1
Section One
Pages! to 12
68 Pages
Eight Sections
T
VOL. XLI NO. 52
Entered at Portland f Oregon
Pontof fl-p a Second-elac Matter.
PORTLAND, OREGON. SUNDAY MORNING, DECEMBER 24, 1923
PRICE FIVE CENTS
SUSPECT JAILED
'2500 BOYS AND GIRLS
! COMPETE IN ESSAYS
MfiSliKHT jTLTi
POLICE CARRY CHEER
TO POOR FAMILIES
PEASANTS MYSTIFIED IPITY'C
DV I IPUT IM UCAXCMC III I I U
III SKILLET?-
FIRST PRIZE GIVEN TO CLE
ELCM GIRL, AGED S
HREE. CHRISTMAS TREE
CHRISTMAS GIFTS TAKEN OUT
IN PATROL AUTO.
PHENOMENON BELIEVED NEW
CELEBRATIONS HELD.
STAR OF BETHLEHEM.
POLICE BAFFLED;
WE1RCASEP0SER
Murder Mystery Is Put
Up to Courts.
CHRISMS
F0R1B1RQER
R ECO R D
BREAKER
V-
More Masked Raiders'!
Arrests Expected.
PRISON GUARDED BY TROOPS
Machine Guns Set Up to
Protect Bastile.
RESCUE TRY IS FEARED
Examination Made of Bodies of
Two Victims, but Findings
Are Not Made Known.
THE DAY'S DEVELOPMENTS
IV MOREHOISE KID
CASE. Fear of an outbreak among
residents oC Mer Rouge caused
Governor Parker to rescind
previous orders for state
troops to move to Bastrop.
First arrest on murder
charge . in connection with
kidnaping case was made
when ex-deputy sheriff is
jailed.
Attorney -General Coco
promises other arrests will
follow.
Open hearings set for Jan
uary 5 at 13i strop.
.Two companies of state na
tional guard reach Bastrop
and establish camp on court
house and jail grounds.
Machine guns planted on
Bastrop jail.
Bodies of. two men turned
over to relatives. -Officials
satisfied M'ith identification
of bodies as missing men.
Pathologists announced
bodies indicated men had been
beaten and bones broken be
fore they died.
Ill-feeling, reported preva
lent in Mer liouge. ' ,
(By ChirRBO Tribune Leased Wire.) '
MER ROUGE, La., Dec. 23. The
first arrest in' connection with the
deaths of Watt Daniels and T. F.
Richards, who were killed on the
night of August 24. by a masked
mob, was made today when T. J.
(Jeff) Burnett, employe of a car
bon plant at Spyker, two miles
south of Bastop, was taken into cus
today by Sheriff Carpenter on a
warrant charging murder and
signed by Attorney-General Coco.
She attorney-general, with T. S.
Walmsley, assistant attorney-general,
reached Bastop today on the
same train with two additional com
panies of the 156th infantry, under;
the command of Colonel Louis F.
Guerre of New Orleans.
The Bastop jail where Burnett
was confined was under the guard
of the troops, one company of which
was equipped with machine guns.
As further arrests are made in the
case the military guard will be In
creased to prevent any possible at
tempt at rescue from any source.
Victims' Bodies Examined.
Examination of the bodies of
Daniels and Richards to determine
the causes of their deaths was inada
by Dr. Charles W. Duval and Dr.
ti. M. Hanford of New Orleans, and
Was completed at 3 P. M. They de
elined to make any statement as to
their findings.
Attorney-General Coco refused to
make any statement on the result
of the examinations of the bodies
other than that the cause of death
was ascertained and that the identi
fication was complete and unques
tioned. "Their deaths were horrifying in
their details,". high official said
today. Further than that he would
not be quoted, saying the evidence
will be developed in court at the
proper time. ,
Public Hearing Ordered.
On a petition signed by Attorney
General Coco, Assistant Attorney
Generals Guion and Walmsley, Dis
trict Attorney Garrett and St. Claire
.Aaams, special attorney for the
prosecution, Judge Odom of the sixth
Judicial court ordered a public hear
ing into the case January 5, 1923.
This will be at the Bastrop court
house under the protection of the
state militia.
