Evening star., 1949-11-23
RushUnderWa
AsCityPrepares
ForThanksgiiviing
Thousands Leaving;
Businesses to Be
Closed Tomorrow

businesses to be
Closed Tomorrow
Visions of turkey and pumpkin
pie added zest to last-minute plans
today for a full favored Thanks
giving tomorrow.
Thousands Of housewives made
1ast-minute food purchases, and
thousands Of travellers did their
last-minute packing.
BY nightfall, the rush will be
on-for the housewife, over the
kitchen range; for the traveller.
on train, plane, and In bus and
car.
Several thousand Government
employees have executed minor
coup with the boss. They have
arranged for Friday off on annual
leave, and thereby set themselves
up a fancy four-day holiday.
These were in the forefront of
the travellers for whom at least 18
extra sections and many addi-
tional coaches were arranged at
Union Station. The rush was
keyed to start at pm. and surge
on past midnight.
All airlines and bus companies
anticipated heavy travel. The
American Automobile Association
reported travel prospects Of 22R
per cent above normal, with a sur
prisingly early rush for Florida
and California, the latter via the
Gulf States.
After tonight there will be a
1ull, punctuated by sumptuous
meals and Thanksgiving in the
churches. Saturday there will be
another travel rush, this time with
the Army Navy game in Philadel-
phia as the goal. and some 20 ex-
ira trains hauling fans from
Washington.
AAA officials reported Philadel-
phia hotels and motor courts sold
out solidly for the week end foot
ball doubleheader of Penn Cornell
tomorrow and Army-Navy on Sat-
urday.
All Government Offices. depart
ment stores and most other Offices
and shops will close tomorrow.
The Central Library and branches
also will close. Prince Georges
County schools jumped the gun.
on all others and were out today.
All others will be closed tomorrow
and Friday.
Ample Supply of Turkeys.
An ample supply of turkeys as
sured one for every request, said
Francis I. Brooke, chairman of the
poultry division of the Merchants
and Manufacturers Association.
The quality is fine, the price is 10
or 15scents a pound below that of
last Christmas, be said. ---..-.
The only possible shortage is in
the lighter birds. AS usual, the
heavier ones are in good supply
for those who like turkey in con-
tinuous rations.
Among today's observances was
one at noon in the Pentagon
concourse, sponsored by the Mill
tary District of Washington. A
section of the Marine Corps Band
and chaplains of the Armed Forces
participated.
Adding Colonial touch was the
Third "Old Guard" Infantry
Regiment from Fort Meyer, at
tired in Revolutionary War cos
tunes.
Another event today was the
get-together of the Washington
Rotary and Kiwanis Clubs, sched-
uled for the Mayhower Hotel at
noon.
Dances Scheduled. e.
A dance will be held in the
Jewish Community Center's Caf-
ritz Auditorium, Sixteenth and @
streets NV, at 9 O. clock tonight,
with the public invited. The GEN.
ter will be closed tomorrow.
Military policemen of Fort
Belvoir's Provost Company will
entertain As children from the
Industrial School Annex and Is
from st. JOsephS Home and
School tomorrow.
Picked up in buses, the child
rem will be shown through the
barracks, visit the floating bridge
and other installations and have
turkey dinner with the soldiers
and their families. On his de-
parture, each guest will be given
a cowboy wallet and ball point
pen.
Several dances are scheduled
Saturday, including a formal at
the Nom Commissioned Officers
Club at Walter Reed Hospitals
Forest Glen Annex, from $3.50 to
midnight.
The Nebraska State Society will
have a Thanksgiving dance from
40 p. m. to 1 am. in the Wardman
Park Hotel, and the North Caro-
lima Society will dance during
the same hours in the Shoreham
Hotel. ..'-
Mechanic Gets 18 Months