Companies Give Dividends and Bonuses—Parties Planned For Poor Children
The West Virginian December 23, 1922
{ For the next couple of weeks, I will be publishing my blog about what my hometown, Fairmont, W.V., was like in the year 1922 during Christmas. After reading this, I wish we had lived then.]
Dividends are being paid, employees are being given bonuses, and private money is being given to the Salvation Army Christmas Fund, parties for the poor children are being held and the Christmas spirit has everyone in its grip!
Everything above the actual expense of the Par Mar dance, which was given in the Masonic Temple last night, will be given to the Times Christmas fund, and this will probably amount to some twenty or thirty dollars, according to a statement made today by the dance committee.
At a recent meeting of the directors of the First National Bank, the usual 4 percent dividend was declared, and then an extra 2 percent dividend was added as a Christmas present. To the checks given to the bank employees yesterday, a 5 percent bonus on their salaries was added. In order that their employees may have money for the Christmas season, mines and factories, which ordinarily do not pay until the very end of the month, have been busy all week making up their payrolls and distributing checks in the later part of the week. It is estimated that before this evening, more than a million dollars will be paid out by local industrial companies.
The Monongahela Power and Railway Co., which usually pays on the 10th and 25th of the month, gave out its checks yesterday, and they were attached to handsome holiday cards, on which was a Christmas greeting from the officials of the company.
In the Hospital
On Christmas Eve, the nurses of Cook Hospital will have a tree, and they will place on it their presents for each other, and on Christmas Day, a dinner will be served at noon to all the patients that are able to eat it.
In the Fairmont State Hospital there will be a tree for the children who are patients, and Santa Claus will be present to distribute the gifts which are on it. There will be a present for every child, and at noon, a dinner will be served, and there will be a favor for the patient.
The day will be observed approately in the Engle Settlement House {a society that was run by the local churches] on Maple Avenue which is supported by the women of the Diamond Street Methodist Episcopal Church and the Firest Methodist Episcopal Church.
Teachers Get Checks
In order that the money may be spent for Christmas shopping, if it is the desire of the recipients, the teachers of Marion County are receiving a check for two weeks’ wages today. Part of the checks were mailed yesterday and the others are being distributed from the office of the County Superintendent of Schools, Miss Clara Wilson, today.
After today this office will be closed until next Wednesday, during which time a brief Christmas vacation will be enjoyed by Miss Wilson and her secretary, Miss Straught. Work will be resumed in the office on Wednesday, and preparations will be made for the composting of a letter to be sent to all the teachers of the county. The gist of the letter will be an outline of the school plans for 1923, and it will be mailed on January 2.
Entertainment Planned
At Fleming Memorial Chapel, a Christmas entertainment will be held on Christmas evening at 7:15 o’clock under the direction of the Sunday School. Christmas songs will be rendered by the members of the primary department, and the older folks will render the Cantata “Down the Chimney with Santa Claus.”
Party for Newsies
Newsies and agents of the West Virginian are looking forward with great pleasure to next Wednesday evening when a great Christmas celebration will be held in their honor at the newspaper office.
A huge Christmas tree glowing from top to bottom with electric lights and laden with gifts will be the center of attraction for the Christmas party. The tree will be placed in the space just outside the press room. the party will start promptly at 7:30 p.m. next Wednesday, and every newsboy and agent has been requested to be there on time.
There will be gifts from the West Virginian to all the newsies, and it has been suggested that those who have the West Virginian delivered to their homes and who always give their route boy a gift send it to the West Virginia office or call up and have the newspaper send a messenger for the gift. The idea for this request is to have all the gifts on the tree and to distribute them all at the same time.
This Christmas treat will take the place of the annual Newsboys dinner that the West Virginian has been giving each year for a long time on New Year’s Day.
More than 100 baskets of foodstuffs will be delivered to poor families of the city this afternoon by the local branch of the Salvation Army. The baskets were packed last night at headquarters and were ready for the finishing touches this morning, that touch being the placing of a nicely dressed chicken in each basket. In the baskets are bread, potatoes, apples, canned goods, jellies, and other good things to eat. These baskets will mean happiness in many homes. Many will call for their baskets this afternoon, and the others will be taken out in the Salvation Army Ford. It was decided to make the distribution on Saturday instead of Sunday afternoon or Monday morning.
Program at Hammond
A Christmas program will be given at the Hammond School tomorrow evening. The entertainment will consist of a play dialogue, recitations, and a Christmas song. The cast for the play “Christmas Plots” will be composed of Opal Bower, Veronica Kali, Goldie Shaffer, William Sinclair, Rufus Davis, and Lanos Shaffer. A Christmas tree will add interest to the affair, as will the distribution of presents by Santa Claus.
Christmas Business at Phone Exchange Heavy
The central office of the local telephone company is doing a heavy Christmas business. The peak of local calls was reached this week at 33,000, while the long-distance calls reached 500 per day. This is an increase of 200 calls per day over the previous week. The peak load for the same period in 1921 was 28,000 local and 365 long-distance calls. The telephone company has placed additional operators at the switchboard to care for the increased Christmas business.
What a difference a few years make. Fairmont, W.V. was busy always providing for others in the town back in the twenties. I’m sure the weather was cold, and maybe even snow on the ground.
I love that the companies made sure everyone had money for Christmas, and it sounds like no one went hungry. Our towns today still try to help the less fortunate, but unless you work in a thriving business, I expect Christmas bonuses to be a thing of the past.
I hope you enjoyed a little look into the past of my hometown. Below are a few pictures and ads from that time period in Fairmont.
In order that their employees may have money for the Christmas season, mines and factories, which ordinarily do not pay until the end of the month, have been busy all week making up their payrolls and distributing checks the latter part of the week. It is estimated that before this evening, more than a million dollars will be paid out by local industrial companies.
The Monongahela Power and Railway Co., which usually pays on the 10th and 25th of the month, gave out its checks yesterday, and they were attached to handsome holiday cards, on which was a Christmas greeting from the officials of the company.
In the Hospitals
On Christmas Eve, the nurses of Cook Hospital will have a tree, and they will place upon it their presents for each other, and on Christmas Day, a dinner will be served at noon to all the patients that are able to eat.
In the Fairmont State Hospital, there will be a tree for the children who are patients, and Santa Claus will be present to distribute the gifts that are on it.