The clerk of court, J. T. Dalton
Jr., was ordered by the court from
time to time to summon such wit
nesses as the state may require and
to issue subpenas In blank form
where desired.
Bodies of Daniels and Richards
were turned over to members of
their families today at the direction
of Attorney-Genera! Coco, following
the completion of the autopsy. Fu
neral services of the two men will
be held at the same time tomorrow
afternoon with interment in the Mer
Rouge cemetery, where two graves
side by side have been dug. Across
the large plate-glass window in -the
improvised morgue was stretched a
big United States flag.
Bodies Wrapped In Flag.
. When the bodies were placed in
the caskets, each of the boxes was
wrapped with a flag. A detail of
G company, 156th infantry, on de
tail here, will attend the funeral
Work of Mary Zeek Is Picked
, as Best Submitted From
' Washington District.
THE OREGONIAN NEWS BUREAU,
Washington, D. C, Dec. 23.
Twenty-five hundred girls and boys
in the fourth congressional district
of Washington competed In an essay
contest conducted Dy Representa
tive John W. Summers, which has
been closed witn the announcement
of the three winners and the award
of prizes. "Why every boy and girl
should grow a garden" was the
theme on which the competing
essays were written and the first,
second and third prizes $6, $3 and
$2 were awarded in the order men
tioned to Mary Zeek, 8, Cle Eium;
Myrta Kielsmeler, 14, Sunnyside,
and Russell Faulkner, 12, BIckleton.
Besides giving prizes to the three
leaders in the contest, the judges,
called In by Representative Sum
mers, held that40 additional con
testants who failed to win cash
prizes were entitled to honorable
mention as follows: s
Marie Under, Prosser; Golds Scott.
Selah; Irene Cherry, wallula; Opal Hull,
Pomeroy; Lossle B. Brown, Sunnyide:
Doris Crawford, Kennewick; Ruth Lowe,
Selah; Elinor Driscoll, Yakima; Lillian
Lowden, Walla Walla; Helen Owen.
Nat-hen; Marian Fisher. Walla Walla;
Dorothy Lee Pullen, Walla Walla; D.
Phyllis Schnebly. Ellensburg; Clifford
Wright, Walla Walla; Morton Tompkins,
Walla Walla; Dorothy Atwood, Prosser;
Cfccil Holt, Sunnyside; Dorothy Mohr,
Colfax; Dorothy Llzee, Yaktma; Kath
eryn Harmon, Wallula; Bonnie Brown,
Kennewick; Lester Knops, Yakima; Edna
Brow-ell, Colfax; Blanche Petrak, Qulucy;
Luda. Yaeirer. Wilson creek; Ella Lette
cer, AtUlla; Blanche Hale, Toppenlsh;
Nona Creamer, Yakima; Leonard
Thomas, Sunnyside; Paul Yeager, Wilson
Creek; Maurice E. Powers, Sunnyside;
Frances. Kagle, Sunnyside; Doris Jacoby,
Prosser; Ella Miller, Pomeroy; Laura
Matheson, Sunnyside; Lois Arnold,
Naches; Vera Lambert, Cle Elum;
Thomas Anderson, Sllensburg-; Sarah
Steltzer, Llndy; Alfreda Crumpacker.
Pomeroy.'
The contest was open to all of the
school children, of the fourth district
which embraces 12 counties in
southeastern Washington. Every
child entered in the contest will
receive from . Representative Sum
mers a packet of upsorted garden
seeds for next year's planting. -
FRED S. MORRIS IS ILL
Chances for Recovery of ..Bond
. Dealer Held Slight.
Fred S. Morris, Portland financier
and ex-member of the firm of Morris
Brothers, Inc., bond dealers, is crit
ically ill at the Good Samaritan hos
pital, following an operation for
appendicitis, performed Friday af
terpoon. His chances for recovery
were not good. '
Mr. Morris has been actively iden
tified with financial affairs in this
city for 30 years. He was one of
the founders of the firm which still
bears his name and was one of the
city's first large dealers in bonds
and securities.
EX-DRY AGENT PAROLED
Democratic Leader of Winconsin
in rrlson Gets Clemency.
MADISON, Wis., Dec. 23. Joseph
O'Neill, ex-federal prohibition di
rector of Wisconsin and democratic
leader of the state, sentenced to
prison for violation of the Volstead
act, has been granted a parole by
the state board of control, subject
to approval by the governor and At
torney-General Daugherty.
