The Dawson news. (Dawson, Ga.) 1889-current, 1923-12-25
SPREAD CHEER THRUOUT
THE LAND ON CHRISTMAS
FEW OF THE WAYS BY WHICH
MYRIADS OF PERSONS ARE
MADE VERY HAPPY.
FIFTY MILLION WILL BE SPENT
Drop a Quarter of a Dollar in the
Empty Stocking Fund or Salvation
Army Pot, Adopt a Family, or Buy
a Batch of Christmas Seals.


Christmas finds the world chuck full
OF Santa Clauses. This was the COM
ment of the secretary of the Santa
Claus Club, New York City, when the
J thousandth contribution toward the
fund to spread Christmas cheer
among the poor had been received.
The secretary is right. 1t is esti-
mated that $50,000000 will be spent
this Christmas among the poor that
vast sum coming out of the pockets of
millions of Santas all over the land.
Salvation Army.
Take the Salvation Army, for in
| stance In almost every city in the
/ land men and women are standing be-
side kettles, suspended from tripods,
and bearing this legend; Keep the
| Pot Boiling. Provide Christmas
| Cheer for the Poor"
Somebody comes along and puts a
nickel, dime or quarter i'll the pot.
| That somebody is one OF the million
! Santa Clauses of this city. His nickel
dime, or quarter will help to cheer
some person on Christmas Day.
Perhaps the coin thougktlessly
dropped into the pot on the street cor
ner will buy picture book for child
whose stocking would otherwise be
/ empty on Christmas morning. Some
child of the tenements who had hung
up her stocking an the cherries living
room. secure in the belief that there is
Santa Claus and that he would be
sure to visit the children of the tene-
| ment district as well as the children
OF the rich in the fashionable suburbs.
To thousands and thousands of
Youngsters and elders in every big
city in the land Christmas Day would
be just like any other day were it not
for the fact that so many Santa
Clauses open their hearts and pocket
| books and see to it that the stockings
of the children in the tenement dis
tricts are filled and the larder stuffed
with good things to eat
Work SYstematized.
adopt a family" is the slogan that
| is spreading throughout the country.
! 1t is only one means of playing Santa
| Claus. 1t is perhaps the most satisfy
ing means of doing something practi-
! cal by way of promoting the spirit of
! peace on earth, good will toward
men" at Christmastide
The work of Santa Claus is being
/ systematized in the bigger cities. A
! central bureau has the names of fami-
lies who are barely getting along, with
nothing by way of surplus to buy
mamma doll'' for little Marguerite
or a picture book for three-year-old
| Paul. In other words, Christmas is
going to be drab day.
But the parents forget that there are
so many Santa Clauses in the land.
Somebody with a big heart and
bullying pocketbook goes to the cen
trail bureau and is given the name and
address of the family. Forthwith the
| family is adopted. Santa Claus calls
on the parents and learns that Mar
| guerite wants a mamma dol' and
| Paul a picture book There is a joy
Gus shopping tour, including the toy
stores and the provision stores and
meat market. and on Christmas Day
another family gives thanks to the
| Almighty that the world isn't such
bad place to live in after all.
Angel of the Coal Fields.
Mrs. Eckley B. Coke, of Drifton,
! Claus living today. Although "a years
old and in rather poor health, Mrs.
| Coke will not forget the 5000 school
children and 100 or more poor fami-
lies of the anthracite district near her
home this Christmas. She is called the
'angel of the coal fields"
The day before Christmas each of
the 5000 school children of the dis
trict will receive a box of candy and
an envelope containing a 81 bill The
! poor families will be provided with a
| turkey dinner This method of spread
| ing cheer among the poor of her dis
! trict has been followed by Mrs. Coke
| for many years. She is the widow of
| the late Senator Eckley B. Coke, pion
Ger anthracite operator
Uncle Robert" of New York City.
| is another Santa Claus of national
fame in the United States Every
year he has party for the $500 in
mates OF the home for the aged and
J inhrm at Welfare Island, n. y. not
| far from the city. Lots of good things
to eat, pipes and. checker boards for
| the men and handkerchiefs and
| knickers for the women are handed
around, and in the evening there is a
show with plenty Of gay music and
| laughter.
In Kansas City, Mo-. is an organi-
zation known as the Mayors Christ
mas Tree Association. This associa-
ton has the names and addresses of
1000 families who are unable to af-
! ford a Christmas celebration. Each
year 1000 persons adopt these 1000
families and see to it that the kid
dies" get toys and warm clothing and
| the Christmas dinner includes turkey
and cranberry sauce.
There are countless things to give
on Christmas One can even Give
Health" to somebody suffering from
tuberculosis. Buy SeaP is the way
Every penny spent for Christmas
seals to go on Christmas envelopes
and packages means a penny toward
the fight against the dread plague,
| tuberculosis.
The foregoing is merely an indiea-
ton of how many Santa Clauses there
are in the land. Millions OF good deeds
are done each Christmastide of which
the world hears not word. 1t simply
goes to prove that the world isn't such
a bad place in which to live after all