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About La Grande evening observer. (La Grande, Or.) 1904-1959 | View Entire Issue (Dec. 25, 1915)
SAlUKlUl, JJlLLiWllHUl -J, iJ-i'J. LA UliAJS JJiii tl V lhSS IIS Lr UJb.bK V ILli PAGE TWO Letters to Santa Claus ITH the approach of Christ mas ; each year the Santa Claus Association of New York, which each Christmas tries to answer the requests of thousands of poor children who would otherwise receive no presents Christmas morning, receives hundreds of letters each day from all parts of the United States and Canada. ' Below are a few of the hun dreds of letters received by the association. The first Is from a Uttle girl In the Bronx: Dear Santa Claus Do you Uv far? Would you pleats com up my bousa Christmas day? h Ross, ten years of an wants a doll; John, seven, wants a an stum; Alice, about five, wants a doll: Beatrice, ..Juat more than three, wants a set of dlsbaa, and Andrew, not two yet, wants a Teddy bear. P. 8.-I hope to set wbat I ask for. I am very poor, and my father la not working-. Your lit tle friend, ROSB , This letter was received from a little girl whose home Is on the west side not far from Times square: Pear Santa Claua I heard about your great klndneas to poor chil dren, and I hope you will be good to us. I have a little cripple sis ter and a baby sister and brother. My little cripple sinter Is only Ave, and my papa has been out of work all summer. 1 hope you will answer aoon and, won't for get us. Your little girl friend, HARRIET A ' six-year-old lad . whose home Is In a distant part of Brooklyn sent this letter to the general postofflce. The let ter was forwarded to the Santa Claua association: Dear Santy I wants a nice small train, not a expensive one one .that's Just strong and will last long time. This Is all I want, and we can't afford nothing this winter. Tours truly, DONALD . This letter has bi-en received from ft child whose home Is In a small town In the northern part of Ontario, Canada: Dear Krlrnd Sunlu Claua I am a very little girl, not ten years old, and both my parents are very poor, and they eulrt they couldn't bring me nothing this Christmas, and what I want is a pair of ice skates and, If you can spare them, also a pair of hockey boots. Your little friend, MABEI, -. . Little Miss Mabel's seven-year-old sister, Ethel, also ask ed for a pair of skates and added that she would consider the gift "a Tory beautiful and likewise a precious one." ' ' Most of the letters are pa thetic, of course, but the asso ciation also receives some very ludicrous requests. , SUNDAY SCHOOL CHRIST MAS TREE, This is a custom practiced by a Sunday school where the children are all of the wealthy clasa, but It is a plan that many schools mny like to try. On the platform stands a beau tiful large tree made gay with ornaments nnd lights, but to tally devoid of prcseuts. The classes assemble, each pupil bringing a gift, marked "for a a girl" or "for a boy," with tbo age of the recipient writ ten on, too, so those who make the distribution will have some idea which Is the pack age to glvo to "who." Tho gifts are carefully wrap ped and mado Just ns "Clirlst masy" looking as possible. When tho class roll Is called responses arc mado by each class going forward and lay lug 'their offerings beside the tree. In return each child is banded an orunno und a Btiiall box of candy, this treat being usually provided by some wealthy parishioner who Is fond of the children and who docs not work regularly lu the Sunday school. Christinas carols and a short service follow, and tho next day the presents aro tnlteu to the city mission or some spe cial charity. Toys and books that ore In perfectly good con dition are accepted, but only such articles ns may be of fered without compunctions of conscience to ono of God's lit tle ones. This general clearing house is a splendid idea, and tho children lenrn the lesson of passing on wbat has given . them pleasure. A denr llttlo mother says that her children were interested all the year in trying to keep their toys "nice" for the sake of the tt "other child's Christmas." f The Christmas candle! Wbat a charming sound It has and what a "homey" picture It conjures before us of the mnny who will attend its burning on Christmas ere! All of us know the legend of the Christmas candle. If It burns clear down to the sock et good luck and prosperity . will attend that household throughout tho jar. w US DON'T UNDERDO CHRISTMAS. Better Overlav'-hnew Than Niggardli ness at Holiday Season. , The things we do at Christmas are touched with o certain grain of extra v- agauce, as beautiful In some of Its aspects as the extravagance of nature In June. It la the children's carnival, tbe mid summer of charity to tbe poor, the springtide of good will to men; the time of the year when heaven opens and angels como down to sing to sailors on the ocean, to old country folks in the loug reaches of new colonies, to people In hospitals, poorhouses. in man sions and "the burs where poor men He;" tbe time when the