VOL.XXVII.
CONDEMNED.
The Opera House Pronounced
Unsafe for a Public
Gathering
MUCH ADDITIONAL TESTIMONY.
Sworn Statements From tlte Manages—
Dr. George W. Wagoner Testifies—Full
Particulars of the Coroner's Inquest—
The Verdict,
The Coroner's Jury in the case of the
Opera House disaster met at 7:30 yester
day eveniug according to appoiutracnt,
at the office of Dr. Evans, the Coroner.
In addition to the testamony p' eviously
taken and published in yesterday morn
ing's DEMOCRAT, the following was
adduced:
John Leber Sworn—Am a cashier for
Mr. O'Donnell under the Opera House.
Was in the restaurant and heard the
noise, imagined the building was break
ing dow a —ran to the head of stairs saw
a man gathering himself up in the middle
of the street, took him to be Mr. Parsons
the plumber, went toward the Opera
. House steps, and was caught by some
one who called ''.pull me out" and I
caught a boy and pulled him out, then a
couple of more men came and helped me
and we pulled two .or three men out, the
crowd gathered and all began working. I
thought to work to the best advantage I
had better get up stairs the back way. Got
on the stage aud called to the people to
come forward that there was no fire, but
that there was a lot of people lying at foot
of stairs. When I told tbcm that they
gathered back towards the stage. I got
down to head of front stairs soon a'tcr.
Some asked me why they did not leave
the people go on down the stairs, they
did not kuow any one was lying down in
the stairs until I told them. Then we got
some of them to come back up. We got
a boy and woman out. they looked as if
they were dead—the woman was dressed
iu black, I didn't know her. The theatre
was packed—we could hardly get through.
, No one got out except those we pulled
out, some may have got down the back
stairs. 1 saw a boy and a woman taken
down to the restaurant, I helped to take
them down. I saw' ifioert's boy lie was
alive but injured, Dr. Zimmerman at
tended to them. There was a big crowd
around the Opera House when I came
down, the police were there trying to keep
the crowd back. I saw one man hit who
was trying to get to the house, lie was in-
toxicated. There was no one got out ex
cept those we pulled out, they were
wedged iu the stairway. The hack Rtairs
are vtry narrow, one man can just about
get down at a time, there are so many
little offsets in it. JOHN LEISEK.
Wiufield W. Evans, sworn—l am the
assistant of Mr. John Heuderson, under
taker. The following bodies were taken
to Mr. Henderson's morgue after the dis
aster in Opera House : Miss Lizzie Clay
comb, John Miller, colored, Mrs. Wesley
Burns, Miss Clara Burns, Isaac Foler,
Georgic Little Horner, Mrs. Nestor, Eddie
Bigler, Mr, Fresholtz, George Slonicker.
WINFIELD W. EVANS.
James Dillon, sworn—l am a waiter in
H. (TDonnell's restaurant, soou as I heard
the noise I ran up out of the restaurant
to see what was the matter, I saw several
people lying in the doorway of the Opera
House, tried to get them out but could
not, but with assistance of two others
managed to get two out, they were two
men. Three of us tried to pull one man
* out but could not he was wedged iu so
tight. His body was half out on the pave
ment, his legs were wedged iu the crowd.
When we found we couldn't get any body
out i'i front we went through Mr. Weir's
saloon to the back of house and there 1
saw a lady coming down the stuirs with n
child in her arms, 1 never was up the
back stairs. 1 took the child and led the
lady down to O'Donncll's restaurant. Mr.
O'Donnell directed me to lake tne hiir
lamp out on the pavement so the people
- could see. The light over the door had
been bo 1 nby a man climbing ovr tin
L beads of those lying down in the stairway.!