The board made its action known
today.
ENVOY HARVEY EN ROUTE
Ambassador Leaves Southampton
for Washington Conference.
SOUTHAMPTON," Dec. 23. George
Harvey, the American ambassador,
summoned to Washington for con
sultation with Secretary of State
Hughes, was a passenger on the
steamship Berengarla,
The liner departed for New York
today.
Movie . Chieknoved
by Public'sVrotest.
MESSAGE SENT PREACHERS
Intent to Reinstate Actor Is
Denied Flatly.
CHANCE GIVEN OFFENDER
Position Taken That If "Fatty"
Can Make Good, Film Czar
Will Not Interfere.
LOS ANGELES, Cal., Dec 23.
Flat refusal to reconsider his de
cision granting Roscoe Arbuckle a
chance to return. to the films was
contained in a message today from
Will H. Hays, chief of the moving
picture industry, to the session of
the Westlake Presbyterian church
and various Los Angeles pastors
who have protested against any
further screening of Arbuckle com
edies. .
Mr. Hays' message to the church
men, which closes with "kindest
personal regards and best wishes for
a happy Christmas for you all," was
as follows: '
"Everything which I said last
Sunday night is reiterated and em
phasized. At that time I declared,
and do now assert and have always
and shall always insist: 'Any evil
which is in motion pictures can be
removed, and all the good retained,
at the place where the pictures are
made, at the time they are made, by
the men who make them, and no
alibi is possible."
Pnrponen Are Stated.
"The purposes of our association
are: "Establishing and maintaining
the highest possible artistic and
moral standards of motion picture
production, and developing the edu
cational as well as the entertain
ment value and the general useful
ness of motion- pictures."
"About nine months ago I sug
gested to those who owned the
Arbuckle pictures that they do not
release them, but rather that they
should give such consideratlon-to the
matter as the. conditions warranted.
This they did and it resulted both
in the holding up of the pictures al
ready made and the elimination of
Arbuckle from work in his profes
sion. "I -was sure then that the sug
gestion I made to them was right
and that their action was right, and
the only doubt otherwise at that
time was whether or not we might
be doing an injusice to the Individ
ual Arbuckle. I was sure, however,
that we were not, and that the
action was best for the whole situ
ation for him.
Arburkle'n Conduct Good,.
"This has proved correct and from
all sources has come the word that
his conduct in the last nine months
has evidenced an honest and suc
cessful effort to do right. This fact
was one of the elements, of course,
in causing me to make the state
ment I did, of which I again ask
your careful consideration:
" 'Every man in the right way
and at the proper time is entitled
to his chance to make good. , It is
apparent that Roscoe Arbuckle's
conduct since his trouble merits that
chance. So far as I am concerned
there will be ''no suggestion now
that he should not have his oppor
tunity to go to work in his profes
sion. In our effort to develop a
complete co-operation and con
fidence within the industry, I hope J
we can start the new year with no
yesterday. "Live and let live" is
not enough; we will try to live and
help live."
"This is no reinstatement of Ar
buckle nor any attempt to reinstate
(Cftncludcd on Page 3. Column 3.)
Girts Are Distributed by Elks,
Who Are Assisted in Work by
State Organization.
ASTORIA, Or.. Dec. 23. (Special.)
Despite the fact that practically
every store and. shop in Astoria at
which Santa Claus had been accus
tomed to make his headquarters and
its stock of toys and" goodies were
burned during the recent conflagra
tion, the Astoria children- were not
forgotten by their patron saint. His
visit was made possible by Astoria
lodge of Elks and the state associa
tion of that organization, which to
night were the hosts, to 3000 young
sters, ranging from the little tod
dlers to children 12 years of age.
Three handsomely decorated and
lighted Christmas trees, heavily
laden with gifts, were erected in
various parts of the city, one at Co
lumbia club hall, one at the high
school auditorium and one at
Soumi hall and Santa Claus was
present at each. The baskets con
taining the Christmas gifts were
prepared by the members of the
women's auxiliary of the Portland
Elks lodge and arrived here in spe
cial car at noon, the railroad com
pany transporting the presents free.