atmosphere is just right for clear burning fires, and it would be something of a shame for the wind to send the smoke down any chimney as It does a week before or after; when there Is a goodly smell abroad, as if tbe frankincense tbe wise man brought on a day long ago to tem per the taint of a stable bad got into this whole world of ours, as a trailing cloud of the odors of spiced bread; when tbe poorest platters and mugs take a touch of fine recklessness bv reason of the thoughtfulnesg of those who have bread enough and to spare; when tbe Christmas tree grows all ra diant and fruitful, as no other tree which blooms through the year, for It bears at least twelve manners of fruit, and the leaves of the tree are for tbe healing of the nations. I would not, therefore, Insult Christ, mas by underdoing It The man who then does most for his fellow men, ac cording to his means, does beat We can give the tramp who romos to oar back door a royal cup of coffee Christ mas morning with a good grace, though we have to see that he does not run away with the spoon. They are wide pages tho angel opens in the book of life at Christmas, and when we do our best we cannot do it quicker than he can write it down. Rev, Dr. Robert Collyer. CHRIST'S COMING. Well May It Be Celebrated With. Joy and Thanksgiving. Well ' may tho great event which Christmas commemorates be every where devoutly oelebrutcd with Joy and thanksgiving. Well may its anni versary bo everywhere hailed ns a time of special gladness, a time when every heart shall expand and every baud be generously open;, when, enmities shall be forgotten and universal good will prevail; whou gifts from friend to friend shuil abound, and especially gifts from those who have an abun dance of this world's goods to those who are scantily furnished with them. Christmas commemorates the com ing of our Divine Lord to earth, to bring light and Joy and gladness and to "give gifts to men." even the great est and most precious of all gifts the gift of salvation. We rejoice in tho making and receiving of earthly gifts. How much more should we give evi dence of Joy In tbe acceptance of the greatest of spiritual gifts! ev. ik w-x. w-Xe tv-in. v. f TiJtVr Origin of Gift Giving. It la believed by many that our cus tom of giving gifts comes from an old custom of priests putting on board of all outgoing ships a box for alms. Tills box was opened at Christmas time and masses said for the giving of alms, and It was called a "Christ Mass" box. From this has come our custom of giving boxes and gifts. Christmas All the Year. Doubtless children wish that Christ mas would last all the year, and in a nobler sense It might nnd ought to dis pense Its blessings throughout every season. We should not be content with only an annual melting into tenderness toward our brethren, but should per petually cultivate the spirit of unself ishness and practical love. Christmas Roily Tho greater part of the holly that Is used for Christmas deconillon in tho. western part of the United States comes from southern Arkansas and Texas, where the "American holly" at- tnlns a greater size and a more perfect form than anywhere else In this coun try. It grows there to a height of from forty to fifty fceU Tho native hollies, some of them evergreen, others deciduous In habit, are as a family of considerable Interest at this tunc. Tho group of plants to which these belong, known botunlcally as tbe ilex family, soino of which are shrubs nnd some of tree size, is widely distributed through tbe tropical nnd temperate regions of tbe globe. About a dozen of its members are nntlvo to eastern North America; five attain to the dignity of trees. Four of these be long only to regions southward of New England, but one brings Its northerly range to the vicinity of Boston. It Is evergreen in habit, like its Eng lish couslu, which it resembles also In general appearance nnd particularly in Ira leaven,, which are rather oval in shape, though small at both ends, .with edges coarsely toothed nnd armed with sharp spines, stiff in texture, wavy nnd picturesque In surface and effect and of a dark glosBy green color. In tbe autumn the trees show rich clusters of red berries gleaming thrungh tbe follnge lu the most cheer ful manner. They may, In fact, take the place In some degree of the de lightful British plant,, which most tin fortunately will not ' endure our cli mate, though one sees Its plump form flourishing In tho moat rugged health round the wooded shores of Loch Lo mond, tn Scotland, and that Is nearly m far north a Um middle of Hudson bay, la British NorUe America. Christmas In the Army nETriElt at borne or In the Philippine Islands, Christmas is observed In tbe homes of the United States army officers and enlisted men with families, Just as It Is among civilians. Tbe bachelors who wear side arms generally see to it that the table at the officers' mess and that the club .quartera have their supplies of holly. At most of tbe army posts all duties except the necessary guard and fa tigue are suspended. Interesting