I stopped there with the light until the
house was empty and the dead
were taken away. It was about
fifteen minifies after the crush until the
stairs were cleared. The people I tried ;
to pull out were living and crying fori
help, but we couldn't pull them out. ' |
JAMS.-, DIIJ.ON. i
Jame Clair, swonw-I reside iu Pitts
burgh. I was acting as usher on the bal
cony, last night at the show, after I had
everybody seated I went dow.u to
box office and I stood there
' until the • how '.ra pretty near at an c.id,
when a crowd came rushing down stairs,
and another gentleman (Mr. Harrington),
and myself tried to '.op them. We saw it
j- no use. the crow d pushed us aside. The
box-office is on the first lloor and the
people came down front the gallery to
the first floor. Then there was a cry of
Are on the first gallery. When the crowd
came rushing down and pushed me aside I
went out into the auditorium aud called
JOHNSTOWN, CAMBRIA COUNTY. PA., FRIDAY, DECEMBER 13, 1889.
1 to them to keep their seats, that there wus
!no fire. About that tin:e a lady fninted,
1 and I got water for her and restored her.
! The water was brought to me from the
stage. Then I assisted in getting the
people down the back stairs. I can't say
whether any one jumped over the railing
into the stairs. It was about ten or fif
teen minutes until the stairs were cleaied.
The people rushed down before the cry
of fire ; they thought the curtaiu was
coming down, then the cry of fire was
raised. There was a good many peoplegot
down the back way. One person can about
get down the stairs. Before the panic I
went down the front stairs to see if the
doors were open. Mr. McCann had the
doors fixed, they were not open, but
could bt pushed back very easily. One
of the doors is fastened by r. bolt and this
was removed so that tho doors could be
fastened back against the wall in a min
ute. I don't know how wide the opening
between the door is. • JAMES CI.AIR.
Michael McCann, sworn—l Sun one of
the lessees and managers of tho Park
Opera House. I was ia and out through
the house and around the top of the stairs
all night, and aboift the time the last act
was on I went to bottom of stairs to see
that the doors would he prepared when
the curtain would fall. One of the doors
is usually held by a small bolt to keep the
door closed. 1 removed the holt aud left
the doors hang loose. I went to bottom
of stairs, which is only a few steps fur
ther down. I was standing there talking,
when I heard a bell ring. I never had
heard the bell before, its tone was strange
to ine, it rung a dozen claps before j
noticed it. I asked a man near by what
the ringing of the bell meant. One of
them said he thought it was one of the
new fire bells. I said to them : " Gen
tlemen, for God's sake go away from the
door." I feared some one might cry fire.
They turned as if to leave, aud then I
turned to uoor and started up stairway. I
opened door and got on inside of door,
thiuking I could reach top of stairs before
the people would hear the bell. The
first or lower gallery windows being open
the people evidently heard the bell as
soon as I did. By the time I got half way
up the stairs they began to jump over the
bannisters down into stairs. There was
quite a number sitting on bannisters
around top of stairway. I saw by the
jumping and the rushing that there would
be a panic. I called to the men in front
to be calm ; they said they couldn't, they
were being pushed. They pushed me
down iu front of them. To the best of
my knowledge fifteen or twenty people
landed on the sidewalk before the block
ade took place. I staid a few minutes,
helping to get those who tell on the side
walk out of the road. Several others
helped me to get them away. The thing
got so serious looking to me, and my wife
and child being on the inside of theatre. 1
rushed around to back stairs aud made
my way on to stage. 1 went to foot
lights and begged the people for God's sake
to be calm, that there was no danger. By
this time my wife, who was on the stage,
ran to me and threw her arms about me,
and my child was crying; my wife
begged me to take her out; I insisted on
her standing on the stage until I wept
down among the people. She insisted on
me taking her out, and as the people
seemed calmed down considerable on the
inside, I took them jdown the back stairs
and through Postoffice alley. I left her
at corner with child, and I
rushed over to front of theatre. The po
licemen were flourishing their batons an i
I drew back again. There was a fearful
howlii.g mob about the door, and some
body at engine turned the water on them.