A delegation of visiting Elks
headed by W. F. McKenney,- and
Monroe Goldstein, president and
secretary, respectively, of the state
association assisted the local Elks
in the entertainments. One of the
features of the programme was the
music by the Portland Elks band
of 35 pieces.
CLOUDY WEEK FORECAST
Occasional Rains Are Predicted
for Pacific Northwest.
WASHINGTON, D. C., Dec. 23.
Weather outlook for the week be
ginning Monday follows:
Pacific states Generally fair in
southern California, considerable
cloudiness and occasional rains else
where; normal temperature.
INDEX OF TODAY'S NEWS
Ttie Weather.
TESTER DAT'S Maximum temperature,
60 degrees; minimum, 43 degrees.
TODAY'S Rain; southerly winds.
Departments,
Editorial. Section 3, page 4.
DramwJrC. Sectionu 4, page 8.
Moving picture news. Section 4, pag 1
Real estate and build in y news. Section
4, page 8.
Churches. . Section 5. page 2.
Books. Section 6 page 3.
Schools. Section 5. page 6.
Automobiles. Section 6.
Music. St ction 4, page 5. .- ,
Radio. - Section 5, paga 7.
Garden. : Section 3, page 15.
Citizen Veteran. Section 3, page 10.
' Women's Features,
Society. Section 3, page 1.
Women's activities. Section 3. page 7.
Fashions. Section 6. page 4.
Miss Tingle's column. Section 5, page 5.
Madam Rlchet's column. Section 5, page 5.
Special Features.
Grand opera is Wall street's hurdy gurdy.
Magazine section, page 1.
Shall children be spanked, or their par
ents? Magazine section, page 2.
Juice of jungle vine cures fear. Maga
zine section, page 3.
News of world as seen by camera. Maga
zine section, page 4.
Hill's cartoons, "Among Us Mortals.
. Magazine section, page S.
What makes a beautiful girl? Magazine
section, page 6.
"Scarab's Luck" fiction feature. Maga
zine section, page 7.
The Luckiest Woman. Magazine sec-
tloi , page 8.
Title contest. Section 3, page 8,
Gossip of world capitals. Section 3,
pao 8. . f
Christmas poem and art color page. Sec
tion 5. page 1.
Coriter.ary of famous Christmas poem.
Section S, page 5.
White House to observe Christmas. Sec
tion 5, page 5.
Frances Falrchtld is famous beauty. Sec
tion 5, page 4.
Prominent women. Section 5, page 8.
Foreljrn.
Pope is worried by world's troubles. Sec
tion 1. page 2. 1
Mysterious light in heavens astound
French peasants. ' Section 1, page 1.
New defy hurled by Turkish envoy. Sec
tion 1, page 5.
National.
2500 boys and girls compete in essays.
Section 1, page 1. .
Chairman of rules committee orders r-
. rest of any person soliciting orders for
liquor in senate wing of Capitol. Sec
tion 1. page 8.
Industry organizes for war labors. Sec
tion 1, page 5. '
: Domestic.
Rich and poor of Gotham seized1 by
Christmas spirit.- Section 1, page 3.
Daring robberies staged- in Minneapolis.
Section 1. page 2.
THANK GOODNESS, WE CAN FORGET OUR TROUBLES
"Black Maria," Usually Consid
ered Stern Aid to Hand of
Law, Turned to Charity.
Into cheerful service for once in
a twelve-month, the city's grim
"Black Maria" was pressed yester
day and bluecoats whose supposed
aim in life has been to enforce law
an order, which is a cool product
of the social brain, turned to a more
human and heartborn task.
Seventy families m direst need,
whom the world had somehow for
gotten in the distribution of awards,
are t be fed and generously fed as
the direct result of weeks of labor
on the part of the individual mem
bers of the police bureau.
All day yesterday at Second and
Oak under the direction of Captain
Circle attaches of the bureau, men
and v omen, worked putting up
boxes and sacks with real food,
chickens, roasts of beef, cabbages,
applea, potatoes, sasks of flour and
many other staples.
Portland merchants have contrib
uted much of the food used. The
rest has come from contributions
taken up among the officers, who
have seen at first band the destitu
tion that exists in many corners.
The list passed through the central
clearing house established by the
public welfare bureau to prevent
duplication.
