Evening star., 1922-12-27
BY w. HI. CLAGETT.
Backward, oh. backward
Time turn In thy flight,
And make mo q kid again
Just for a night!

Just for q night!
Dear Folks:
Now that the local board OF conceed-
ers has officially announced that never
before In the history OF the little old
District Of Columbia has tho Joyous
Yuletide season been more fittin'ly OBJ
served by all classes and kinds than
In the present ammo domini. l sure
think it's In order to add. that II there
be any happier kiddies in all Of our in
comparable seven by ten mile square
than them belongin' to the $50 men
and wommin attached to The Evening
and Sunday Star, they'd better be look
ed after or they'll burst from tubila-
ton.
The sisslin' torpedo Of good cheer
which has been kissin' the surface
around the big Eleventh street buildin'
ever since December IA struck Its OBJ
jective and exploded last night. when
every blessed youngster connected in
any way with members Of the Star
family" together with them poor un-
fortunate kidless employees. hobnobbed
with old Santa Claus for more'n three
hours.
Twas a red letter night for the
Star folks! BY special orders from
the heads OF the paper. Col. c. Fred
Cook. Christmas tree expert. who for
thirty years has flddled with intrtcket
news problems. and Hi Henry Han
ford, the company's prince OF ar
rangers. had been workin' their heads
of preparin' for the entertainment.
and when the little army Of embryo
reporters. compositors. pressmen ana
stereotypers got squint at their
efforts. you can take 1t from me there
was some lusty cheerin'!
To start with, the entire south END
Of The Evening Star Clubs spacious
quarters on the eighth floor OF the
buildin' had been transformed into
a miniature Mount Vernon by Clifford
Lanham. the Districts painstakin'
superintendent of trees and parkin'.
who had generously dug deep into his
own stores Of equipment! In the CEN
ter Of the beautiful scene, which in
Guided real hones-to-goodness lakes.
railroad trains, old mills. dancin'
pickinnies. spoonin' colonials. and the
Lord knows what. all goin' like forty.
was the biggest, hugest Christmas
tree ever set up in this neck Of the
woods. 1t was Norway spruce. ship
ped clean from Maine. especially for
the big blowout. and measured a full
foot through its base and stood ex-
acty $50 inches in its stockin' feet,
Scenes Greeted with Surprise.
Its mighty boughs dropped under
the strain OF bushels Of scintilatin'
Christmas tinsels and myriad lights,
colored and incandescent. that bedeck-
ed every available twig. and as them
in charge had been told by George
Parez". they could go the limit with
anything from the stock Of the Con-
tinental Electric Supply Company. it's
superfuous to add that the scene was
most dazzlin': The whole settin' was
backed with an elaborate drop of the
dear old Potomac. which was installed
with the compliments of Woodward &
Lothrop.
To the jaZziest of jazz music the
big doors swung open at o'clock
sharp. and homes. folks. If you could
have heard the "ohs" and "Ahs" that
burst from the tender throats Of them
happy kiddies as they caught their
first glimpse of the magnificent out
lay. you. too. would have recalled the
lines at the top Of this colyum.
Willin' hands Immediately formed
the tiny visitors into long lines, and
with perfect order all hands proceed
ed to the bridge in front of the man.
far end to be greeted by Carl Her
man Rraatz from the Central
Union Mission. who needed no make
up to convince all he was Santa Claus.
and showered with presents in honor
of the occasion.
cedure was to coax the happy young
sters to leave the entrancin' scene.
Mama. please lemme stay one more
minute" cried one little one as she
clung to the railin'.
Il don't want no ice cream bel
lowed another. IT wants to watch
the fishes swim. Willie still a third
proudly boasted his buddy that
this has been my ~ trip to the
BRIDGE"
And so it went all evenin'. O. course
no turnstile record was kept. but 1t
that fully 500 young ones. with as
many more grown-ups. enjoyed the
thrills OF The Evening Star party.
A Happy Commlngling.
And l say grown-ups advisedly. for
there were no old folks in that hall
last night! And. touchin'. indeed. was
1t to note the true heartfelt express
sions on the faces of workers grown
gray in the service. as they frollicked
and kidded with their children and
grandchildren.
Oh. they were all there. from editor
in-chief down to the rookiest copy
boy. and all 1 can hear as set scrib-
blin' this is, The best Christmas party
ever pulled by The STAR" ! amt no
tabbin' some Of the old timers present!
Here was Cliff Bergman. with
stalwart son, James, now with the
paper, breakin' the glad tidin's to
Alec Cowell. veteran of thirty-two
years standin'. that Harry (Rambler)
Shannon. Jack Smailwood and John
Martin, The Stars disabled. were all
doin' nicely and would soon be OK!
There was handsome Harry South
land. unmatchable foreman of the
composin' room, who first donned
jumpers back in 1887, reminiscin'
with his chief assistant. Joe Whyte.
another old-timer. while over in a
adjoinin' group. Gus Bruehl. who be-
gan by sellin' stars in 1874. and has
worked for the paper ever since, was was
recallin' sweet bygones with Doc
Berner. Ike Field. Tom Harlow and Col.
Shinn.
over yonder could be seen Dick
Brown, the doughty foreman OF the
stereotype room, talkin' his head OFF
to his brother Joe and Pop" Gal
braith. Dick Joined the force few
days after the Monitor fit the Mer-
rimac, havin' saw service on the
former. and is proud of his record.
And still further over was little Guy
Collins. You know Guy. down in the
business office! The scene affected
Guy turrible. and he stood chfrpin
to Col. Leroy Heron, advertisin
menaEer, born and bred on the paper
he recalled many early Christmases
when he done the then big swing
costia-recitin' the old 5ool, THE
other One Was Booth!
And what would a Star party be
without /. William Gait Burns. who
gets EN- Prom Press to Home With
in the Hour: Big Bill Fenton. the