by Paul R. Spitzzeri
As greater Los Angeles continued to grow during the region’s first significant and sustained development book, taking place in the late 1860s and first half of the subsequent decade, and, as Christmas maintained its ascent in popularity among American holidays, the two made their upward march hand-in-hand. We look now at media references to the Yuletide season in the year 1871, with some familiar elements and new ones, to boot.
Speaking of boots, some of the city’s retailers were avid advertisers of their wares for the holidays, which included the more popular New Year’s Day. T.A. Mauricio let readers of the Los Angeles Star, in its edition of 4 December, that he, at his Los Angeles Pioneer Candy Manufactory, “lately received a rich lot of BOXES direct from Europe for CHRISTMAS AND NEW YEAR’S PRESENTS” along with his usual stock of goodies, while he added that he offered “a complete assortment of ORNAMENTAL BOXES, for presents.”
In its issues of the 13th through 15th, the paper also ran ads from other merchants. This included the Dollar Store, located in the building of the United States Hotel in Main Street, which wished readers the felicitations of the holidays and exhorted that “now is the time to make your CHRISTMAS AND NEW YEAR’S PRESENTS TO YOUR Children, Sweethearts and Friends” because the store “is the only place where you can find a complete assortment of all kinds of FANCY GOODS AND TOYS.” The Los Angeles News added that,
Christmas is coming, and the little folks are looking forward eagerly for the appearance of old Santa Claus with their holiday presents for good behavior during the expiring year. Santa Claus’ patrons can be found at the Dollar Store.
Blaring out “CHRISTMAS! CHRISTMAS! CHRISTMAS PRESENTS!!” was Charles Ducommun, in business for some two decades and located at the corner of Main and Commercial streets. He informed readers of the Star of his “splendid stock of New Jewelry, Diamonds, Watches, and Silverware.” Moreover, “a large assortment of TOYS AND FANCY GOODS [were] just received, and which will be sold cheap.”
An addition to the assemblage of ads from Angel City merchants was Valentine Wolfenstein, who was one of the early photographers to ply his trade in town. The Star, on the 14th, reminded its readers that “at Wolfenstein’s Gallery we noticed yesterday a greater quantity of magnificent pictures than we have ever seen made in Los Angeles,” while it added that “several of these pictures are being ordered for Christmas gifts.”
At the bookstore of Brodrick and Reilly, the News of the 17th listed new books available, including works involving conversations with the poet Lord Byron recorded by the Countess of Blessington; a pair of cookbooks; a study of Roman Imperialism; and Charles Dickens’ classic, “A Christmas Carol,” this being the only of those mentioned that is still read today.
We are used to seeing Christmas trees offered for sale around Thanksgiving, but the Star of the 21st remarked “the first Christmas tree of the season, passed up Main street yesterday afternoon” and noted that “it was imported from the romantic hills of the Azusa,” meaning the San Gabriel Mountains above the rancho of that name and not far north of the Homestead.
Two days later, the Star reported, tongue planted firmly in cheek, that,
Our streets have been for the last three day decorated with miniature pine trees. A boy was caught yesterday afternoon, exercising his sagacity as to the best mode of having a Christmas gift, without having one bequeathed. The owner of the tree, deeming the ambition of the boy premature, checked the young scamp, by grabbing him by the collar, and telling him to “drop that tree.” The boy said that he found it. When asked where? he said he didn’t know. Obtaining his liberty, he ran a few steps, turned around, and had the impudence to ask for the tree, and said “he must have one.”
Owners of Christmas trees, beware! This limb of the law is at large.
Another holiday component that received previous mention in this series was a turkey raffle and the Star of the 13th briefly mentioned that there would be a “grand” one for three hours that evening in the quarters of the wine room of Weldon and Chambers in the Downey Block, at the northwest corner of Main and Temple streets where the federal courthouse now stands. It was added that the raffle was a “rare chance to get a fine fat turkey for Christmas, and plenty of fun, at Keno and High Dice.”