Visitors at the station yesterday
were impressed( by the size of the
donations. The municipal court
room and all its anterooms were
packed with materials.
HUSBAND SLAIN IN DUEL
Woman Goes to Jail; Children
Face Tragic Christmas.
CHICAGO,' Dec. 23. Husband and
wife fought a revolver duel at their
home today.
Mrs. Mary Fillinow went to jail
for killing Peter Fillinow, 29, and
two children face a tragic Christ
mas. .
Domestic,
Suspect is jailed for mob murders. Sec'
tion 1. page 1.
Hays reiterates stand regarding Ar
buckle. Section 1, page 1.
Pacific Northwest.
Astoria children visited by, Santa. Sec
tion 1, page, 1.
Life-term slayer, 73, pardoned. Section
i page 7.
Seattle street-car fare reduction brings
about another financial crisis. Sec
tion 1, patre 7.
Governor-elect Moore of Idaho disap
proves proposed inaugural ball. Sec
tion I, page 9.
Sports.
West Virginia line troubles Gonzaga.
Section 2, page 1.
Corvallls eleven has hard workout. Sea-
tion A page 1.
West Virginia Mountaineers expect hard
game with Gonzaga. Section 2, page 2.
speed ball is game everyone cau play,
Section 2, page 2.
E-raft Is declared not so very dead. Sec
tion 2, page 2.
Multnomah club loses swimming stars.
Ejection z. page 8.
Tunney is booked to battle Foley. Section
, page a.
America ranks high In International
sports. Section 2, page 4.
Glenn Warner, veteran coach of Pitts
burg eleven, coming to coast with re
markable record. Section 2, page 4.
Commercial and Marine.
Business optimistic over week's Improve
ments. section 2, page 13.
Trading on New York market suspended
for Christmas holidays. Section 2,
page 13.
Wheat prices rally strongly. Section 2,
page 12.
Portland-owned schooner will carry
lumber to South America. Section 1,
page 11.
Portland and Vicinity.
Police carry cheer to poor families. Sec
tion 1, page 1.
Portland veritable beehive of pre-hollday
activity. Section 1, page 1.
Police Investigators, baffled, pass Weir
murder mystery up to courts. Sec
tion 1, page 1.
New rates to cut railway revenues. Sec
tion 1, page 7.
Lawmakers face clash on taxes. Section
1, page 8.
Fund marks new era for Willamette uni
versity. Section 1, page 0.
Politicians are worried over Pierce-Hall
conference. Section 1, page 10.
Lightner sentenced to 18 months. Sec
tion 1, page 10.
Portland board's power to Inspect pri
vate schools held lacking. Section 1,
page 10.
Reed college to have modern laboratory
of advanced chemistry. Section 1,
page 12.
Ten night schools to reopen January 2.
Section 1, page 12.
Portland's supremacy as wool market
now threatened. Section 2, page 12.
Blind Slough drainage district now rich
and thriving. Section 2, page 12.
FORMAL CHARGES ARE FILED
Leary Story Believed, but
Evidence Lacking.
TESTIMONY IS MODIFIED
Woman Who Said She Witnessed
Attack on Girl In Boathouse
Changes Story Slightly.
Formal charges were filed by the
police late yesterday afternoon, ac
cusing Cash Weir aged riverman
of the murder of an unknown 15-
year-old girl in his scow at the foot
of East Taylor street on September
23, and his son, Earl Weir, river
boat captain, with being an accom
plice by assisting the father in dis
posing of the body.
These charges, together with a
slight change in the original story
told by Mrs. Helen Leary, marked
yesterday's development in Port
land's latest mystery, and also
marked the passing ' of the case
from police to legal jurisdiction.
Detectives, after another fruitless
day spent in quizzing Weir and his
son, announced late last night that
they had obtained as much evidence
as is humanly possible, and that the
guilt of the pair is now a question
for the courts. It was admitted,
though, that the case against the
two men is very weak, and that
unless some unexpected event hap
pens the two men will probably be
freed as soon as they go before a
Judge. It is not even thought that
there is sufficient evidence against
the pair to warrant grand Jury in
vestigation. Cssr PtMiler to Police. r
The police are more or less "baf
fled." The case stands exactly as
It stood Wednesday night, when
Mrs. Leary was arrested and told
her story to Detectives Tackaberry
and Phillips. True, the police have
bolstered up their Individual belief
in the guilt of the two men, but so
far as securing evidence toward
their conviction Is concerned have
made no progress whatever. "
Mrs. Leary's slight change of
front occurred yesterday afternoon
during the course of one of her
regular trl-daily cross-examinations
by detectives.