After that the people drew back from
sidewalk. Soon after that a passage-way
opened through to top of stairs. I re
turned to my wife on the comer, and we
saw them carry several people away from
the front of the theatre, evidently i
wounded. I met my brother and sent j
my wife and child home with him. By this i
time the theatre wns emptied. After this I |
went to top of stairs by the front way,
then I saw the first corpse, a lady, Mrs
Nestor, they called her. She was laid out |
on some chairs. I saw severiil people up ;
around the stage and two on :
stretchers. I asked if they were dead, j
Some one said one was living, hut they !
thought the other was dead. I waited at I
top ef stairs until the people wore brought j
down, one was a man and was dead, the I
(.tie r '..as lady and was still alive. 1
didn't hear any otty one crying tire in the
house* 1 was too far down the stairs. 1 ! ,
did not see the police using unnecessary I.
violence. 1 think the poli.e did their j |
duty nobly. There was a mob around ] ,
t door. They did uot treat that crowd I j
anyways rudely. ThV front stairway ta I,
t only exit for th audience. I think j ,
i( i four feet six or seven inches wide. I :
if* the pt'oplc ha in' t -.1 panic .
stricken they could have got out in from ' |
five to six minutes. The people acted ,03 t
if they were wild. There was 713 people j
p; i 1 admission according to our box- ,
office statement. I believe the theatre |
will seat that many. The one exit is j
hardly sufficient: it is rather small. In t
case of fire near the stairway the people ,
would lie entirely cut off. But I have (
seen lots of Opera Houses that arc worse /
than that onc if I mind them aright. But
it is my deliberate judgment that if the
stairway had been three times as wide as it
is. the same trouble would have occurred
if the people had acted as they did last
night. They jumped and fell and then
others jumped on those that were down.
They all came down pell-mell.
MICHAEL MCCANN,
James Flynn, sworn- I reside in Johns
town and am one of the lessees and mana
gers of the Parke Opera House. I was on
the stage during the performance when I
heard some one cry fire. In a moment
everybody was on their feet. The alarm
enme from one of the galleries. The people
seemed wild, jumping from both galleries
and boxes. Two of the actors and myself
rushed down to the foot-lights and tried to
quiet them, but everybody seemed to rush
for the stairway. When we saw we couldjdo
nothing with them and remembering the
back stairway, we assisted the women and
children from the nudieiiceou to the stage,
and stationed a man at the back stairs to
pnss thorn out quietly. After a short time
Officer Varner aud another officer ap
peared, coming up the hack stairs. They
assured the people there was no danger
and it scented to pacify them. The officers
went down front nnd worked on the stair
way for ten or fifteen minutes. We saw
them carry up two women, a man, a boy
and a girl. The man was dead and the
woman died in if short time afte.% It
wasn't very long until Varner had the
passage way cleared and then the people
passed out. The exit of the house is not
very large, that is certain, but the way
the people piled down tiiere it would be
very hard to get them out of any exit, no
matter how large it was.
JAMES FI.INN.
Dr. Geo. W. Wagoner, affirmed—l re
side in Johnatown. and am a physician.
Last night I was summoned bv
telephone to 'he Opera House. I
was informed that a great disaster had
occurred. When I arrived the panic was
over and the house was almost emptied.
All who were in it were attending to the
wants of the injured and pieparing the
dead for removal. I saw the dead body
of a woman lying on some chairs, another
woman on the stage very nearly recov
ered from the shock, a boy, who was also
recovering, nnd the body-of a man whom
I afterwards learned to beGeorge Slon
icker. He was lying on the stage. I de
tected a faint flutter at his heart, and en
deavored to revive him by artificial res
piration. Dr. Zimmerman also gave him
hypodermics of stimulants. We worked
with him about a half an hour nnd were
finally forced to give up our efforts. He
gave several slight gasps during our
work, but finally died, The bodies were
taken to Henderson's morgue, where I
saw nine, identified as related by Mr.
Evans. I made a superficial examination
of all the bodies and am of the opiivou
that they all died by suffocation. To-day
I accompanied Dr. Evans, the coroner, to
the Park Opera House, and examined the
exits somewhat closely. We gained the
stage by the back stairway aud found it
to be built in one corner of the building,
not lighted, very steep and winding, sev
eral of the steps broken, and the entrance
from tho stage only twenty-two inches
wide. Au ordinary 6ized man filled the
entrance. The main and only exit for the
audience is situated in the frout part of
the house under the gallery. It is sur
rounded by a casing thirty-six inches
high. The exit from the first gallery is
on the left hand side of the house looking
to the front, £nd thut of the second gal
lery on the right side. Both exits come
together on the first floor and are sepa
rated bv a casing thirty-six inches 'high-
The aisles from all parts of the house
centre at the main exit. Thirty-three
inches from the mouth of the stairway,
towards the stage, ts au iron post which
I helps to sustain the gallery,
j The distance between each side of tin-1
j casing around tiie stairway is fifty-two J
| inches. Thirteen feet slanting down the
stairway are double doors swinging mil-'
I ward. The clear opening in stairway!