The only located public Christmas ball was an annual one at El Monte, with the News of the 12th stating that the Jones’ Hotel shindig was taking place on the evening of the holiday and it was added that “the hotel has undergone some changes lately, and has been greatly improved in its external appearance, as well as in its interior arrangements.” Moreover, “the dining room has received an addition of forty feet in its length, which makes it one of the best floors in the county for a hop [dance].”
Speaking of food, another new type of advertisement concerned holiday restaurant meals at the Overland Dining Saloon, identified as “opposite the Court House, corner of Market and Spring street.” This was in the southwest corner of the first Temple Block structure, completed in 1857 by Jonathan Temple, with Market Street, a short thoroughfare between Main and Spring between the Block and the Courthouse and which has long been gone.
The ad informed readers,
There is much competition going on in the line of eating. Several “masticatists” have been practicing the quickest way of getting rid of the largest amount of victuals, but as yet have not astonished anyone by their gastronomic accomplishments, from the fact that their boarding house keepers generally shut up their establishments, or raise the price of provender on them. Now, if you want a good, solid, square meal, Christmas, or any other day, go to the Overland Dining Saloon.
While horse races were offered at what became Agricultural (now Exposition) Park for the previous year’s holiday, there were other sports that took place on Christmas. One was discussed in the edition of the 28th in the News and was not approved by that paper:
The back yard of a disreputable restaurant, near the [Los Angeles and San Pedro Railroad, on Alameda and Commercial streets] depot, was the scene of a prize fight on Christmas day . . . the whole proceedings were couducted [sic] after the rules and regulations of the prize ring. The exhibition was conducted throughout without any interference on the part of the police authorities, who profess ignorance of the affair until it was over. Several little skirmishes have occurred in that locality lately, and it might be just as well for the same to be placed under strict surveillance hereafter.
For the Angel City’s Spanish-speaking population, an old tradition was apparently in the offing as the Star in its number of the 7th remarked that “extensive preparations are being made to have a regular rough and tumble, bucking, jar[r]ing, bull fight in Sonora Town,” this being the predominantly Latino section between the Plaza and the Elysian Hills, “on or about Christmas.”
Church-related holiday festivities remained the most common public means of celebrating Christmas, of course, and the News of the 5th mentioned that, at the Methodist Church, “a Christmas tree is promised on Christmas eve, and a fair sum of money has already been collected for that purpose.” Two weeks later, the paper commented that, at the Congregational Church, services and a Sunday School concert, with some 250 members attending, involved “the collection . . . for the benefit of a Christmas tree for the Sunday-school children” bringing in $35.
The Star, two days after the holiday, reported that “last evening a large concourse of people” met at the edifice “to see the Christmas tree and witness the presentation of gifts and the evening’s entertainment.” The crowd was such that chairs were brought in and placed in the aisles and almost all men gave up their seats to women “so great was the magnetic influence of a Christian smile.” The event began with music and singing and the paper then observed that,
The tree was handsomely decorated. On the top a small flag floated, beneath which were miniature colored wax candles, which contrasted splendidly with the bright shining ornaments with which the tree was almost literally weighed down.
Bugles, dolls, worsted work, glove boxes, candies and all kinds of tin toys, besides a large quantity of other interesting articles for the “little ones” were liberally, distributed amongst them. They all seemed pleased; in fact a spirit of elation pervaded the souls of one and all, both old and young.
At St. Athanasius’ Episcopal Church, the first purpose-built house of worship in the city when it opened in 1864, a small fund was established for a Christmas event, but around the 11th, the edifice was broken into and money stolen, including between $40 and $50 collected for the program, with the Star of the 18th reporting that “the children of each [Sunday School] class had been busily engaged in making contributions for the purpose of getting enough money to buy a Christmas tree, and to have a glorious celebration on that day.”
