Newspaper Page Text
THE ATLANTA GEORGIAN AND NEWS.
KELLER PRAISES XMAS FUND IN FREE CONCERT TALK
Jammed at Empty Stockings Benefit; Scores Are Turned Away
Helen Keller
(right) and her
mother, who are
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
hut they were being: cheered and ap
plauded by one of the largest crowds
ever Inside the Forsyth Then ter.
Every seat was filled. Before them
in the parquet the performers saw a
*ea of faces. Where these left off
the balcony began, and up, up into
Within a few minutes a person h
difficulty in gaining entrance. At
o’clock, when the concert opened,
was an impossibility.
The doormen ware obdurate,
varieties of pleas were made for pr
mission to enter. Most of the
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 Macy, 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 Commission
to-day permitted increases on West
ern railroads on grain shipments to
the Bast 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 he 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. Me*
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.
Atlanta Musicians Given Ovations.
Several Hundred Dollars
Added to Fund.
OPPENHEIM’S CIGARS
a i
»»
‘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 by giving a
box of one of these famous brands of Im
ported Cigars for a Christmas Gift.
WEBSTER CIGARS
Hoyo de Monterey,
Romeo and Juliette,
La Escepcion,
Van Dycks,
Standard Oil Banker
Is Stricken at Golf
NEW YORK, Dec. 22,-Joseph T.
Talbert, vice president of the Nation
al City Bank, known In Wall street
as the Standard Oil bank, has suf
fered a stroke of paralysis and Is se
riously ill at the Garden City Hotel,
on l.onR Island.
Mr. Talbert, one of the leading
financiers of America, was stricken
Saturday while playing golf, but news
of his illness did not become public
until to-day.
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, Daughter* 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. L. Wilkins,
the regent of the Eastman ChapteT,
is training the children.
Poor of Dalton to
Have Merry Xmas
DALTON, Dec. 22.—A table loaded
down with provisions and $20 in caah
was the result of the charity collec
tion taken by the Baraca class at the
First Baptist Church yesterday.
This, with the amount raised by
! the Elks’ charily ball and tbe Empty
ting Fund committee. gives
something over $100 in money and a
large quantity of provisions ami
clothing to be distributed among the
por on Christmas.
There were just about two classes
of people in Atlanta Monday—those
who had attended Tlfe 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 from the stage, is severs 1 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
one of the most pleasing musical pro
grams that could be arranged in At
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, but 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 muoh of the pov
erty and unhappiness that now af
flicts society.
She urged the abolition of child la
bor. which stunts and 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 great 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 sentiments
of carrying the spirit of Christmas
into one’s everyday life, into legisla
tion and into civic reform.
She spo'ke 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 Macy, to whose efforts,
coupled with the Indomitable per
severance of the pupil, is due the re
markable accomplishments of Miss
Keller.
Gives $10 to Fund.
Mrs. Macy repeated after Miss
Keller the sentences that she uttered
in order that those in the furtherest
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. Macy 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 w’ent 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 I
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 minutes the toes of
the little stockings were weighted
with coin and stuffed with bills.
Every denomination was represent
ed. One man put in an I. O. TJ. for $J
“I had only 20 cents in my 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, ami
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.
Player. Score “Hits.”
There were encores and encores.
The orchestras and bands of C. E
Barber, J. P. Matthiessen and Prod
Wedemeyer were forced repeatedly to
bow to the will of the great crowd
and play again.
Lees Hawaiian Trio, with their
setting of tropical scenery and their
curious Hawaiian harmnnies, proved
high favorites and they were railed
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 quartete
made a hit with their selections.
They sang with all their heart and
with all their ability.
Boy Musician Gets Ovation.
One of the prettiest of the musical
selections was the cornet and trom
bone duet by Messrs. Fox and Bar
ber. The cornet solo by brilliant
young Leon McConvllle aiso was h
feature.
He received an ovation before he
ever began to play, and this was re
doubled when he had shown his skill.
Tiie 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
sons w’ho heard him.
And what an inspiration the musi
cians had! Not only were they play
ing foT 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 as hear the m^istc.
Where the seats ended in the rear
of the building people stood packed
from there to the doors.
It was the same lri the balcony, and
In the gallery there were probably a
hundred who w'.re unable to find
seats.
Outside there was a crowd Insist-
imr 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 10.00
Netta Russell Biddle 1.00
Arthur T. Smart . .>•>,..^4 5.00
George Schley, Jr ***,«<•• 2.00
Miss Hattie Hernatadt *>*,.#• 1.00
J. M. Comer . — 1.00
Ernest Fuller . .50
Typewriters rented 4 mos.,
$5 up. Am. Wtg. Mach. Co.
NO MATTER WHAT YOU W A NT. 1t j
will save you time and money if you
use Heart-f « Sunday American and At
lan la Georgian. ,
SOUTHERN EXPRESS
^ h ISHANDLINGTHE
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