I when doors are open is forty-eight inches
] wide nnd eighty-two inches high. A few
| steps below these doors are tha outer!
i doors of hall, lined in the stairway which !
j is of the nine size. There is then u small
-platform nnd three more steps to pave-;
| nient. There arc nineteen steps each j
I -even and one-half inches high from floor!
of hall to outside doors and then the three
steps below tlicso doors to pavement.
The Stairway leading to first gallery is at
the front of the house to the left. Tin re
are three -teps which carry one to. a plat
form thirty six inches wide aud thirty-one
inches above door of hull. From thisi
platfoim the main stairway to gallery <■
off at a right angle to the three steps fir i
mentioned. These stairs nro thirty-two
inches wide and there L a turn composed
6f four winders at the top, leading to the .
landing on the gallery. There arc eigh
teen steps in all. The stairs on the i i ghl
hand sido, which lead to the top gtllery,
are exactly similar until they reach the,
floor of the first gallery, where the land-)
ing and entry of the stairs leading to the
top gallery arc cased in.making a passage :
way immediately at top of stairs thirty
one inches wide which is enlarged toj
fifty-seven inches wide at one placo sud
;! denly contracted to thirty-tvvcrinches wide i
! where first step is made on to stairs to
: top gnJlcry. These irregularities in the
[ passageways are all made in a very short
; distance as will be seen by the accom
i panying diagram. It is my opinion that
they arc constructed nbout as badly as
they well could be. All the exits appear
to me as if tbey had been constructed for
• the purpose of forming a trap. It is also
my opinion that the main stairway is en
tirely inadequate for the purposes for
; what it is intended.
GEORGE W. WAGONER, M. I).
i We, the undersigned, the inquest su m.
; moued by D. W. Evans, coroner, to ,n
--i quire into the cause and manner of the
t death of Lizzie Claycomb, John Miller,
i Mrs. Wesley Burns, Miss Clara Burns,
i Isaac Foier, George Little Horner, Mrs.
> Nestor, Eddie Bigler, Mr. Fresholtz, and
,• George Slonicker, do find that death was
I causen in each case by suffocation in the
jam resulting from the panic precipitated
> by a false alarm of tire in Parke's Opera
s House during a theatrical performance on
. the evening of December 10, 1889. We
r do also find that, owing to the insuf
r ficient number of exits, the narrowness
i and faulty construction of ti c only one
• in the house, wo condemn the building us
r entirely unsafe for any public gathering,
' and we hereby ask the authorities to take
: proper means to prevent any public as
t scmblages in the buildiiur as now con
: structed.
Witness our hands and seals this lltli
j day of December, 1889.
J. M. SHPMAKER. [7.. s.]
GEO. TCRXEK. [r,. s.]
JOSEPH PRICE, [L. a.]
• E. ZANG. [L. S.]
THOMAS S. SEIBERT. [L. S.]
JACOB C. HORNER, [L. S.)
KILLED ON THE RAILROAD.
Lizzie Gerharrit, ol Hornerstown, Struck by
the Limited While on Uer Way to Mor
rellville.
The New York and Chicago Limited
i was late yesterday evening and went
through here at what railroaders call
lightning speed. It passed here about
7:30. Just below Haws' Fire-brick Works,
Cambria, it struck a young woman, and
knocked her off tlie track. The trainmen
saw her and stopped as soon as they could.
A man was sent to notify the Cambria bor
ough authorities, who in turn notified
Coroner Evans, by telephone. Dr. Evans
telephoned to have the body put in u safe
place till morning. The body was then
taken to the Council Chamber.
