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L * HELEN Forsyth THE ATLANTA GEORGIAN AND NEWS. unstinted in praise of Christ mas Fund and Atlanta Spirit. The wonderful blind girl made an inspiring ap peal for re forms in her talk at the free concert. Jammed at Empty Stockings Benefit; Helen Keller (right) and her mother, who are Scores Are Turned Away but they were being: cheered and ap plauded by one of the largest crowds ever inside the Forsyth Theater Every ntt vm flll+d. Btfon them in the parquet the performers saw a sea of faces Where these left off the balcony began, and up, up into Within a few minutes a person had difficulty in gaining entrance. At 3 o’clock, when the concert opened, it was an impossibility. The doormen were obdurate. All varieties of pleas were made for per mission to enter. Most of them failed, KELLER PRAISES XMAS FUND IN FREE CONCERT TALK Helen Keller being crowned “Daughter of the South.” The women in the group are. from left to right, Mrs. Helen Plane. Miss Keller, Mrs. Keller, Mrs. John Maey, Miss Keller’s companion, and Mrs. William McCarthy. Railroads Allowed To Increase Rates WASHINGTON, Dec. 22.—Reflect ing its probable attitude on the ap plication of Eastern railroads for an increase of 5 per cent in freight rates, the Interstate Commerce Commissior. to-day permitted increases on West ern railroads on grain shipments to the East on the same grounds upon which the Eastern carriers’ applica tion is based. The Commission held that while the revenue of the carriers has shown no perceptible increase in 1913 over 1908 and that it was not a Just ground for increases in rates, it was a mat ter to be taken into consideration. Richest Beggar Promises to Quit PHILADELPHIA, Dec. 22.—On his promise to set himself up in busi ness, "Blind Al” Bernstein, said to be the richest beggar in the world, his wealth being estimated at $200,000 in New York real estate, was discharged by Magistrate Coward from custody on the charge of being a professional mendicant. OFFICIAL DISQUALIFIED. DALTON, Dec. 22.—The Board of County Commissioners will be forced to elect another man to the Board of Tax Equalizers, Judge C. D. Mc- Cutchen, one of the equalizers elect ed, being disqualified to serve because of his office of referee in Bankruptcy Court. Bryans at Miami; Inspect New Home MIAMI. FLA., Dec. 22.—W. J. Bry an and Mrs. Bryan arrived here this morning to spend a week at their winter home, which has been com pleted since Mr. Bryan was appointed Secretary of State. The house was built according to plans prepared by Mrs. Bryan. Mr. Bryan said to he had come to Miami for rest and refused to be in terviewed on any subject. He bought a package of safety razor blades, some vegetables and groceries and hurried in an automo bile out to his home. OPPENHEIM’S CIGARS Standard Oil Banker Is Stricken at Golf Atlanta Musicians Given Ovations. Several Hundred Dollars Added to Fund. >> “For Fussy Smokers BUY THEM FOR CHRISTMAS Particular smokers know Oppenheim s Cigars. They know we carry good brands and a fresh stock. You can’t make a mistake be giving a box of one of these famous brands of Im ported Cigars for a Christmas Gift. WEBSTER CIGARS NEW YORK. Dec. 22.—Joseph T. | Talbert, vice president of the Nation- j al City Bank, known in Wall street j as the Standard Oil bank, has suf- i fered a stroke of paralysis and is se- j riously ill at the Garden City Hotel, on Long Island. Mr. Talbert, one of the leading I financiers of America, was stricken i Saturday while playing golf, but news j of his illness did not become public until to-diy. Hoyo de Monterey, Romeo and Juliette, La Escepcion, Van Dycks, Edens, Belinda, Partagas, Punch, Lozanos. Telephone Orders Promptly Delivered OPPENHEIM CIGAR COMPANY Seven East Alabama ATLANTA Eastman Children to Sing Carols in Street EASTMAN. Dec. 22.—The Colonel William Few Chapter, Daughters of the American Revolution, is training a class of about 60 school children and they will march the streets of Eastman Christmas Eve from 12 until 2 singing Christmas carols. Wherever a light is seen in the win dows of the homes, the carolers will stop and sing. Mrs. A. Ia. Wilkins, the regent of the Eastman Chapter, is training the children. Poor of Dalton to Have Merry Xmas DALTON. Dec. 22.—A table loaded down with provisions and $20 in cash was the result of the charity collec tion taken by the Baraca class at the p'irst Baptist Church yesterday. This, jyith the amount raised bv the Elks’ charity ball and the Empty Stocking Fund committee. gives something over $100 in money and a iarge quantity of provisions and clothing to be distributed among the por on Christmas. There were just about two classes of people in Atlanta Monday—those who had attended The Georgian and Sunday American Empty Stocking Fund free concert in the Forsyth the day before, and those who had been turned away from the doors because of the immense crowd within. As a result of the big concert, the Empty Stocking Fund, praised by blind Helen Keller in a touching ap peal £pom the stage, is several hun dred dollars richer and hundreds of persons are grateful that they had the opportunity to contribute to the cause and at the same time listen to I one of the most pleasing musical pro grams that could be arranged in Al- | lanta. It is doubtful if a more impressive or a more sensible appeal for funds with which to fill the empty stock ings of a city ever was made. Makes Wonderful Appeal. Speaking from the sincere emotion that filled her heart, the. wonderful deaf and blind woman—no longer without speech—called upon the vast audience that she faced, blit saw not, to bring Christmas happiness to the homes of the needy, and not to rest at that, but to follow out this bit of charity' and