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THE SUN, SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 25, 1917. SANTA Women's Service League to Turn Grand Central Palace Into r airy land for Them -How You Can Help By ELEANOR BOOTH SIMMONS. 7o nil Hie tillle vhtlilrrn in Qrtattr .ri' Ynrk who have tent their father In fltilit lor Vriclr Snm anil to make the vorld mifr for democracy: Will you ilo us (he honor to attend a Christmas carnival at Grand Central r.iliuf? It will begin the Saturday be fore I'hrlstmas unci last a week, and you n til lie welcome any day or every day of lh.it week, but If you cqmc Christmas iv u shall dance around the tree (Hi receive a present, each one of you, liu come ! Mr., a no Mrs. Santa Claus. 1! S. V P THIS Is the letter which Tub Sun lias been asked to print, be cause Mr. and Mrs. Santa riims tii n not know where all the little boys' iind girls of the soldiers and allors live, and ho they cannot write to Mich one as they would like to do. Now Santa Claus tukes many shapes anil guises, as we nil know. He can be a rosy cheeked old man with a white board driving a reindeer team, as he almost always wis when we were tiny: he can be our mother or father smuggling dolls and skates and candy and things Into the. stocking we hung by the chimney, ng he seemed to be when we grew a bit older. In or- I phan asylums he Is the matron with oranges and bags of candy, and at the Children's Society on Twenty-third street he Is Ernest K. Coulter, the su perintendent. Last Christmas at some of the police stattona he was a nice fat policeman. , In fact Santa Claua has been known to take every tort of form, from Tam many Hall to a Sunday school, but this year for the , little ones whose fathers have put on the uniform and bade them good-by, perhaps for a long time, perhaps for always, there are to be a perfectly splendiferous, mag nificent, generous, loving Santa whose name In private life la Albert R. Rogers, and a sort of composite Mrs. Santa, equally loving and splendifer ous, made up of all the members of the National League for Women's Service. Mlas Anne Morgan, though she Is over In France, enters Into this composite Mrs, Santa, and so do Miss Maude Wetmore and .Mrs. Coffin Van Rensselaer and Mrs. Rogers I!. Bacon and Mrs. Donn Barber and Miss Vir ginia Furman and Mrs. Alexander "B. Trowbridge and Mrs. Francis MncNell Bacon and Miss Grace Parker and Idas Emma Hanko. 100,000 Be Provided For. These women are the directing com mittee of the Christmas Carnival, for In these days of efficiency Mrs. Santa has to be a committee- Fancy one single Individual Mrsi Santa being Santa's right hand In a Job itich as this, making a Christmas for 100,000 little sons and daughters of fathers who have gone to the wart Tea, there are In Greater New' Tork as many children as that, or very ' Marty many, who must eat their Christmas turkey. If they are lucky enough to have turkey, without father to carve it, while he eats his dinner at Uncle Barn's board In one of the cant.. totusenta or else In the trenches "somewhere In France." And the motfters of these children well, some of them will be able to fill the stock ings as In old times, but a good many of them are too hard put to it keeping the wolf from the door to buy toys. And so this thought came to the Na tional League 'for Women's Service and to Albert R. Rogers, who Is man aging director of the Grand Central Adaee: "Why not make Christmas a great patriotic festival this year,' make It a love gift to the little children who are giving up so much that America may take Its stand for freedom and right?" And so was evolved the plan of malt fog the 'Grand Central Palace, for Christmas week, a wonderful fairyland with gnomes and sprites and all the people from Mother Goose and circuses and merry-go-rounds and Arabian Nights entertainments, and a glttter lni tree or rather a forest of -trees with CHRISTMAS rHRISTMAS approaches and once again the necessity for greens for decoratloas becomes ap parent Commercially the situation is unpromising. Holly Is said to be fcarcer this year than ever before, Wily because sources of supply have suffered from successive holiday har vests and partly because of the lack of labor to gather what Is available. In New Jersey laurel and rhododen dron are frequently used In making wrc-athi and fejtoons, the rich green leaves furnishing a decoration not to e despised. If In gathering the leaves of these two shrubs some' sprigs of wmtergreen wfth their scarlet berries re Included holly will not be souch missed. In the absence of wlntergreen the fox plum will take Its place, tliniiBh its berries are not of so bright a .scarlet. Indeed the question of Christmas preens Is yearly