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Grand Rapids Children Have Biggest Time Of Their Lives At Elks’ExpenseThe Elks bifl Christmas tree lor the | Mil door celebration like the one children of Grand Rapids was a biff.-W'cd hist night.en-success. If the children of this city ever lt;*njcyi-il ‘lioinsoivos they did last evening at the expense of the loral bulge of Elks.In spite of the below zero weather it is es lima toil that about o.QOO people were in attendance at the first community Christmas tree ever held in Grand Rapids. Long before the appointed time, there was u stream fVmn every section or Uie city winding iheir way to the library corner where the big tree had been placed.It is said that it was one of the largest gatherings ever assembled in Grand Rapids, made up entirely of home pople. At the conmienrr-ment of the exercises at 7 o’clock, the streets about the library were a seething mass of humanity.Grand Rapids rose splendidly to the occasion and the Elks who were instrumental iti carrying out the plan fo- the Festivities feel highly pleasedwith the success of the lirsl attempt and it is propose to ivo.ke the affair a' annual event. The general public; Id.ewi.-e appears to be pleased will* the result of the initial effort and already plans arc bring outlined for 'lie affair m xi year. It has been suggi-st-elt;l that a big tree bo planted in some lt;esitr.il part of the city to he used for this purpose.The tree will bo lighted every evening untii after New Years.The wiring o- the tree and the e!ec I vie current were given free by ihe Electric company.Port Ed cards Community Tree Those who had the pleasure of at tending the “Community free” given at Poit Edwards Christmas Eve were cerlainly well impressed, not only by the bauty of the trie, but also by the general feeling of fellowship, goodwill and enthusiasm exhibited by the people uf the village, who turned out it. masses to partake in the festivities. A, seven o'clock the children gathered the chapel and sung a number of enrols and listened to the Christmas story told in a most engaging manner ly Mr. L. M. Alexander, They thenfollowed the bard to 1ho wonderful I n r which had been set up in the center of the park in front of the Xe-kocsu-Kdwnrds Co. office. It was Hid\a beauty :n every sense of the woreAn unusually large, symmrhirai tree. t 31 of foliage was lit by myrinds of colored electric lights mui bedecked with gay colored streamers and tinsel ropes which floated to and fro will’, ivery-motion nf the capricious wind There it stood, a mute testimony to at* ailislic abilitv of those who doj’ii big tree presented a beautiful (co''.tclt;i it! A general exelmr.mation spo.inule anil those who had charge of. of admiration and astonishment burstiVi-m the happy crowdsthe decorating of the same arc to be congratulated upon their good work. At promptly seven ovloek the electric cut rent was turned on anil thousands gazed at the dazzling .right in almost bewilderment and appreciation was voiced b young and old.The program as advertised’ was carried out except Ibc. singing of carols. This part of the program whs dispensed with on accuuut of it being so cold. The big tree was presented t;. the children of this city by C. A. Nonnington, exalted ruler of the local lodge of K:ks and who also invited the big crowd to attend the Daly's theater rhat evening at the expense of the Elks. This invitation was greeted with cheers and immediately after the distribution of the cracker-jae.k and horns everybody formed in line and the march to the theater was commenced.There was two thousand boxes of cracker jack and the same number of horns ffiven out. At unc end of the market squure was a monster bon-rtre around v/hich the crowd murehed.Daly’s opera house was packed to the doors and nearly everyone had a horn and the racket made was fearful. I*, was one of those great big crowds hent. an amusing themselves and that they all had a good time was evident bv the happy faces and the jests and greetings that were passed around the bouse. The seven reel feature, Dick-en's masterpiece, “David Coppcrficld” was shown and everybody apparently liked it.Every child in the city is today extending their thanks to the local lodge of Elks for the Christmas tree and this order has made a friend of every one in the city by giving them anwhen they cami* in sight of the tree. Paths had been shoveled out in different dp'ce-linns loading from the tree and at the end of each huge beacon fives wove luring which servcu to materially raise the temperature of lt;.nnpp\ Christmas air and at the same time furnish light to the fairy scene. The childrens' voices rang out dear and l i-e u.‘! they sang the sweet carols so dear and familiar to all and it requir. id but little imagination to be carried back in fancy to the memorable time, “When Shepherds Watched Their Flocks by .Night all Seated On The Ground. A very cleverly gotten up Santa Glaus then distributed enieko-jack among the boys and girls. A number of booths decorated with green served as stations for the distribution of apples and pup-corn balls. Nothing was.spared for the pleasure of the children and prodigality was the key-note of the evening. The whole company were afterwards served with coffee, cake and doughnut* in the dining room of the hotel which v’us hung about with Christmas greens and lighted only by the traditional Yuletide candles. Music wn» furnished by the band. The affair was aider the auspices of the Woman's Club of Port Edwards assisted by the Nekoosa-Edwards Co., and both organizations are to be congratulated upon the finished manner in whicft every detail of the evening was carried out.Efficiency must have been the slogan of each committee. The tree will be lighted every evening until after New Years’ Day and serve as a splendid reminder of the wonderful Christ-mas Eve of 1014.1n:P:Plastr:fc
Newspaper Details
Daily Leader
Grand Rapids, Wisconsin, US
Sat, Dec 26, 1914
Page 3
Full Page
Clipped by
Badgerlink
WI, USA 13 Dec 2016
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