The Pleasantville press. (Pleasantville, N.J.) 1912-1929, 1927-12-23
City Prepares
Self Eagerly
For Christmas
Many Preparations Being
Made BY Welfare Bureau
For Needy

Pleasantville is feverishly pre-
pairing itself for Christmas. Last
minute shopping crowds throng the
sidewalks, the postoffice is hum
ming hive of business, and, behind
the scenes, preparations are being
made to bring Christmas cheer to
a record list of needy families.
Despite the fact that dull bust
nesssand employment conditions
have marked the past few months,
people of Pleasantville seem con-
WINGED that there will be Santa
Claus this year" And indications
point to one of the cheeriest
Christmas Days on record.
Churches are planning and ar
ranging for impressive services and
musical programs. Cantatas will be
rendered by choirs and musicians
at several churches and pageant
at others. Sunday schools will have
Christmas entertainments, and
special services will mark the pro-
grams of every church along the
Mainland
The children of the public schools
in the city will leave their books
this afternoon for the annual
Christmas recess, which will end
on January 8. Special exercises by
each classroom in the schools
have been arranged for this after
noon.
Cheer For Needy.
At least sixth families in this
city will receive baskets OF food
AID presents on Christmas morn
ing. Through the institution of the
Welfare Bureau as a clearing
house for all the .fraternal anc
charitable organizations, the work
of distributing Christmas cheer to
the needy will be efficiently
handled this year.
The Welfare Bureau in former
years handled its own list of needy,
aud other chufch and social organi-
cations distributed their presents
independently. The resultant dupli-
cation led to the establishment OF
the bureau as central clearing
house.
The office of the bureau on East
Washington avenue today was a
scene of busting activity. Canned
goods, preserves, fresh fruit, and
food of every description covered
owl of q
bureau were occupied with prepar-
ing baskets which will be dis
tributed Christmas Eve or morn
ing.
School Children Help.
According to the officials of the
bureau, at least fifty families win
be helped through the distributing
agency of the bureau, while the
Red Ladies and certain individuals
will probably account for twenty
more families The total applying
for aid, it is said, is almost twice
that of Tast year.
A large proportion of the food
and money received by the bureau
this Christmas came from the
children of the Mt. Pleasant M. P.
church and School No. 4. Both
gave food, and the school children
contributed $25. while the church
kiddies collected more than S..
Both the food and the money
were obtained by the children
through house-to-house canvassing, !
and the bureau extends much of
the credit for the success of the !
work this year to the children.
Signs of Christmas.
The cackling of geese and
chickens in the markets, the SYM
metrical stacks of cedars and frs
which may be seen at any corner.
and the decoration and decorated
trees visible everywhere have all
added to the general setting of on
coming Christmas here.
Business houses have placed
lighted trees in their show win
dows, and a large number OF In
tiividuals are following the custom
of recent years in this city by plac-
ing their trees on the lawns before
the house.
The two county institutions at
Mortified. have placed decorated |
trees before their buildings, and
it is expected that Pleasantville's
community Christmas tree will
be erected and trimmed today !
some time, by members of the
American Legion Post here, who
have taken it upon themselves to
do this. The tree will be placed in
city hall square.