The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1920-12-25
PRESENTS FOR ALL


Continued from Page One.D
distributed, and it is believed that
there is not a family in Topeka where
there will not be some evidence of
Christmas cheer today.
Little brown faced youngsters from
Mexico were the recipients of Christ
mas presents and treats from a real
Christmas tree, which was a feature
of the party held at the Mexican
school on Seward avenue. The tree
Spalding Reading Circle.
Orphans Home Remembered.
Gifts and treats have been sent to
the Topeka Orphans home, enough to
insure real Christmas for every par
entless child at the home. The Co
Operative club arranged for a feed for
the children and among other donors
the students of the Topeka high school
provided a fund for the benefit of the
orphans Christmas.
Treats at Hotels.
Commercial institutions were not be-
hind the civic and charitable organi-
cations in manifesting the Christmas
spirit. The managers of the Throop
and Fifth Avenue hotels had special
treats and entertainments for their
guests Friday night, and Dave August
and Ike Gilberg have gone to May
eta with a huge treat of candy and
other goodies for the Indian children
there.
Topeka Gave $1,000.
Topeka has given $1,000 to the fund
for the relief of starving children in
central Europe. A check for that
amount was mailed Friday night by
| Arch NJ. Catlin, treasurer of the fund,
to Herbert Hoover, and the $1,000, it
is estimated, will keep 1000. children
from starving to death for one month.
! And the collection of money for the
4 roll toe 10
James A. Troutman. county chairman.
Other towns in Kansas are also Civ
ing literally to the fund, following
Topeka's lead. lola has already raised
! $500 and Clay Center has sent away
more than $1,000.
Distribute Food.
The Bible School of the Oakland
Christian church today distributed
| fourteen baskets of food to families
where they believed it would be appre-
ciated, each basket containing a COM
plete selection of groceries and dain-
ties for Christmas dinner. The
baskets were donated by members of
the Sunday school.
Different from Early Days.
! Christmas in Topeka in an early
day differed widely from today. ac-
cording to Mrs. ]. NJ. Meade, the old
est settler in Shawnee county, who
was born in the county in 1S49.
There were Indians camps where
Topeka now stands in those days. Mrs.
Meade sayS-friendly Pottawatomies
and their families living in tents at
the foot of what is now Buchanan
street. Mrs Meades family was the
only white family in the city" with
! the exception of a half-breed family,
French and Indian, who operated a
ferry across the Kaw.
For the first Christmas which her
family spent in Topeka, Mrs. Meade's
father and brother made a wagon trip
to 'Westport Landing" now Kansas
City, Mo, and brought back Christmas
gifts for the family, mostly new clothes
bolts of cloth. and good things to eat
There was turkey for dinner-wild
turkey, shot in a cottonwood grove
which stood near what is now Sixth
and Topeka avenue, and the Indians
of the pale face family which ha6
settled so far from civilization, and
their kind
At state Hospital.
Patients at the state hospital haf
Christmas party Friday night with
a play produced by themselves as the
j. feature of the program, a Christina;
tree, with a treat for every patient
and presents which had been sent il
by their relatives. The play and tht
| tree were in the chapel of the hospital
which was filled with patients. Th'
| officials of the hospital provided tbs
tree and the treats. The party wal
} finished long before the fire broke
out
da1y--celebrates it with the true spiri
of the day-giving. in love and fel
lowship.
|