The Washington herald., 1922-12-25
|H[lns1'' PUTS CHEER
IN HEARTS Of POOR
Distribution Of Christmas Din
:psrs'is Made 10 New
.. York. So
- 80
1z5oo BAGS GIVEN, OUT
Number Aided Grsatest Since
Publisher Started Fund
Is Years Ago. 3
1lsoo Bags GIVEN, OUT
Nv DAMON RUNyON.

a Nsw York, Dee. sl--AI iittis old
LADY VIII . black sshawI syer her
head. a boytsiP 4 tattered red
swester that reached bsiow his
fknees.fs = "a CIR, In . faded
knitted hood. "a woman on
cfatehes.
Something seemed to clutch at
the heart as one stood in the Sixty.
Ninth Regiment armory today and
watched passing throng.
An I'D. man !. With Struggling
whiskers' In q cpriously battered
derby INT. 3 "a yeritsble doll oi
httle gigl In . trailing coat that
must have been her, mothers long
Sge. 4 rdkGed co1ored man with
q wistful expression. .>ss 4 crippled
boy In . go-cart, pushed BY q thin,
Misunderstanding father.
FACES ARE BRIGHT.
A sgd procession. and HEAVIER
knows poverty is. always sad, -ye,
the faces of .thoseSAho passed alons
did not .at thk-partictlar' moment
reflect sadnese.. =. )
There Naa.fight in the eyes of the
older ones. The facEs Of the young
sters We're eager. iexpsctant, as they
crowded into the great hall of the
Sixty -ninth's soldiers and saw there
the fulfil1ment Of the promise. OF
Santa Claus in the New York Amer.
leans annual distribution of Chris,
mas dinners to the poor Of the big
town.
Though 1 speak with the tonguse
Of men and Of angels and have not
charity l am kesope rs sounding
br1ss or, tinkling eymbal." IS,
The Sixty.ninth's band was play.
ing in the gallery above the crowd
Police Captain Albert Mason's men
were definitely marshaiing the
throng into an orderly array;
there was a scuffling Of many feet
above all other noises came the cry
Of child She walled:
IT lost my sister My sister
came in to look at Santa Claus and
| now she's lost
MRS. HEARST TAKES CHARGE.
Mrs. William Randolph Hears,
came along then and took charge
of the situation. Mrs. Hears,
learned the little girls address
bundled her into the Hearst. auto
mobile and sent her home, holding
= big doll tightly In her arms.
| Mis-. Hearst arrived a the arm
ory early In. the morning with her
sons. George. Randolph. jr., and
Jack, to asSist in the dis ribution
The boys were put to work in diff
| ferent booths and Mrs. Hearst took
up her stand in another
Mayor John F. Hylan quietly
walked in about noon to watch the
distribution and stopped to ex
change greetings with Mrs. Hears
a. she was making her luncheon
off a sandwich held in one hand
while the other hand still was bus,
ha nding out packages.
Mrs. Hearst and the Hearst boy,
have taken an active part in thu
work for some years. 1t is q
4 charity in which Mrs. Hearst ha.
the keenest personal interest.
STARTED Is YEARS AGO.
1t was fifteen years ago thai
William Randolph Hearst. realizing
that great many poor people il
the big town would 20 without
Christmas cheer unless some one
made 1t his business to see thai
they were provided for. directed
the raising Of funds for the pur
pose by the New York American
Since that time the fund has be
come an established institution
recognized throughout the city a,
perhaps the greatest single medium
for the relief of distress among al
the big town charities.
The distribution today was thu
geratest in the history of the fund
About 1880 bags were given ou
In Manhattan and Brooklyn. Las
year $500 were given out OF
Christmas and 5000 more on New
Years.