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About The Chemawa American (Chemawa, Or.) 19??-current | View Entire Issue (Dec. 7, 1927)
THE CHEMAWA AMERICAN LOCAL The practice cottage is almost completed. The blacksmith boys are very busy ironing wagons. The choir is now practicing for the Christmas pageant. “Jake” is now signing his name “Jacob Francis Atkins.” James Spencer is the latest new arrival. James is a sophomore. Geraldine Raymond was called to her home recently on account of illness in the family. The seniors are now rehearsing their class play which will be given during the holidays. A complete schedule of Sunday morning inspection details will be published in the next issue. Nora Lande departed for her home at Billings, Mon tana on Tuesday morning. Nora was in the sopho more class and will be missed by her many friends. Leander Wilson, Peter McClusky, Aaron Isaacs and Michael Hanson are members of a new quartet. The boys sang for the first time on a recent Sunday evening and certainly did well. Edward Ridley and wife visited Raymond Haldane and the Booth brothers on Wednesday evening. They are from Alaska and the boys were certainly glad to see them. Mr. Ridley had a brother, Wilbur Ridley, here in the class of ’24. The Y. M. C. A. held their regular meeting in the “Y” room Nov. 20. The topic for discussion was “Reasons for maintaining a high personal health stand ard.” Different members gave many reasons. The meeting was interesting as well as helpful to those present. Mrs. DePoe gave the Wednesday school assemblies a most interesting talk about Neah Bay, where she was a teacher for six years. Her account of hunting of seals and fishing was intensely interesting. In the morning a group of girls sang a very original song entitled “Gravy,” while in the afternoon a group of boys sang equally well the song, * ‘ Lazy John. ’ ’ The Sophomore Boys held a declamation contest all their own on Wednesday morning. The class selected Joseph Matt, Myron Anderson, Eldred George, Joseph Alexander, Robert Perkins, Julian Smith, Gif ford Monroe and Thurman DeMarris as contestants. They recited “The Quality of Mercy” from the “Merchant of Venice.” The class voted Thurman DeMarris the winner. The Home Economics Club did themselves proud in their social Saturday evening. A three-course dinner was served. The following numbers were given during the dinner: Welcome, Vera Korter; Response, Mr. Carroll; Our Faculty, Margaret Maupin; Response, Mrs. Davis; Chemawa Boys, Emma Sexton; H. E. C. Girls, Moses George. An orchestra fur nished music during the latter part of the evening and helped the girls in providing a really delightful evening for their guests. THE UN CHRISTIAN LIKE CHRISTMAS On account of the good common sense of the article we are running the following excerpts from the Hough ton Line: PAGE 3 Well! Here we are again! December, as usual, will be devoted mostly to cele brating the birth of Christ by doing practically every thing that is not Christlike. We are not very familiar with the details as to how they celebrate Christmas in other countries, but in the United States Christmas is the one annual national farce. The waste of the American people at Christmas time is stupendous, and Christ did not teach waste. John Henry Bookkeeper buys his wife a fur coat, in spite of the fact that he has a substantial mortgage on his home, just because he wants to make Samuel Sales man’s wife jealous and thus make Sam uncomfortable. Joseph Shopkeeper buys a new car for his wife, just because his neighbor bought one, although he has re cently renewed the notes which he owes for merchan dise. Mrs. Motorman buys the largest tree possible and trims it with the greatest quantity of ornaments, be cause she wants her kiddies to have the best tree in the neighborhood and thus make all of the neighbors (kiddies and adults alike) envious. Jones gives to Brown, not because Jones wants to give, or can afford to give, but because he is afraid that Brown is going to give to him, and he would feel ashamed of himself if he did not reciprocate. The women work long hours into the night, neglect their children and household duties and impair their health, making fancy work for presents because they cannot afford to pay cash for them. The chap who needs the least usually obtains the most and most of that which he receives is useless trash to him. We know of a millionaire who received four bath robes, three cigar cutters, one cigar lighter, eight boxes of cigars and two pipes last Christmas—and he does not smoke. We know a young man who spent the better part of a day selecting an expensive rug of suitable design for a young married couple and they ascertained where it was purchased and traded it in for a radio set. In our establishment the employes are not per mitted to give presents to their superiors, nor are the superiors permitted to receive them. Imagine, if you please, a young woman clerk, taxing her wits to ob tain money and credit enough to buy presents for her immediate family and friends, feeling compelled to give her hard-earned money to buy the head of her department a present. Of course there was competi tion among the employes to give the best present, this competition being too often prompted not so much by love and respect for the head of the department as by a desire to curry favor. If you ask us what one single event more than any other is the beginning of divorce, family unhappiness, financial embarrassment and human discouragement, we would unhesitatingly say, “This un-Christlike thing we call Christmas.”