She had originally declared that
she had called at the scow on the
afternoon of -September 23 and had
seen the mysterious girl in the place
at the time. In the evening, she
said, Bhe had returned to the place
to meet Earl Weir, and hearing loud
noises, had stopped on the outside
and had peeked through, a knot
hole. Inside the scow, she asserted,
she saw Cash Weir in the act of
attacking the child. A few moments
later, v according to her original
story, the girl was dead. Earl Weir
arrived, a launch was obtained, tbe
body loaded in and taken down tho
river for disposal, Mrs. Leary said.
Story Slightly Changed.
Yesterday afternoon the woman
somewhat modified her story. When
she returned in the evening, she
said, she entered the scow, where
Cash Weir was alone with the dead
body of his alleged victim. Mrs.
Leary declared she accused the old
man of murder, and that a fight
followed in which she blackened
the old river rat's eye.
She then fled from the place, she
told the detectives yesterday, but
on the dock above was stopped by
Earl Weir, who forced her to return
to the houseboat. After an hour
spent in discussion of the proper
method of disposing of the body
(Concluded on Page 2. Column 2.)
FOR AWHILE!
Snperstitious Ruralites of France
Wonder What Significance
Attaches to Illumination.
ANGERS. France, Dec. 23. The
superstitious peasants in this dis
trict, who are preparing to celebrate
Christmas, are mystified by a huge
bright light which has appeared in
the heavens for the last two days
and are asking, "Is this a new star
of Bethlehem'"
The light was a varying appear
ance, now like a luminous star and
again like a small crescent of the
moon. The official meteorological
services are puzzled and thus far
have been unable to explain Its pro
longed presence, though attributing
it to a meteor swarm.
The light first was seen Thursday
morning, gleaming feebly 18 de
grees above the horizon. Friday it
was higher up and more pro
nounced, moving at an angnilar
rapidity of one twenty-fifth of one
degree.
The whole countryside watches
for its dally reappearance and is
wondering what special significance1
attaches to the light
HUNTING PARTNER SLAIN
Light on Head of Companion Is
Mistaken for Deer's Eyes.
MARSHFIELD, Or., Dec. 23 (Spe
cial.) While hunting deer in the
night near the Leneve logging camp,
M. Martin saw the spotlight on the
head of his companion, Al G. Byers,
and mistaking It for the eyes of the
deer fired, nearly tearing his com
panions head from his body.
Byers died almost instantly. Both
men were held in high regard at
the Levene camp. Mrs. Byers is en
route to Ontario for a holiday visit
It was not learned whether arrests
were made.
BURSUM BILL DEFERRED
Ceremony to Mark Signing of
Pension Measure Tuesday.
WASHINGTON, D. C, Dec 23.
President Harding will delay until
Tuesday signing of tbe Buraum bill,
which increases from $50 to $72 a
month pensions of Mexican and Civil
war veterans, and from $30 to J50 a
month the pensions to their widows.
Nurses who served during either
conflict would receive $50 monthly
instead of the present $3Q pension.
A ceremony has been arranged to
accompany the signing.
SINFUL BADGERS SUFFER
Fines Totaling $2,000,000 Paid
for Dry Law Violations.
MILWAUKEE, Wis., Dec. 23.
Wisconsin violators of the prohibi
tion laws paid nearly $2,000,MO in
fines in the state and federal ourts
during 1922.
Clark M. Tarry, acting prohibition
director, made this announcement
today. '
MOVIE STUNT MAN HURT
Attempt to Leap From Airplane
to Top of Train Fails. ,
RIVERSIDE, Cal., Dec. 23. Jean
Perkins, a motion picture "stunt
man," tried to leap from an airplane
to the top-of a train near here to
day. His grip slipped and he sll.
He was taken to a local hospital,
where physicians said his hurts
were serious.
SMOKES INJURE WOMEN
Flimsy Costnmes at Student Ball
Ignited by Cigarettes.
