Taking advantage of conditions and circumstances, the number of friends increased so rapidly that when cold weather set in, over a hundred little hustling friends of the street were added to the list. Winter came with snow and ice and cold winds, making it hard for the carriers to deliver their papers before the breakfast hour. The little sellers were heard only a short time after the newspaper editions were out, and they were compelled to seek warm places. It was noticeable that the saloons of the city were the only places open to these boys seeking shelter and warmth. There were several gentlemen in the city heartily in sympathy with the new movement among the newsboys, and among them was a generous clothier who presented, through the gentleman, fifty overcoats to be given to the poorest newsboys. To select fifty of the most deserving, for the entire hundred were in want, was a very difficult task, especially as those interested had but little experience with boys of the street. But Jimmy came to the rescue and he and the gentleman began to deliver the coats. When forty-five coats were given there remained twenty boys who were equally as needy as the others and there were but five coats left. How to select five boys from this number was the question. Jimmy accomplished it. The next day the gentleman was asked to go into the alley in the rear of the post-office where he met about sixty boys. Twenty of the poorest, those whose names were booked for coats, were asked to “stand in line against the building.” Jimmy asked them to name five of their number who were very poor. “You see, Kids,” said Jimmy, “we have only five coats and if you select the five boys needing them it is all right.” The boys quickly named the lucky sellers. Midnight, Peanuts, Bluster, Swipsey and Bundle were unanimously chosen and the orders were given to them. This was a great surprise to the gentleman, for what he had imagined would be a difficult problem was satisfactorily settled in a very few moments by the boys. “Boys, come close to me,” said the gentleman. It was difficult for him to stand as they crowded so closely around him. “I am surprised at your way of doing business. This is one of the greatest things I ever saw. It shows you boys can take care of yourselves and I believe you could manage worse things than dividing up a lot of coats. For this nice little act of yours I am going to give you a first-class Christmas dinner—” Not another word could be heard. That quiet, listening bunch of boys was quickly changed to a turbulent, noisy crowd. Several policeman came into the alley to see the cause of the noise. It wasn’t common everyday cheering, but yelling. The invitation was accepted—it seemed by a thousand voices. “All right, boys, get your little friends and meet me at the post-office steps Christmas morning at eleven o’clock.” “Say, Mister,” said Swipsey, a bootblack, “only sellers and bootblacks in this deal?”