It was found that the young woman
was Lizzie Gerhardt,of Hornerstown. She
was on her way to Morrellville, having
left, her home about 0:30 r. M.
Word wus sent to her parents at
Hornerstown, who sent down for the
body. Her father is William Gerhardt.
Lizzie, it appears, has been somewher
wayward, and had left home without her
parents knowing where she had gone.
First Work First,
The voters of Pennsylvania with those
of three other eastern States, have,
during the past year, stood up, been
counted and found lacking on the tem
perance question by mauy thousand votes.
Men are not yet. convinced that alcohol
is an outlaw that should be outlawed. A
great woik of popular education on that
point remains yet to be done. It may be
j bard to believe, but it is nevertheless
true, ttint there is no short rond to the
prohibition of the sale of alcoholic liquors
under a goverment of the people. They,
the people, must first be taught that these
' liquors as beverages are bad before they
" will prohibit their traffic.
'■ A thorough enforcement of the temper
ance education laws of Pennsylvania and
' these otiier States in their public schools
will slowly perhaps, but surely and per
manently change public sentiment on the
1 question.
i The sooner wo temperance workers
realize that this first work must be done
< first, and tnercfore address ourselves to
> securing the most thorough and iuttlli
• gent temperance education of every child
-1 n nil our public schools that the laws de-*
' I tnauds, the soonci will our States and
:! nation be rid of the incubus of the saloon.
' .MARY 11. HOST. '
That Gift to Dr. llcnle.
' i'h tsimrgii Dispatch.
Whatever the outcome in fact may be
of the somewhat my-D-rious letter ol CT>I
• uiel Sliepar.d to Dr. David J. B.MIC, of
Johnstown, those \Vho know how the lat
ter gave up everything and worked uu
: I- a. ingly for his fellow townsmen alter
toe great flood hope that the 85,000 will j
prove a reality and react I)r. Benin's 1
pockets.
One of the newspaper correspondents I
• who was an eye-witness of the scenes
after the disa 'er at Johnstown said to inu
ye-lerdny: " Dr. Beale was a hero in til •> i
dark days. He never gave a llioti -lit ;o
himself at a time when most Johnstown
, men were looking strictly after the n:-
s Ives, ami early and late work, d for
those who were in distress. The* whole j
i hearted Christianity of the man made
j him n conspicuous figure. He was- one ,
| of the few, too, who thought it was worth .
while to get on a barrel of a Sunday ami
■ with cheerful words attempt to instill
courage and hope into ail within hearing,
j His open air addresses did a great deal of
good." '
WEE WILLIE'S VIOLIN.
YOCTB'B COMPANION.
A poet, rambling 'mong the hills,
chanced on a cottage gray,
And there ho made his tuneful home
I-'or many a summer's day.
Wee Willie was the farmer's sou,
A pretty lau to see ;
But all the village called htm daft.
Ho dull and dumb was he.
Even to the poet's gentle speech,
He gave but sullen heed.
And, turning from hts friendly smile.
Han from the cot with speed.
But suddenly he stood transfixed ;
What was that angel-tone
That Hi iff led each nerve with rapture wild.
Till Heaven around htm shown ?
An 01,1 red violin. In hands
That Knew to use It well,
What tender tones ring on the air!
What wondrous things they tell!
i The wee daft laddie nearer drew,'
, ills shining eye* like stars.
Mind, spirit flamed, as bursts the sun
Beyond dawn's cloudy bars.
His fingers work- oh, for a chance
' To wake such wondrous sound!
" Let me ! "he cried; the poet smiled,
And his wild wishes crowned.
1 When to t the boy with eager hand
Put soul tn every string,
i A nd drew forth sort, melodious sounds.
Tender and lingering.
. Nor would he yeleld his nnge! up—
For angel 'twas to him—
Till the long day grew dusk and gray,
And even the sky was dim.
To near and far the glad news went.
The wondrous tidings sped,
Wee Willie was no longer daft;
The evlt spirit tied.
He talked and walked like other boys.
And laughed and loved and sung,
And. later, with his wondrous gift
And fame the world has rung.