PHILADELPHIA, Dec. 23. Three
young women were suffering from
burns today received when the
flimsy costumes worn at the Arctic
ball given by students of the Penn-
sylvni Academy of Fine Arts last
night ignited from cigarettes car
ried by young men.
Everybody Here Will Be
Happy Tomorrow.
TOWN BEEHIVE OF ACTIVITY,
Holiday Preparations Such
as Never Seen Before. -
EVERY STORE IS PACKED
Happiness for Others Evident
Aim of Everybody, and Few
if Any Will Be Missed.
With Christmas still 24 hours
away, Portland buzzed like a great
beehive yesterday with its pre-holi-day
activity. Never has the city
made such an intense yuletide prep
aration. All other holiday business
was outdone by far.'.
In other years there was a let
down on the last day of shopping.
But there was none yesterday. It
appeared that everyone had some
eleventh-hour preparations to make
for the happiness of others and
every face was shining with the
spirit that is alone that of Christ
mas. Every store was crowded, tfl
streets were hurrying streams
packed to capacity, and there were
traffio jams every little while at
the downtown intersections.
Everybody Loaded Down,
In the crowds of the afternoon
and evening there were those scenes
that are always associated with tho
gladdest of all holidays. Everyone
was loaded with parcels of all de
scriptions. Here a man struggled
against the stream of pedestrians
with a small Christmas tree hejd
high above the heads of his hurry
ing neighbors. The woman with
.n overload of packages who blocked
others anxious to pass, the man who
was acting as packhorse for hli
wife, the occasional accident when
something fell beneath the crowded
feet of those following, and the
eager, expectant faces of .children
who were still wondering anxiously
if Santa Claus would be able to
wriggle down the chimney and keep
his expected tryst beside their own
home firesides.
The crowds and the infectious
good nature that were manifest
everywhere were a tonic that would
have cheered the heart of a Scrooge
and have convinced the most skep
tical that there is a really truly
Santa Claus. Not one in the mass
of struggling shoppers yesterday
could doubt it. They all were evi
dence of the fact that wherever
thought is taken for the happiness
of others, wherever one strives to
make another glad, there Is tho
heart of Christmas the very pres
ence of the good Saint Nicholas
himself.
Prosperity I Evident.
Merchants of the city saw an out
pouring of the Christmas spirit such,
as never before. Every single Port
land citizen is prosperous, accord
ing to the evidence of the stores.
Buying was maintained on a con
sistent basis for weeks before tha
high tide of yesterday swept aside
former records. Saturday a week
ago was a busy day, but yesterday
set a new figure for Christmas
buying.
It was not only those stores whero
gifts were displayed that were
crowded to capacity yesterday. The
market were thronged with per
sons buying the essentials of the
Christmas dinner. Yamhill street,
almost all day long, was a river of
humanity against which one could
struggle only with difficulty.
The array of Christmas fowls dis
played in the market was a sight to
whet the most jaded appetite. Close
by there glittered the fruits of tho
season, with the other delicacies so
essential to Christmas cheer.
Only One Thing Lacking.
Only one thing was patently lack
ing for a Christmas such as would
have gladdened the heart of mine
host at Bracebridge hall, for in
stance, and that was the spiced cup
so intimately linked with the cus
toms of other seasons. Poignant
memories were exchanged last night
in many a gathering of bygone days.
With Saturday and Sunday just
preceding the holiday, there was a
sort of double Christmas eve. Last
night ' there were innumerable
parties, with the laden tree of course
the center of every group, and today
and tonight there will be many, .
many more. Today's affair will be
more of the family sort, with homes
again filled with Children who wero
away at school or who have estab
lished nests of their own back again
In honor of Christmas.
Tomorrow Is, after all, the big
day, with the Christmas dinner'
holding the center of the stage and
with no end of good cheer and
friendliness manifest everywhere.
The success of one's own Christ
mas depends, beyond doubt, upon
the amount of happiness one may
bestow upon others. This kindly
spirit was manifest yesterday,
where It seemed a large part of the
population was intent upon errands
of generosity.
Huge Donations Hade.
For instance, there was the dia-
(Concluded on Fags 5. Column 1.)
iCoaeluded u page 6, Columa L
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