The sun., 1919-01-01
SANTA FROLICS AT
PRODUCE EXCHANGE
Party, Gifts and Fun for 1000
Downtown Children and
280 !Cripples.
THEM CLOWNS MAKE HIT
Spirit Of Christmas Brings Joy
to Little Ones Of Many
NatiOnalties.
oh, them clowns !"

Two thousand children rocked back
and forth In paroxysms Of laughter at
the antics Of the clowns yesterday after
noon at the New York Produce Xxx
change Christmas party. Tho affair was
open to all children below Canal street
who wished to come. After the circus. .
regular ono, monkeys an everythin'-
Santa Claus landed on the roof in his
latest type airplsne and distributed
Christmas package to each boy and girl.
American nag as they nled past.
There were children from the Ghetto,
Little Italy. Wall Streets Back Yard ;
from Water street, from everywhere. II
seemed: for there were more than ffty
recognizable nationalities--but Ameri-
cans all judging from the lusty manner
in which they sang THE Star Spangled
Banner"
Santa Claus led them. And with the
rest Santa Claus uncovered as the
solemn strains fell upon the hall Of the
exchange. He was regular santa
Claus too. Besides his conventional
dress he looked like Santa Claus.
Every one knows that Santa Claus 10
fat. George w. Blanchard had assisted
Nature where she had neglected him.
filing. 80 to speak. all specifications and
expectations of any child's imagination.
When Santa appeared tho clowns
were forgotten. A stir at the upper end
of the hall. a gleeful treble shouting the
magical name and the whole place took
It up instantly. And ST Nick vae equal
to tho situation. He danced in his
newly acquired rotundity, swaying him
in the fantastic steps. Children who
could not restrain themselves ran from
their banked seats and curlcd moist ex-
cited little fingers around the chubby
ones OF Santa Claus. They were conf
dent in his goodness and radiant in
his reflection as they skipped alongside
as he circled the circus. shouting his
Merry Christmas, children! Merry
Christmas to you all, God bless you -
Blessings Fall on All.
The latter invocation may be new in
Santas curriculum. but II was none the
less appreciated. for many OF the chill
dren are changing gods for the Goo
whose blessing he invoked. One little
Japanese had snapped 5000 gods for
One many had deserted Buddha, the sun
and the fire gods OF the old world, for
Christianity's God OF the new. whose
Sons birthday, they had learned. is
Christmas, Their teachers had told them
this and their parents had vaguely veri-
fed It. Some confused Christ with
Santa Claus. for each Is good they knew
and they had never seen Christ. one
youngster confded. 80 the mistake is
easy. amt it?'
Anyway, Santa Claus was the embodi-
ment In very rosy flesh and flowing
white whiskers OF all that was good
and giving. Tho child who had remained
in his seat left Il as Santa started to
give. The other 1899 already had fallen
in Il thick serpent!ne line and were push
ing toward the front, Santa's front. with
more effort than courtesy In their eager
ness.
sisters Of Catholic orders u,arshalled
$50 crippled children in the quetef
reaches OF the hall. far from tho turbu-
lent stream OF jostling young America
and Santa Claus came to them and dis
tributcd many gifts with words OF good
cheer and best wishes.
The statue Of Liberty. in miniature,
held her torch high and looked down in
approval upon these youngsters.
But back TO Santa Claus and them
clowns. OF course. Santa was the whole
show---after he arrived. But the clowns
had their day before.
Youngsters In Uproar.
One tall fellow in white and black
kept the youngsters in uproars, The
clowns tried harder TO please this child
audience fringed with the older folks,
than ever before. and probably succeeded
better than ever before for gleeful, I'M
restrained laughter dubbed out in
shouts and siggles in one continuous I'M
dulating roar.
pony that might have been a puppy
Of Governor Smiths Caesar was de
light to the little folks He couldn't
have been more than two feet high and
was brighter than the whip that kept
him going. While he was shaking hands
with his rir master a photographers
fash exploded, The pony bowed and
bl!nked-and the children, thinking /,
part of the performance, appauded.
The Jack of Spades. on roller skates
managed to fall down more dif1eren,
ways than some OF the gentlemen going
home this morning. With each resou nd.
ing whack, shrieks of laughter accom-,
panied 1t.
And there was the pony who made a
New Years revolution. He kicked over
the ropes. slashcd at the riugmasteI
with his hoofs and behaved rather badly
much To the delight of the youngsters
They enjoyed II hugely. In fact il
someone had turned the hose upon then
they would have enjoyed 1t. believing &
part of the combination Christmas anc
New Years party arranged especially fo
their benefit
This is the thirteenth year that III,
Exchange has gwen this party and II.
members intend to give it every YEA
TO come, The Christmas packages con
tanned four toys. Each boy received
pair OF roller skates, a book a game
and top-and an American flag Eacl
girl received a school bag, "A book. {
game and "A pair of roller skates, and
flag. too The crippled children received
additional gifts. 1t was a happy 10
that filed out of the building late in tn,
afternoon, each younster hugging tight,
to him or her self, package and nag
melting in the crowds and lost 10 sigh
until nest Christmas when Santa come.