becoming more dlffl cult. The tremendous growth In the "lfrnand for Christmas decorations in II largo cities Is destroying all the Mutable greens within reach. Most of the greens used are slow growers and reiiuiro more than one season for de vlopmcnt, Hence It becomes difficult to Mtlsty the increasing requirements, finch greens are now conveyed long 'tH.tnees at increased expenee, and luring the season of reduced shipping fa. ii ties obviously additional troubles 'wan those dependent upon them. To suggeM a substitute has ncemcd iliflicii t though wreaths made of iiidiieiei of evergreen trees such as ( 111 Miruce, pine and cedar are coming into more general use. With the spread "f iiins-ervittlon Ideas, however, It Is (oncelvableMhat the destruction of 'veinrrcn trees for this purpose or "en for conversion Into Christmas tries will scarcely be tolerated upon llie scale which bus characterized the btiHncss for years. Something else must be utilized, and piefHijiiiiy Nome plant'that Is renewed "iwiuiiily, Last season a numlier of f'lin'.l.cs roncelved the Idea, of utilizing ferns, The fern i a wonderful grower. It Is perennial, and the quantity of fniiids produced is endless. Besides It i possesses Individual claims to beauty "ji.cii deserve consideration. More CLAUS presents for the children of Father Knickerbocker's roll of honor. And mark you, children we arc speaking now to the' children whose fathers have not yet gone to the war you aren't to be left out of this, You are to be Santa's little helpers. Junior Santas, doing your bit as hosts and hostesses to the soldiers' and sailors' children foi a week. And your part will begin long before December 22 oh, dear, yes. It ought to begin this minute, the very Instant you read this. fASS GeACE. PARKLER-' You can Just start thinking what pleasure you can give up In order to have 50 cents or II .or a dime or a nickel or a cent, no matter how little , If It's all you can spare and you give It with all your heart, to buy something ' to hang on thnt tree in the Grand Cen- inu miace. ur you can go over your stock of toys and decide which one you will part with for some small comrade you may never set eyes on but who Is truly your comrade In this war. Trll Santa Clans Want Yon Want. And there are to be pre-Chrlstmas parties. Perhaps you will give one for your small friends, perhaps you will be guest at one. The Christmas Carnival committee hopes a great deal from these jwrtles. for the 'plan is that the Invitations, which are furnished by the committee, shall specify that every H,i .nil .rtrl -l.rt nlf.nHu uli.ll Vivlncr n present for the carnival tree. It may ' ? . " Sa,mi1 c'al "' be some book or toy the giver has used M" " nue a nd d rop it in and loved, but If so it must be in per- i,rt , .' n, ia" feet condition. It would be rather a , L " 'nL?c'e S" ?an,a V1"8' shabby trick, wouldn't It. to give a,T"E nmi 1 wl" b '"warded to shabby toy to a soldier In Uncle Sam's nf"'a,rf;V. . workshoP at ,ho Junior army at home? ' Grand CeMra 1 alace With every gift you must write a j Alnildln Preparing; Wonder, letter and tie it to the gift n letter' something like this: It is very important that every sol- "Dear UrtTLB Frirkd Who Gets This d'c'"'8 and sailor's child write such a Tot: Ihopeyou will like It andhnvenlce letter, because otherwise the Christ times playing with It. I am sorry your mas Carnival Committee will have a father can't spend Christmas with you, 1 very hard time finding out where nil but you must be very' proud to think ' the children live in order to send them that he has gone to fight In the army. . tickets. The committee Is very anx and I am going to pray that he will I lous to make every one of these ehll come back safe to you. I would bo i dren guests In every sense of the very glad If you would write to me. word, to have the week a love gift to and then we would know each other." them, but It cannot send them tickets Of course you must write your own letter and not copy anyone's, but don't forget to sign your name and address and tic the letter to tho gift with a bit fif pretty ribbon. Naturally every soldier's and sailor's child who hears of this tree that is to GREENS RARE; FERNS DO WELL over New Jersey has more than twenty varieties, most of them easily accessible and relatively Inexpensive if the user goes to the fields and gathers them. i The objection will be made to this suggestion that while the fern family might well be honored by elevating It to the dignity of holiday decorations, unfortunately ferns do not flourish In this latitude during the holidays. But florists use them all winter. HOW TO WRAP CHRISTMAS packages are get ting more attention this year than they did last.' Since gifts are to be