The New York herald., 1921-12-25
CITY'S GREAT HEART
OPENFOR CHRISTMAS.
Public Wards and Drifting
/ Derelicts Included in
Yuletide Cheer.
CHILDREN COME FIRST
Great Variety of EnteI 81
n ment and Gifts fo. q
i the Poor.
SALVATION ARMY BUSY
Special Effort Made to Pro-
d vide for the Forgotten
i Ones.
SALVATION ARMY BUSY

xue CnrjStmaS spirit or New York
which appears so overfiowing this
year, had both hands extended yes
terday and the heartening went on all
day.
The Salvation Army gave the big
gest quantity party and dispensed
e,oS0 dinner baskets to families and
10000 toys to children who would
have had none otherwise.
The distribution was at the armory
of the Ninth Coast Artillery Regiment,
in West Fourteenth street, and admis-
sion was by ticket. for the Army
never works by haphazard and every
person due to receive basket had
been investigated and checked up and
identified and tabulated. Exactly 5000
of them ultimately went through the
wickets at the armory door. But re-
liable compilers on the street outside
declared that another 5000 were in the
siege about the building. OF these
fully half received meal tickets good
ut the Army's supply base nearby.
The distribution was prefaced by a
Christmas celebration in which musical
numbers were given by the Army band.
Commander Evangeline Booth went to
the gathering accompanied by Mrs.
Finley j. Sheppard and her three
adopted children. The toys were dis
pensed from giant Christmas tree and,
when the tree was denuded, from two
towering pyramids of toys fanking 1t
On each hand.
Dinner in the Bowery.
To-day the Army will give dinners to
I'll the world at the Bowery Hotel, 225
Bowery. The Mems Shelter at 507 West
Gweuty-sixth street, the Mems Industrial
Home at 231 East 120th street, the Social
Welfare Center at % Raymond street.
Brooklyn. and the Emergency Home at
khe old Smith street police station in the
came borough.
The Elks. with a fund Of $4,000 col
eected from among their members to help
them do It. will be the next big almoners
and hosts and will give away 1000
baskets with dinners in them and tickets
for the Kind Of clothing that is so badly
needed when the thermometer says
away down and the wind spreads the
cold air. The Association for Improv-
ing the Condition of the Poor will pro-
vide gifts to children to the value of
$4,000, which was collected for that
purpose and made to stretch further than
$4,000 ever did before because much of
the material 1t bought was made into
useful gifts by volunteer sewers and
knitters.
They who are wards of the city will
discover to-day that kindliness with
energy to move it has gone into the plans
ADv- III %txA Iax
them. Bird S. Coler Commissioner of
Public Welfare. declared last night that
to-day was to be the best of all Christ
masses in the city institutions
Cheer I'm City Hospitals.
"The response to pleas that have
been sent out" he said, "is amazing.
Checks have come In steadily and in
goodly numbers. This morning, along
with others, / received one for $780,"
Both he and Commissioner Copeland of
the Department of Health will visit the
city hospitals to-day, where presents
will be distributed among more than
1000 patients, whose day. even without
them, had been arranged for already by
Christmas trees and entertainment. by
volunteers.
DR.. Copeland said yesterday that he
wished to make the citys acknowledge
nent to all who swelled the pile of use
ful things. warm clothing especially,
which will go to the children among the
poor and i'll who are in institutions.
II wish particularly" he declared, ''to
acknowledge the gifts that have gone 10
the 1epers and the tuberculous children
at Otisvillc. Every child there will have
a warm sweater and outer clothing, be-
sides toys. I wish to thank a generous,
public which has responded so finely"
And both he and Mr.. Coler and Ed
ward f. Mcmahon, superintendent OF the
municipal lodging house, put in a word
for after Christmas, saying that IL the
public which has warm clothes will re-
member the public which has not for
the balance of the winter considerable
good will come of It.
Not least Of the largess dispensed be-
fore the sun went down yesterday was
the party given on Barren Island by the
harbor police. under the inspiration of
Inspector Hallock, to the children OF
those who work in the factories and re-
duction plants there. A police launch
carried from the Battery two vast
Christmas trees and a quantity of toys
and edibles contributed by the members
of the Produce Exchange. Policeman
Tom Mulligan In the public school on
the island made the day unforgettaole
TO the children while he played the part
Of Santa Claus.
Childrcn's Party i'm Harlem.
The East Harlem Health Center in
cluded all the needy within the seventy
blocks which 1t calls its territory In
party at 245 East 116th street last night.
Of which the main ingredients wers
music and food Christadora House In
Tompkins square gave PARTY for 200
little girls last night. Each child got
doll, party supper and danced and
sang herself to her hearts desire. The
boys OF the district will be given
party by themselves tomorrow.
The Catholic Home Bureau for De-
pendent Children gave permanent homes
and futures to seventeen orphans yes
terday. dispatching each human pack
age, each decidedly alive and wiggling
with animation to the seventeen sets OF
foster parents who were awaiting them.
The institutiory makes a present of
unique quality but without substance
that can be seen to each new parent and
child. By its arrangement the new
parents are pledged not TO adopt their
child legally within two years. so that II
an Arrangement which seemed desirable
once shall not work out according 10
specifications the child may be shifted
to other new parents ana find another
start In life. OF the seventeen babios