good fellowship by seeing that reforms are inaugurated which will do away with much of the pov erty and unhappiness that now' af flicts society. She urged the abolition of child la bor. which stunts ana blights the childhood of the nation, and appealed for better conditions for women In all walks of lire. Applause broke Into her remarks from time to time. Her sane and common sense sentiments awakened a hearty response. Her presence,^too. stirred the au dience to a groat admiration for the woman who had overcome obstacles that had seemed insurmountable, who had broken the silence that lasts with others similarly afflicted to the grave. The waves of applause and cheer ing were a tribute to her personality and to her almost miraculous achieve ments, as well as to her sentiment* of carrying the spirit of Christmas into ones everyday life, into legisla tion and into civic reform She spoke with some effort, a cir cumstance that heightened rather than lessened the interest in her ad dress. The marvel was that she could articulate at all. By her side stood the faithful teach er, Mrs. John Mac.y, to whose efforts, coupled with the indomitable per severance of the pupil, is due the re markable accomplishments of Miss Keller. f Gives $10 to Fund. Mrs. Maey repeated after Miss Keller the sentences that she uttered in order that those in the furthereat parts of the house might not miss a word. Occasionally in her eagerness to say' the words that were in her heart, she hurried on for several sen tences and Mrs. Maey had some difficulty In catching up. And then, after Miss Keller had finished her appeal for the little chil dren of Atlanta and for their moth ers and had showed the sincerity of her spirit by contributing the first $10 to the Empty Stocking Fund, ushers went about the crowd with children’s stockings strung on wire loops. There was an instant reaching for purses and pocketbooks. No one wished to be missed. Chil dren in more fortunate circumstances than those for whom the fund is being raised put in their pennies and nick els, while their parents looked on in proud approval. It was a general and cheerful response. One Man Gives I. O. U. Within a few tninutes the toes of the little stockings were weighted with coin and stuffed with bills. Evei*y denomination was represent ed. One man put in an I. O. L\ for $1. “I had only 20 cents In nTy pocket.” he explained, “and no one could think of paying less than $1 for that, con cert, leaving out the charitable mo tive entirely.” And he was right. The orchestras and bands probably never played any better in their careers. The singers outdid themselves in their efforts to please and entertain the crowd. They were doing it for the little ones, and they were doing it right. They were contributing their ser vices without a cent of return, and they appeared to be getting as much pleasure and satisfaction out of it as the highly delighted crowd. Players Score “Hits.” There were encores and encores. The orchestras and bands of C. E. Barber, J. P. Matthiessen and Fred Wedemeyer were forced repeatedly to bow to the will of the great crowd and play again. Lee’s Hawaiian Trio, with their setting of tropical scenery and their curious Hawaiian harmonies, proved high favorites and they were called back, singly and together, time and again. Then there was the talented Stein way Quartet from the Vaudette Theater and the Monarch Harmony Four from the Alamo. The qu&rtete made a hit with their selections. They sang with all their heart and with all their ability. Bo/ Musician Gets Ovation. One of the prettiest of the musical selections was the cornet and trom bone duet by Messrs. Cox and Bar ber. The cornet solo by brilliant young Leon McConviU© aiso was a feature. He received nn ovation before he ever began to play, and this was re doubled when he had shown his skill. The lad demonstrated a talent that many musicians of years of expe rience lack and found a warm place in the hearts of each of the 2,200 per son* who heard him. And what an inspiration the musi cians had! Not only were they play ing for the poor children of Atlanta, the gallery' they continued. People sat on the stairs in the rear of the building. They would have stood In the aisles had the watchful police and firemen let them As it was, they leaned against pillars and covertly found places of vantage where they could see the stage as well hr hear the music. Where the seats ended in the rear of the building people stood packed from there to the doors. It was the same in the balcony, and in the gallery there were probably a hundred who were unable to And seats. Outside there was a crowd insist ing on getting in. The doors opened at 2 o’clock. Scores Turned Away. The place was taken by storm but occasionally some fortunate per son a little more resourceful was able to get the door opened to him. For half an hour after the concert began the vestibule of the theater was packed with persons who had ar rived too late. A half hour later they had left In despair, but as many more had taken their places. Here are the new additions to the Empty Stocking Fund: Forsyth Concert 272.00 Helen Keller 10.00 Atlanta Theater Orchestra, W. W. Hubner, director ... Netta Russell Biddle ... Arthur T. Smart George Schley. Jr Miss Hattie Hernstadt . J. M. Comer Ernest Fuller 10.00 1.00 5.00 2.00 1.00 1.00 .50 Typewriters rented 4 mos., $5 up. Am. Wtg. Mach. Co. NO MATTER WHAT YOU WANT, It will save you time and money If ynu use Wears! s Sunday American and At lanta Georgian. SOUTHERN EXPRESS ^ IS HANDLING THE CHRISTMAS RUSH Years of experience enables the Southern Express Company to handle Christmas shipments with ease and satisfaction to its patrons. The service is standard through out the year. SOUTHERN EXPRESS CO.