more practical and not of the decorative type the outside of the package must .be decorative. For the last two or threo years people have used for wrapping tissue paper ot various colors, generally white; have tied a package with red, green or holly ribbon, and have thought they had solved the problem. This year givers must consider the Individuality of every person to whom a gift Is sent. Again paper Is scarce and every scrap to be found about the home should be utilized. Almost every household has stored away In the attic or alorerooni rolls or parts of rolls of willl paper, These pieces can be used for wrapping the Christmas packages to good advantage. For the round tlat package contain ing .some soft fabric yellow could be used tied with black' ribbon, or If nec essary ono could purchase raffia In various colors for a small amount, much less than the cost of ribbon, and when tying the bow a small bunch of flowers, perhaps the best ones of a spray which has been used on a hat, could be slipped 111 the knot, The paper may be a little hard to handle. If It Is cut In shaped plecer use paste to keep it in place. A pretty ban for a young woman would look well wrapped In paper of a Dresden design tied with lllht blue or green ribbon. For a man a plain brown paper tied with red or greect raffia is very sensible, since a man lias no use for ruffles or furbelows of any descrip tion. .Bright green or yellow beads are TO REMEMBER be at the Grand Central Palace ami who wants to share the fun will be thinking what he or she would like to receive. Everybody knows what iie would like to get from Santa, and sometimes when you write and tell him he brings the very thing you want. It Is going to be so this year at the Grand Central Palace. You whose fathers are serving the Red, White and Blue, whether as sol diers, or sailors, or Red Cross workers, or Young Men's Christian Association workers, or ambulance drivers, get out your pencil or pen and write a letter to Santa Claua right away. If you want a doll with flaxen hair and blue eyes and a hat with pink ribbons don't be afraid to say so, or If it's roller skates or tops or a wagon. Just say so. And address the letter to uiutiu ntiliui I ismt C, unless It has-their addresses. So write promptly, every ono of you who has sent a father to the war, write and say" what your name is. where you live, what regiment your father is In and what his name is, and what you want for Christmas. In a Buy a bunch of blossoms any time during the winter and ono or more ferns, sometimes one varletyt some times another, will be Included In the purchase. Somehow florists obtain and keep them even after the ground Is covered with snow. Southern Vermont and northern Mas sachusetts may be credited with do vislng n means for supplying green ery Ibr Christmas decorations by uti lizing the abundant ferns. What is XMAS BOXES fastened on the ends of the raflla. Most men like red and blue, and it would be a good idea to add a touch of color to the strings where It harmonizes with the wrapping. With green or red sealing wax the package Is complete for thn male friend or relative. Sealing wax can be mode decorative in many ways. Green or red would bo the best for Christmas, and if one has nothing else to seal It with use one of the new coins, or a thimble, hut much better would be a monogram. Pendent bows beaded are especially suitable for children. Blue crepe paper la dainty tied with brick colored raflla, strung with Jap anese beads. Beads can bo procured at the novelty shops. For tho package for llttlo folk the shape should be disguised and it should bo wrapped securelj-. Often times their little eyes light upon things which mothers think are safely hid den, and if the package la not safely wrapped tho surprise U spoiled for Christmas morning. Little folk are very wlso and can often tell by tho shape of a package what It contains. Covered wl,:i soft green or gray tis sue paper and tied with bright green or red .ribbon or raflla, with two little bells tied to the bow, an especially attractive package may be arranged for the' children. Often small Santa Clauses tied on the boxes for little folk mako a pleas ing Impression, even though the chll drefi are curious to get to tho Inside. With it round package wrap tho crepo paper about It loosely, bring tho paper to the .top to form a rosette nnd tlo with ribbon and with a spray of flowers or holly in the centre. ''V fljHfl " gSBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBn gsSSBT Tjsjj' fv?PJJgsgg ' j ' gSsgKB rfES. COGE1SS H. BACON. few clays you will receive a reply en closing a ticket which will admit you i to tho carnival, and also jour motliet or your nunt or whatever older friend .may accompany you