The Nome nugget., 1934-02-10
CHRISTMAS ENJOYED ''.s3 BY PIONEERS AT sITKA
Sitka, Alaska January 1884

January 12, 1884 Nome Nugget,
 Nome, Alaska.
 Gentlemen:
 enclose herewith an account of tfe contributions received from various sources for the Pioneers Home Christmas, list of Pio- neers in the home and deaths dur ing 1883, and a report of our Christmas activities. Will you please print it, or so much there of as you may think will interest your readers. A little publicity will help to continue the meritor- ious work of making Christmas for the Pioneers next year.
 Very truly yours,
 Filler Hansen
 Superint endant
 Christmas for the Pioneers is what their friends make it. The men in the Home are past the age of product.o on, of earning and of creating, but even as they gave in the years when they were able, so are they now entitled to receive when age and infimity has left them dependent upon the kindness of others for the joys that may come into their lives.
 Christmas at the Pioneers Home started with the arrival of the s. s. Alaska, when Santa Claus and his retinue of musicians establish ed themselves in the dining room on the evening of the twenty sec ond. While the men ate the or- ehestra played carols, and after dinner they swung into old roll ick.ng dance hall tunes that brot back memories of years gone by. When the soloist sang Holy Night a weather beaten Viking expressed the sentiment of the Pioneers by rising and shading his tear dimme eyes with a trembling hand as if he was trying to look back into the past and recall something that had long been forgotten. San la Claus presented the Pioneers with treasure chest which was officially opened Christmas morn ing and, found to contain all the devices for gambling except mon ey.
 The next days were spent in decorating trees for the hospital, the cripples ward and the main re- creation room. Wreaths were hung in the windows; the dining room was trimmed with cedar wh h'ch was festooned with icicles, and when all was ready everyone assumed that mysterious expression that comes from thinking pleasant thoughts.
 Christmas morning each Pioneer received a gift box and a cigar which kept then in good humor until d'nner time when they were served with realbanquet of tur- key, cranberries, mince pie and other delicacies. For the first time in the history-of the Home each man was served with bot tie of beer which Al Lomen had to sell couple of reindeer to pay f r.H he could have seen how much they enjoyed it he would probably have sold half the Lo- men herd. In the hospital the nurses had table set with spec ial favors and full course din- ner. and ten sick men managed to get well enough to dine in the style of normal human beings. At- ter dinner cigars were passed again and the official Christmas Fund distribution was made. It amount ed then to $6,25 for each man. Later on in the week more dona- tions came in and it was possible to give each one of the 127 men in the Home another dollar. The Pioneers had wonderful Christ mas, and more to them than that which they received was the thought that their friends had not forgotten them.
 The gift of small amount of cash to each Pioneer means more than most people think. To many of the men it is all the money they will have through the entire