Now listening thousands eager crowd.
This meed of Heaven to win ;
" For angels gblde the bow," they say,
" O, wee Will's violin."
THERE IS NO DEATH.
Thpre Is no death I The stars go dewn
To rise upon some fairer shore;
And bright In Heaven's jeweled crown
They shine forever more.
There Is no death! The dust we tread
shall change beneath the summer shower*
To golden grain or mellow fruit—
or ralnbow-tlnted flowers.
The granite rocks disorganize
To teed the hungry moss they hear;
The forest leaves drink dally life-
From out the viewless air.
There Is no death 1 The leaves may fall,
The flowers fade and pass away;
They only wait through wintry hours
The coming of the May.
There is no death .' An angel form
Walks o'er the earth with silent tread ;
He bears our best beloved away
And then wo call them " dead I "
He leaves our heart all desolate ;
He plucks our fairest, sweetest (lowers—
Transplanted into buss they now
Adorn Immortal bowers.
The bird-like voice, whose Joyous tones ,
Made glad this scene of sin and strife,
Sings now her everlasting song
Amid the Tree of Life.
And when he sees a smile too bright
Or heart too pure for taint or vice,
111 bears it to that world of light
To dwell In Paradise.
Born unto that undying life.
They leave us but to come again;
With Joy we welcome them—the same
Except In sin and pain.
i And ever near us, though unseen,
. The dear, immortal spirits tread;
For all the boundless universe
1 is life—there are no dead!
—Brick PunieroVg Adoanoc Thought.
THE NEW NATIONAL HANK. •
A Room in Alma Hall to be Occupied
Operation* to Hrgin January Ist.
' The Authorities of the Citizen's Na
-1 tiononal Lank have rented the room in
Alma Hall now occupied by John H.
Waters A Bro., plumbers. A large safe
will be procured aud the room pul in
condition for tbe bank by January Ist.
Arrangements for remodeling the interior
of the room are now making.
There is great demand for the stock of
, the new bank, so much in fact that some
I of the heaviest subscribers litivo given
some of their slock toothers WlK> were
' anxious to hike it.
.11A KKIAGK LJ C ESSES.
The Following; Have I'd n f I ranted Since
Dm- Last P., port.
IChrlfH "i F. <: >vnn . Y.ornTa lie
V-uiii HHon More il\llle i
(Jacob Miller swr.ycreck twp j
1 1 Kiltle lolly .Inhii.-dowti |
! JVi llltam Kim ll Morrellville J
(A:ml hull., .la, „ n twp
• Lt lex. Paulson . MorrellvitlO
I (Annie Hatlc Hip ceil Momirvlllo i
! (Daviil j, Lavciy Mlllrilio -
I (Marguicr M. hartlcbau .:, MlUviiie j
(Kvnn 11. pout-u tohu.-MOWH ;
! Venule worthln;ton .inhi.stown
J Philip W. I UOI.IU sopth Fork i
i isusiin L. Pcttrod Mouth Fork j
! IHenry Funk jaokso > twn ;
i (Sarah 1,-ii.- Kbensbur-,-1
Carle- V. HI 'l.l-I'..
The news lias hi -it received hero (hat |
Charles Carter, eonvictcd last week of the }
murder of John Mvtlicw.--, wa . \ r-tqr,!-ty
: morning scalene- ,1 I • be hanged, lie
claims that if lie had another trial the zc
j suit would he different.
A Hungarian, raid to be tinned Glusky, i
j was killed on the Pennsylvania Railroad
! 'last night bv Fu-t Line cast. The bedy i
was shipped to Portage y sterday, in care I
of I'. .McGougli, for interment.
NO^fS!
THE NEW LIXCOLN ItKIDGE.
It Was lieady for Ue Early Intetdn}
Morning—liapiil Work.
Tuesday morning abdut ha'f-oe.st 9
o'clock the new Lincoln Bridge was
thrown open to the public. Of course
there was a great rush when wagon com
munication was re established with the
Pennsylvania liuilroad passenger and
freight stations. The latter place was a
very busy one yesterday in consequence
of the opening of the bridge. Every
body wanted to be the first waited upon.