to the Pa la e. If A nildln- -jus, Aladdin with hlM magic lamp Ims been summoned by Santa Claus to belli in this tremendous Job of arr.inlrg the hugest Christmas festival In the history of the world if Aladdin performs nne-hnlf of the wonders that are asked of him, thnt will certainly be some party lie prob ably will, at any rate he gave the necessary InMructions to the g n!e who really ilies the wondrfu1 things credited to the lamp you rend about In the "Arabian Nights." Among other things Aladdin said, pointing to the Grand Central palace: done there can be done elsewhere. Let an eyewitness, tell the story of iiovv they provide ferns for this purpose: "Three men practically control the entire output of the United States. Two men work all ear every d.tv. picking on an average of 4U0 bunches a day with twenty-tlvo In a bunch. For this they receive $1 a day. "ICach picker carries n basket simi lar to a common clothes basket but a little deeper and with stralghter sides, A ball of twine Is carried In a cloth sack at the hide, nnd as the twenty-five ferns nre gathered tho picker catches ono end of the twine and rapidly winds It around the stems threo or four times, yien bringing It up between them a couple of times and breaking It. No knot Is tied and it only takes a couple of seconds to wind It, "As tho ferns an- tied they are dropped into the lnsket nnd covered with spruce or hemlock branches to keep them moist and cool. When tho baskets aro full they hold nbout 400 bunches. "Htorago boxes hold about L'fiO bunches, or 6,000 ferns, Kach day's picking Is packed at night, moss being packed In between. The boxes are gathered daily by team or truck and taken to tho nearest shipping point. Fifty boxes containing .100,000 ferns am considered a load. They are cut fifteen and thirteen inches long. They are placed In a cold storage limine, Prac tically all cities use these ferns. If they are kept at a temperature of 28 degrees there Is no danger of them drying." The wonderful fall days this year hove permitted the ferns hereabout to remain green, and If gathered im mediately and placed in n cool cellar or outhouse they will keep fresh until Christmas, especially If they aro packed In moss or evergreens to keep them moist. Since greens are so hcaivn now It would be a good Idea to gather tho ferns while it is possible to do so. Then when the holiday season ar rives all one will have to do Is to go to tho cellar or outhouse mid get the greens, which ran bo placed In pots In which the earth Is moist or In varcH set about tho room and changed as often as desired. In the absence of holly one woul find ferns a good .substitute. ,C FIGHTING MEN'S CHILDREN MISS MAUDE WETMOEE. 'Turn tills building into a Santa Claus toyland, till it with a thousand wonders, decorate it with towering GROWS AND DECORATES GOURDS GROWING postcards and adorning them by pyrography Is the fad developed by E. E. Wlllcox of Tenafl.v, N. J., and mado by him al most Into an art. Not only has Mr. Wlllcox accumulated a collection of useful and ornamental articles for his own use, but ho has seut examples to friends tlitoughout Hie country and I abroad. Common gourds, similar to thoso used for calabash pipes, are used by the designer in his work. For years he has studied the possibilities of their use, und bj" crossing various soils has I developed many odd and artistic i shapes. In telling of his favorite pas- t(mo the other day Mr. Wlllcox said: "The vines-muht have support, but can be trained over any kind of trellis, euro being taken to tlo them on so that the weight of tho growing gourd will not prevent Its development. In hybrlilliing the blossoms, it la neces sary to do so while they are ynnng and always in tho 'ate afternoon when S,9S'?5fUtTL'.K1- CAKfAS; LONG ONE MAILED TO oiH-kim isu. UNk IU UAKNfcOIC, pTHEkTS SfcNT LOCALLY Christmas trees tho like of which have never been seen before; 1111 them with twinkling stnrs, string garlands of evergreens and holly entwined with silver and golden stars, bring sleigh loads of Christmas ornaments and bend low the green branches with love gifts for the children whose hearts are lonely and sad liecause their fathers have gone to tho wur. "Bring a big merry go round and set It in tho centre of. tho Palace, one that is golden bright and plays sweet music as It goes round ami round. "Bring a miniature railroad with a real train to run around tho whole city block that the Palace occupies. And bring u mountain of frozen Ice creum from Santa Claus land. "Bring from far away Italy, our ally lp the war, her wonderful marionettes. Go and bring the home of Santa Claus, his workshop, so that the children may see him at work making dolls and sleds and skates. ''Bring Punch and