The Daily Alaska empire. [volume] (Juneau, Alaska) 1926-1964, 1934-01-17
PIONEER HOME
INMATES FNJOY
YULE DINNER
Territorial Wards Receive
$7.25 in Cash from
Fund as Present
BY EILER HANSEN

frlendS make IL. Inc men IN The
Home are past the age of produc-
ton, 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 infirmity has left them de-
pendent upon the kindness of 9TH
ers for the joys that may come
into their lives.
Christmas at the Pioneers Homs
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
chestra played carols, and after
dinner they swung into old rollick-
ing dance hall tunes that brought
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-dim-
med eyes with. trembling hand
as if he was trying to look back
in the past and recall something
that had long been forgotten. San
!. ia Claus presented the Pioneers
with a treasure chest which was
officially opened Christmas morn
ing and found to contain all the
devices for gambling except money
Trees Are Decorated
The next days were spent in dec
Grating trees for the hospital, the
cripple's ward and the main recre-
alton room. Wreaths were hung in
the windows; the dining room was
trimmed with cedar which was
festooned with icicles, and when
all was ready everyone assumed
that mysterious expression that
comes from tn king pleasant
thoughts.
Christmas morning each Pioneer
received a gift box and cigar
which kept him in good humor un-
til dinner time when they were
served with a real banquet of tur-
key, cranberries, mince pie and 9TH
err de1icacies. For the first time in
the history of the Home each
man was served with a bottle of
beer which AL Lomen had to sell q
couple of reindeer to pay for. II
he could have seen how much they
enjoyed it he would probably have
sold half the Lomen herd. In the
hospital the nurses had table
set with special favors and full
course dinner, and ten sick men
managed to get well enough to
dine in style of normal human be-
ings. After dinner cigars were
passed again and the official
Christmas Fund distribution was
made. 1T amounted then to $6.25
for each man. Later on in the week
more donations came in and 1t
was possible to give each one OF
the 1877 men in the Home another
dollar. The Pioneers had won
derful Christmas, and more to them
than that which they received was
the thought that their friends had
not forgotten them.
Cash Is Welcome
The gift of a 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
year. Each one of them has some
thing special he had been looking
forward to that he can purchase
with this money. 1t may be some
particular medicine that he thinks
is a sure cure for his ailmert, a
watch that must be repaired, a
brand OF tobacco not dispensed by
the superintendent, a book, on
some favorite fresh fruit, To those
who have something $7.25 repre-
sents very little. To most OF the
Pioneers that sum is all the capital
they have to draw ON for whole
year. 1t is true that the Pioneers
are supplied with the necessities OF
life by the Home, but who would
not enjoy sharing the pleasure OF
providing them with a few dollars
to spend during the year for the
simple Injuries that mean so much
to them.
The Pioneers are sincerely CRATE
full to everyone that helped to make
their Christmas so pleasant.
Accounting
Acc cunts ng for the Pioneers
Home Christmas Contributions Re-
ceived from Collections OF W. D.
Gross: Juneau, $35875; Ketchikan,
$500; petersburg, s76.50; Sitka,
$500; wra n ell, $500; Total,
S615.25.
Additional contributions were:
The Alaska Weekly, $4,000 Nome
1gloo No. 1, $25; Craig fgloo No.
80. $50; Anchorage Igloo Auxiliary,
$25: Anchorage Igloo No. Is, s25;
Fairbanks Igloo No. 4, $25; Sitka
Benefit Dance, $32; Sam Shucklin,
IS, making grand total OF $938.25.
OF this sum $725 was given each
of 127 Pioneers, leaving a balance
of $3.50 which will be used for
magazine subscriptions or held
over and added to the Christmas
fund for next year.
other donations were as follows: