Babe
Of Bethlehem

sounds OF a thousand voices raised II,
songs OF praise upon the birthnisht
of the Babe OF Bethlehem, ten thou
sand people watched Richmond' 5
fourth community Christmas tree
] Hash radiantIy into view at O'Clock
last night. For an hour before the
ceremonies began the crowd poured
into the spaces about the Ford lot.
where the Zig tree stood in place.
and long Before the appointed time
for the lighting OF the tree the City
Hall was packed TO OVERLOOKING with
tire anxious, happy holiday folk. each
holding tenaciously To any vantage
point that might be secured.
At o'clock white star, hanging
iilamined III midair. moved slowly
from he tower OF the First Baptist
hurch in the direction OF the tree,
while beneath the star "a group Of
vested singers followed the path OF
the guiding light in effect symbol
/ cal of the sign by which the shop-
hert,s on the Judean hills more than
1900 years ago knew that somewhere
in the darxened city below Saviour
had come and new King had been
boon 10 the world. When The star
had roa >heG Il potni lust over the
nrna.HcntCd tree Ire l.gEt fla shed OF,
and larger star uf moro perfect
beauty hr7t into sight Then the
switch ys..s Iurnet again. and the huge
tfee. III al - -.oTt. was gwen light
Al ire crowd h4sbed in reverence
by he ,ea .iliiul token, watched the
hsg star SLOWLY take is course s* {
directed hy Stnlt Invisible nand
raigis:le4 iiIan the forces OF 4ae cart h,
thee carfe re vision or the lonely
sight ~ Tie Silent halls NJ Chrtst'$
r@ttvtty, tFi n#pe To some aSi}ur,
hesf,. rasbed of SOM fos, somo tresS-
,ss heta fear ~ ove ali things else,
tftere came % message Of blessed peace
frosa pin o-ho gave His life tina,
Nor Vi -nf axe. and for whose sake
al mGn Hop down IN humility Pe:-
lars sCs1r Eta~s bowed dawn with
grief wii3Ch seems 100 great la bear.
screwed y vision and a gift ina.
lfroueft rev desire aud gave to
ifvfra $ DEEPER thought Assured II
III that ~ ore of rec crowd that wit
iiat did no. carry VITA * truth and
hope and life.
Tree Beautifully Decorated.
iIuuaaeis o. electric bulbs. green,
+ lsatrple yellow. white and red. pre-
srrfed the St telY cedar iif it's shape y
form The Christmas tree OF story
baoi, deslga was outdone IA beauty
M t-onecpt iot. for to the sSfnmetrtesi
curves OF the graceful cone shaped
figure hung a thousand yards of I'm
sal sparkling and swaving in the
light. Another thousand Yards OF
,iran.a..y chung Ia ~ branches OF
the tree. and The dazzling hrilliance
80 the vari~colored CLEANS. sottened
Il, the eye bV artistic arrangement
i; flectei the dianondlike ghtterinss
from banks ei snoT-white mica that
Mas pi'ed about the trunk of the bur
siened ceda..
A chorus of thousand school chill
Ggen. led by Professor Walter G.
Mercer. and assisted by the vested
choir. sang Christmas carols which
rose in sucl, volume that the sound
saread for many squares away and
voices over the crowd picked up the
tunes and hummed them in time TO
the chorus. Holy Night" and Joy
IL the World" concluded the cere-
monies,
IKE John Marshall cadets and the
Toy Scouts acted az guards and
escorts around The tree. and the streets
within two squares of the lot were
roped off TO prevent disturbances of
sfrafllc during the ceremonies. A plat
form built near the tree was occupied
NV Kessnich's Band. and by many OF
the leading ministers of the town. The
@s,s.gtt star which hung above the tree,
was left burning through the night.
GIFTS collected throughout the city
s.. be. eivea 10 poor Richmond chill
N, s,en. @ao otherwise, perhaps, would
not have been visited by Santa Claus.
were distributed Saturday, and nearly
ten thousand stockings, filled with
good things to eat, were given out to
make happy the hearts of many little
ones, whof but for the kindly hands
~0f charity would not have shared in
the happiness OF the YuIetide.
Christmas Spirit Prevalent
This tree. with its ceremonies. was
merely incidental TO the fuller spirit
born with the Child in the Manager on
that long ago night when Herod's peo-
pie slept in peaceful Bethlehem. 1t
was an expression of that f1ne old
message Of Peace on earth and good
lsr0m the angel choir so many cen
etmrtes now gone. and was typical OF
the source of that light which has
1 tllumined the faces of men and wo-
men, however. biVdcned down with
sE1re or hArassed With trials, since the
sAdvont Of the Chsist Child TO the
earth The glory {. giving and the
11uiendor of self sacrifice. bringing glad
1idingp 10 all the world, was the touch
That was given theres
Richmond has given nobly Of her
&Oods to alleviating the wants and
tho longings OF the poor this year, and
@k1Xe community tree. raised to manifest
axe little children the glory OF the
s1oW1y Naarene. was an expression OF
Kllo apirit which has dominated tho
i poknmunlty. Many little faces now
oar aniles Of delight which can
S6a1y ~ brought through childhood's