Judy, bring the Singing Cute and a really, truly circus, an old fashioned circus, a ono ringed circus like, father and mother used to see when they were little, tho Wnd of circus where you can seo everything at once. Bring Jolly games and a great big elephant to rldo upon and feed pennuts to. "And be euro to bring a great big shoo for the Old Woman Who Lived In a Shoe and Had So Many Children She Didn't Know What to Do. Make It very high, so wo can climb up Its heel, and slldo down out of Its too. "Bring Mother Gooi-o and tho Homo of tho Three Bears, Red Riding Hood and the Wolf, nnd be sure to get Jack climbing up tho Beanstalk, und tho big, fierce Giant and Miss Mutllt and the Cow That Jumped Over the Moon. And build a big mov'e place vtbero the children may seo fuiTny pictures nnd where tho sweetest music may be heard the happy laughter of little children. "Tell tho prettiest dancers in New York to como and be fairies and dance for tho children. Bring brownies and gnomes to do amusing tricks. And also bring a homo sceno from each of tho countries of the earth, from France, Japan and Spain, from Cuba and Sweden and the South Sea Islands, from Italy nnd far Australia a rcul homo scene showing how the children of those lands tlx up their rooms at Christmns time. And bring tho chil dren In their native drejs. "Hut beyond till this, bring tho at mosphere., of love and sympathy, w thut tho whole glittering carnival may mean' more than amusement and en tertainment. Let It bring out the love of Christmas time aril show In every way the patriotism of our children In these times of national stress. Oh, and bring1 tho moat! beautiful Fairy Queen in all the world, nnd a King to reign with her, and their princesses and princes to stand around and look grand." .That Is a largo contract for Aladdin and his genlo of tho lamp, hut Mr. Santa Claus Rogers and the National League for Women's Service seem to have no doubt that tho whole great plan will bo carried out. HnlT llurf One Can Help. Surely every one will want to help because It Is for the children, and then so many people have given their sons to the war or their daughters to be nurses or ambulance drivers that they will want to contribute' in tho name of thoso whose places will be vncnnt this Chrlstniastlde. That was the motive which put the thought of this carnival Into Albert It. Rogers's head. Ills three sons are In the army one LEAD IN TOY MAKING RESTS IN AMERICA THE United States now leads thc world In toy making. From n comparatively small business toy making In this country has grown to an Important Industry In a few voars. American ingenuity and the European war have brought about the following results: 1. The United States has replaced Germany ns tho lcudlng toy maker. 2. According to a member of ono of the largest toy manufacturing firms in tills country there were only four concerns making toys on nn Important scale In the United States before the war. To-day there aro moro than "00 largo toj" concerns. 3. American toy manufacturers are now exporting toys to all parts of the world. South American countries are heavy buyers. 4. The quality of dolls has been Im proved. Instead of breakable dolls wlfti immovable eyes, such as were Im ported from Germany before tho war, tho American manufacturers are mak ing unbreakablo dolls with movable eyes. 5. Tho toy business has Increased about 500 per cent. About four years ago Germany held the distinction of being t!?o leading toy maker. Her toys were exported to all carts of the world. Business was very prosperous. Then came the war. Raw material was needed for war piirpo.si'.s. l.abor beeamo scarce as moro and more men were called to the colors. England, being the mistress of the seas, tied up German ships and closed German ports. Conseciuently (lormany could no longer export toys to other countries. As the war dragged on Germany's toy industry crumbled nwaj-, until to-day it Is said to bo completely demoralized. American business men, realizing the fltuatlon In Germany, grasped the ipportunity and started to make oys. Capital was puj Into the in- lustrj'. I.ofts were rented. As skilled workmen wero not needed j it was not dlfllcult to get labor. As a' result of tho efforts of the American business men the toy industry In the 1'ulted States has undergone an as Mulshing development. H has been said by ono of the largest toy makers that America will retain the leader-1 n m." m-a COLLECTION OF ORNAMENTAL ARTICLES MADE FROM GOURDS tff E. YWLLCOX OF TENAFLY. N.J. - r they arc fully open'. If the hybridiz ing bo delayed it will bo found that Insects have destroyed tho fertllltj-. "The fruit should be permitted to re main on tho vines until frost has elim inated nil foliage. Then