Evening capital and Maryland gazette. (Annapolis, Md.) 1910-1922, 1917-12-28
CR|LDREN'S treat
IN COLONIAL Theatre
More Than | 400 White And Col
ored Children Crowd Theatre
GUESTS or UNKNOWN CITIZEN
Free Treat To Candy and Oranges and
Charlie Chaplin Plciure-Ne Such
Scenes Ever Before Wit
messed Here
GUESTS OF UNKNOWN CITIZEN


Scenes We're enacted off the stage
in the Colonial Theatre this morning
that were more realistic than any ever
enacted in any theatre in the country
on the stage
Through the kindness of citizen
of Annapolis the Colonial Theatre
management and the Empty Stocking
Club, the greatest treat ever given
the children of this city was afforded
them this morning.
1t is almost impossible to enumer-
ate the children who enjoyed this
treat, but a fair estimate places the
number between fourteen and fifteen
hundred
Bags of candy and an orange each
had been provided for one thousand
children, but these were soon ex-
hausted and those who were at the end
of the line did not receive anything.
although when the condition confront
ed Manager Tunis Strange he divided
things up and gave every other child
an orange or a bag of candy, not both,
as was first apportioned the children
OOLAO Va bhC Ch w III WCAC AnOA =
magnanimous than others, returned
their oranges and bags of candy in
order that others might get them who
really were more deserving of such
gifts.
Mr. Tunis Strange was assisted in
giving out the candy and oranges by
members of the Empty Stocking Club.
Mrs. Edward ID. Johnson, wife of the
rector of st. Anne's; Miss Adele Ran
dali, Miss Isabelle McNasby, Mrs Asa
Joyce and other ladies.
1t was no easy job to hand out to
all the children, white and colored.
the packages as they entered and to
see that each one got his or her
share and no duplicates.
Long before the hour announced for
the treat, 10 A. NJ, Conduit street III
front of the Colonial Theatre was
blocked to traffic with children who
allied the lobby and were lined out in
to the street as far as Main street and
nearly to Duke of Gloucester street.
/ AS several grown-ups remarked, II
didn't know there were so many chill
dren in Annapolis" but they had come
from everywhere to participate in the
treat and to enjoy the movies with
Charlie Chaplin on the screen, for all
children dote on Charlie Chaplin.
Prior to the moving picture show
one of the boys, George Basil, mount
ed the stage and moved that the chill
dren present give rising vote of
thanks to the gentleman who had pro-
vided this treat, also to the Colonial
Theatre management, and that three
cheers be given for each Scarcely
was he through speaking when all
the children rose and gave three
lusty, rousing cheers for their un-
known friend who gave them the
treat, and for Mr.. Tunis Strange. the
manager of the Colonial Theatre.
Quick as a flash, the great picture,
AT the Rink" was thrown on the
screen, with that prime favorite,
Charlie Chaplin, cutting capers. The
children laughed at his antics, they
clapped their hands, they screamed.
they yelled Go it Charlie" "Tll bet
on Charlie" Now look at Charlie
and the like. The highest paid mov-
ing picture star filmed would have
felt proud could he have seen and
heard the Colonial Theatre crowd this
morning go wild with joy over his
antics. 1t was worth going miles to
see and hear that crowd of some four
teen to fifteen hundred children en-
Joy itself in its own, free, child-like
manner
Too much credit cannot be given
the citizen who planned the treat for
the children, and the Colonial Thea
ire management, who concurred with
these plans and heartily co-operated,
also the Empty Stocking Club.
Much sympathy was expressed by
the adults present on leaving the
theatre after the show" was over,
for the amount of cleaning that must
be done before the next performance.
The chairs. floor, everything, was a
mass of orange juice, rinds and seeds,
the aftermath of the treat given to
a thousand Annapolis children, the
greatest thing that ever happened
here in the way of Christmas week
facfiyifv