Evening star., 1923-12-25
HAPPY FOLK HAIL
SANTA IN GOTHAM
Babel RivaIed as Peoples of
Many Tongues Hold Christ
mas FeteS.
By the Associated Press.

Ry the Associated Press.
NEW YORK, December 25.-Santa
Claus parked his reindeer somewhere
UP north last night and trod his
weary way through the snowless
streets of New York city with such a
load of festal generosity as the me-
tropolis seldom had seen.
The city celebrated nightly. The
financial district was extraordinarily
generous with holiday bonuses. Chari-
table organizations reported receiving
record d-breaking contributions and the
spirit of Christmas was permitted to
enter cheerless homes. where the
name of Santa had meant only a for
lorn hope to thousands of destitute.
Multitudes of festal lights along
broadway burst into play over un-
precedented crowds of holiday visitors
from out OF town. Throughout the
city, especially in tenement districts.
where on other nights only an oc-
casional gas light dispels the gloom.
gIowed strings of yari-colored cleo
tries Every important park and puo-
lie square had it's community christ
mas tree.
Celebrate i'm 'SectiOns."
Block parties seemed in progress
everywhere. Each of the nationalities
whose little villages comprise the vast
lower east side had one.
The Ghetto had its celebration; SO
Chelsea. and Gil eenwich Village, and
Old Madrid and the Bowery.
Shrines that seemed to have been
lifted from cross-road places of wor-
ship in the old countries appeared as
though by magic on congested cor
ba 20 a2rh
its replica of the Christ and the cru
cifxion banked with flowers and
diffusing a bright radiance from many
candles.
that fully 1000. .O00 persons had left
the city on it's lines during the non-
days. 1t took 669 trains. of Soil cars,
to handle Saturdays outbound travel
alone. Fully another million passed
through the Pennsylvania terminal
TO trains of that line and the Long
Island railroad to spend the hoiidaSs
with the home folks.
Postmaster Morgan said this years
Christmas mail was fully ten per
cent greater than last year s. ne Also
said a goodly number of money or
ders We're in Santa's list, declaring
that fully s1.000,000 in outgoing mon
ey orders had been purchased III the
last four days.
The old saints local aids started
gift distribution yesterday. In char
ity, millions Of dollars were spent
and thousands played Santa to the
poor, directly and indirectly. Mis-
sions, churches, hotels. clubs, theaters
and countless individuals co-operated.
But one note of sorrow crept in
This was the plea of the American
committee for relief of German chill
dren that Americans forget whatever
prejudiceS the name German may
arouse and provide for millions Of
underfed little ones.
Ellis Island celebrates.
In all languages, by those of most
creeds and colors of the earth. the
advent of Christmas was celebrated
in the huge registry hall of the i'm
migration station at Ellis Island.
OF the motley crowd of 500, half
were clinging to the hope that the
doors of the United States had not
been closed irrevocably against them.
They sat and listened with their more
fortunate companions to the carols of
church singers and eagerly stepped in
line to take a gift from Santa Claus,
who had something for all. The carols
were sung in many languages.
Carols Are Sung.
The carolers and Santa also visite I'd
400 other aliens lying abed in the
Curran, immigration commissioner.
many more would have spent Christ
mas at the island. Ten ships ar
rived yesterday, bringing 1924 i'm
migrants, but only 200 were detained