Police Officer George E. Gard, later the chief and then county sheriff and a founder of what became the San Gabriel Valley city of Glendora, learned that the wanted man was in the Antelope Valley area and captured him. The paper added that “this man is said to be one of the prominent leaders of that portion of the mob which done the killing during the riot,” which took place on 24 October and involved the lynching 19 Chinese males, including a teen, and found a watch on the person of the alleged thief, who identified himself as David Thompson and who said he’d been sleeping in the church for two months. While he admitted his crime and thought he’d get a year or two in prison, he was sentenced to six years at San Quentin.
Because of rain, the church holiday event was postponed a couple of days because of a rainstorm, with the News of the 30th reporting on what it said was the seventh annual one. The program included the presentation of “A Christmas Carol,” the singing of “We Three Kings of Orient Are” and “Silent Night,” and “then came the most important feature of all, the distribution of presents,” which the pupils, it was recorded, were most anxious about for several days past. The paper continued,
A beautiful Christmas tree, containing trinkets, toys and candies, of all descriptions and sizes, dangling from its slender boughs, had been erected on the rostrum. Until the supreme moment of distribution had arrived this had been obscured from view by a curtain hanging from the ceiling. Festoons of evergreens extended in front; the windows were also surrounded with similar decorations. The prizes were then distributed among those who are regular attendants at the Sunday-school, and after rendering “Gloria in Excelsis,” and the benediction pronounced, the congregation was dismissed, and the little ones returned homeward, thankful to Santa Claus for his late, but still welcome, visit.
That day, the Star briefly remarked that “the last remains of Christmas can be seen in a tree sprouting from the top of the lamp-post on the corner of Main and Temple streets, minus its presents; but not its limbs and verdure.” Another tangential reference in the News of the 27th concerned the attempts, in vain, of a man to find someone to officiate the wedding of his son, but none could “see the point of rushing through the mud and rain and leaving a good dinner behind, untasted, for the purpose of making others happy at the sacrifice of their own comfort.” While the ceremony was delayed until the day after Christmas, “the wedding feast, however, was partaken of on Christmas Day, and the night was spent in ‘tripping the light, fantastic toe.'”
We’ll close with ruminations found in the Star in its holiday edition under the heading of “A Righte Merrie Christmas” and which briefly recounted the story of Jesus before observing that “zealous theology and daring unbelief will jostle against each other with earnest acrimony.” It continued that “wherever science diffuses its enlightening rays and good laws, [and] soften and control mankind into virtuous purpose, the human race are this hour celebrating the natal day of the Jew-sprung Emanuel.”
The paper remarked that “whether Christ Jesus was endowed with extraordinary human faculties alone, or gifted with supernatural powers from on high—whether man or God—should detract nothing.” It was asserted that, in the centuries since the crucifixion, “guided by His injunctions, the world is rapidly advancing to intellectual might and moral purity” and “power nestles with machinery and intelligence,” while “art and science, locked in earnest embrace, are speeding along in the same triumphal car.”
It was even claimed that “nations are fraternizing in emulous amity” while the movement for the good and happiness of individuals was “lifting each mortal to the skies, and to his future of bliss, and to his God.” This was all due to “the work and triumph of the lowly offspring of the mechanical Joseph and Mary, his humble spouse” to whom was “due the mighty and majestic progress of the human family.” The piece then concluded,
All Hail Christmas!
The natal day of Christ, the Redeemer of the world. Let there be no carping or sourness on this day. Let old age by quickened with joy, yet reverent. Let middle age brush care aside and exult, and yet be reverent. Let mature manhood dissolve in happiness, and still be reverent. Let childhood be very gleeful, and yet reverent. It is the natal day of Jesus, the dear saviour of our race.
We will return next Tuesday with the last of this year’s “The Evolution of Christmas” posts, carrying our look at holiday references in Angel City newspapers into the year 1872, so be sure to join us then!