The completion of the bridge in such a
short lime reflects great credit on the con-'
tractors, Hoover, Hughes & Co. It was
about twenty-two hoars from the time •
the first trestle was set up till the wagons
were crossing the bridge.
Christmas—Preparing For It.
At tins time of the year, when the
Christmas holidays are fast approaching
and many thousands of people are making
secreet preparations for the secular cele
bration of tiie festival, it is worth while
to stop and consider the piintiples that
should guide one in following the cus
toms of the season. If wecould free our
selves entirely from the trAditions and cus
toms that require us to make gifts to our
friends on Christmas Day we should
nevertheless return to the praetico spon
taneously and again establish the cus
tom, for Christmas is the time of peace
and good-will, and those who have a
proper appreciation of the day give their
feelings natural expression when they try
to make their relatives and friends share
their own happiness during the festival
period. It is entirely natural, therefore,
that it should be a gift-giving season.
The custom is not an arbitrary fashion,
but is founded upon the instincts of hu
manity. It is possible, however, to have,
custom warp the gift-giving from Its true
purpose by encouraging extravagance
and leading the giver to gratify his
own vanity instead of kindly min
istering to the tastes or wants of
his friends. Between those whose friend
ship in real there can be no such thing as
sordid weighing of the intrinsic value of a
gift. Its value lies in the fact that it em
bodies an expression of love or affectiOD,
and whether it be large or small, costly
or simple, it has this value to the true
heart. For this reason that gift is most,
highly appreciated which iu some way
forms a part of the giver; that which has
at one time been cherished by the giver,
or made by his hand, or that has been
thoughtfully and considerately selected
to meet the tastes or needs of the recip
ient. Christmas should not be desecrated
by gift-giving felt as an obligation that is
fnlfiled solely because custom demands it.
The gift should be a real cxptcssion of
affection sincerely offered. With this
consideration of the principles, says the
Baltimore Sun, that should guide one in
the Christmas season comes relief from
some of the perplexities that beset one
while preparation is being made for the
coming festival. It encourages o-.e to
rule out at once all merely formal gifts
and to dismiss "from the mind ill thought
of making presents merely for form's sake.
It imposes at the same time the very
pleasant, duty of preparing for each friend
some token of affection that shall show
consideration as well as kindness and leads
to the preparation of little tokens of af
fection, inconsiderable in value perhaps,
but significant of thoughtful love.
Christmas is thus matte a real festival in
the heart, not a merely formal season for
gift-making. But one cannot afford to
. wait until the day itself before choosing
the gifts that shall give expression to the
. kindly, generous feelings of the Christ
i mas season. There must be thiuking and
planning now if the gifts are to exhibit
. that consideration which shall add to
, their value as tokens of affection. Our
friend is to be pleased ; that is the first
• consideration. What gift will show
him that a tender regard lias been had
E for lus tastes or whims ; that there has
. been a real effort made to gratify him ?
i If that can be determined in such away
. as to enable the giver to give something
of liis own personality into the gift it wi'l
hac a double value in the eye s of the re
cipient. Tlier are probably no Christ
I mas gifts that give higher ati faction
I than the home-made articles fashioned in
j secret during the pleasurable weeks pre
j ceding tic holiday. Nt..- to tl.ee are
| good books, selected with delicate ap
j peeciation of the literary tastes of lite re
, cipient. There is no tin .1 for extravagant
i expenditures of money ou Christmas
' gifts, hut there is need for a great deal of
j thoughtful consideration, which is tlio
essence i f true friendship. And now,
I while Christmas is still romo days in the
! future, i the time to think about the mut
ter ami ton ' v.; to In "or u old custom
j in the right way by following its spirit
; and di regarding its fashionable form.
The ttoilii * Foiiul on Sunday.
The body identified as Walter E. .
, Hoopes was shipped yesterday evening
j to Stewart & Mowcn. Baltimore, funeral
; directors. They had written to the under
i takers hero to have the body shipped to
them.
The other body lias hecii positively
identified ns Joseph Karnes, of Union
street, and will be buried in Grand Viow
to-day at 3 r. m.