tho gourds, should be carefully picked, the cuticle like surface scraped off and the gourd scoured with common dirt from day to day until it is cured. "In applying the pyrogiuphlo de signs It lu essential to conform to the shupo of the material. Lettering run bo done with u pen, Hut if you wish to mall the Mulshed product it Is nec essary to glue cm a piece of cotton cloth, else the Mumps will not ad here." Mr. Wlllrnx M-nt tme of his deco rated gourds Lp Andrew Carnegie, burning on the' smooth- uurfucc con In France, tho others soon tu L- thcro und missing them mado hltn Mut to dn this. Many of the members of tho National I.eaguo for Women's Scrvlco have sons, brothers, husbands at the front. Mrs. Rogers II. Uaoon has a son for whom, though ho Is twenty live, they have always had a tree on Christmas, but this year ho will cat his holiday dinner In the trenches, There will bo booths, bijou booths presided over by children, where pretty and useful articles will bo offered for sale. A booth committee has been formed, and ony who care to help by donating articles to bo sold may send them to the booth committee at 257 Madison avenue, where they will be Joyfully received. There are, you see, many ways In which the public may share In the Joy and thti labor of mak ing this Christmas curnlval for the children of soldiers nnd sailors a suc cess. To sum up, hero are tho most important ways: Give a children's party ot your home for collecting gifts for the tret. Get your friends who have children to do likewise. Ask your children's friends to send In gifts. Give a matinee or children's party during the carnival. Buy a u book of tickets five adult tickets and ten children's tickets to use or set! to your friends. That will help very greatly. Donate some of your Christmas ornaments to help decorate the trees. These ornaments are hard to get ilow. Send donations to be sold at the booths, or provide ono of the tree attractions. ship long after peace comes and pos sibly forever. The American toys excel in quality, those made In Germany and are sold for less money. The prices of toys to day are 50 per cent, higher than at the beginning of the war. The high cost of raw materials and labor Is respon sible for the large udvance. New York is the toy centre of the world. Concerns here have made mill ions of dollars worth of toys for do mestic and foreign use. The enormous increase In the busi ness has resulted in the opening of more retail toy stores. The high cost of the necessaries of llfo has not re duced the buying power in the matter of toys. On the contrary, the people are buying more to-day than ever be fore. Despite the fact that tho United States is the leader, Japan Is still ex porting toys to this country. The Japanese toys are of the five und ten cent varietj-. which tho American manufacturers oould not afford to make because of tho high cost of labor. In Japan the laborers work for meagre wages. Tho dolls aro mado from a compo sition. They are put through certain presses and shaped. Each part of the doll is made separate. Tho bodies are mado by one group of workers, the hands by another, the legs by another and the heads by still another. Then they are dyed ami painted. The color retains its hue even when the dolls are saturated in water. A new device in painting the fuces of dolls has been found by American manu facturers which Is un improvement over methods used In Gcrmanj-, The color of the German dolls often faded. Tho teddj- bears made in this coun try are the best in the world. Even beforo the war the American manu facturers had the field to themselves. Competition was not keen, because tho American teddy bear excelled in every wny. Plush cloth Is generally used in making teddy Wars. The Insldo Is stuffed with ground cork, which ac counts for tho lightness of the play thing. As with the dolls, each part Is made separate. It Is remarkable how easily nnd quickly teddy bears are made. FOR GIFTS gratulations on thn iron master's birthday. Still another was sent by him to a friend In lierlln and another unived intact at I.u.erne, .Switzerland, All (-oils of useful articles such us cigar holders, dippers, pipes, sugar bowls and pepper shakers have been made by .Mr. Wlllcox ft um his gourds, as wen us vases tor artificial llowers I and "catch me alls." Hut bin fiiMirlto use of I.Ik product is for the horticul tural post cnnl service, and his friends ''throughout the country have many examples of his Industry and skill, l The unusual feature of Mr Will cox's fad Is the fact that lie originated It from shut to Mulsh At no tlmu bfiil lu imv ltistriii'tinii in mill iv':ili,iii of tho plants; nor did he take lessons In drawing or In the use of tlri pyro graphic needle, 5