Christmas tree exer cises are held, with presents for old and young. Santa Claua Is generally impersonated by an of ficer, and at some of the posts the children are entertained with mov ing pictures of Christmas panto mimes and with Christmas music There used to be a custom in tbe army of going along the line on Christmas morning and looking at the gifts every one had received. The married people went to the bachelors' quarters, almost every one taking some little remem brance. In the far western posts In the old days homemade candy or cakes were made and presented. The wives of tbe officers every Christmas used to send to the en listed men of their bUBbanfb' com panies large plum cakes. Extra good rations during the Christmas holidays are now a spe cial feature at the most Isolated ot the army posts In tbe United States or among the foreign pos sessions. Tho choice viands now served are In marked contrast with those obtainable in tbe old days of roughing It on the fron tier. v . Years ago canned goods from the commissary bad to be depend ed upon, and the meat consisted of beef. Hunting parties were made up, in which case there was a treat to buffalo or antelope. Christmas boxes were eagerly awaited from relatives and friends in tbo east. The day before every officer and enlisted man who could go to town did so to meet the stage with the precious boxes. At some of tbe isolated western posts dinners were given to friend ly Indians, and It was an event of a lifetime to see scouts, squaws and papooses, gaudily dressed, do ing Justice to a Bpread of turkeys and other good things., Church Decorations Are Old. Tbe decorating of the churches with greens is a custom of which tbe origin dates back to days be fore the Christian era. At the feast of the Tabernacle the Jews gath ered palm and olive branches and other greens to decorate their tem ples, and the heathen used such decorations for many of their fes tivals. CHRISTMA8 IN 1813. We aro among those who have been accustomed to halt tbe return of this day as a day devoted to tho purposes both of religious and social duties. Having in the morn ing performed our devotional exercises In grateful recollec tion of him who brought life aqd Immortality to a benight ed world and who has taught bis followers by tbe simplest and purest yet most sublime and salutary preceptB how to obtain present comfort nnd fu ture happiness, wo may In the after pnrt of tbe dity meet our friends nnd relatives In social converse. From tbe morning's devotion and tbe evening's Innocent recreation let us learn to prac tice those benign principles which teach us to check as perities and to banish preju dices, to cultivate neighborly affections nnd to cherish those amlcablo sympathies niidchiir itles, both moral and political, which should distinguish us as Christians In deed ns well ns In name. By n sincere en deavor to perform these duties and every Christian ought to perform them such of our renders ns shall be permitted by Dlvlno Provldeuce to cele brate another anniversary of tbo Messenger of pence and good will to men may in the year 1S14, with humble confi dence, believe that they be come wiser men nnd better members of society nnd hope for admission Into another nnd a better world. An Edl torB Greeting to His Readers a Century Ago. 0. Mince pies wore known In EuRlnnd In tho sixteenth cen tury as "mution pics," tbe other ingredients being much tho same as today. Later they were called "shred pies" and "Christmas pics," as In Hi-r-rick's ocms. lie refers to tho old practice of setting a watch on Christmas eve over the great store of mince plea made for tbe morrow's feait iUL2U TlfSBT!WSw'77u Ararsted on Wife'a Complaint, Cdntralia, Wash,, Dec. 23,-iSun-day night Mat Wirsdorfer, proprie tor of the Lennox hotel, was arrested on a charge of assault perferred by his wife. Later Wirsdorfer had Ray Wheeler arrested on a felony charge. Yesterday afternoon Justice Charles Hoss dismissed the case against the hotel man and continued that against Wheeler until tomorrow. Mrs. Wirs- dorfer's two sons are witnesses against Wheeler. O. A. C. iiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiniiiii FARMERS' AND HOME-MAKERS' WEEK and RURAL LIFE CONFERENCES January 3 to 8, 1916 Live Information. Practical Help for the Hesse the Parm, tbe Commuulty. Conventions of Oregon's Greatest Industries Conferences on Oregon's Most Vital Problems IKCTURRS I) KMONBTR ATIONS UXHllirriONS KNTKRTAINMKNTS Two thousand people attended last yesr. It is a gTeat place to nmke frieuus with live - thinkers and live thoughts, good workers, and good work. . WINTER SHORT COURSE January 10 to February 4, 1916 s rrsctlcal Agricultural Course in a Nut Shell. Applied Science in Actual Work of the Farm and Household. Courses is FRUIT RAISING, PARM CROPS, SOILS, STOCK RAISING, DAIJKY WORK, Ol5l,TRV RAISING. GARDENING, COOK ING, SKWING, HOU8UHOI.D A RTS, HOMK NURSING, BUSINESS MKTHODS, ROAD Till. DING. PAKMKNGINKHFUNG, RURAL ORGANIZATIONS, MARKETING. Correspondence Courses Without Tuition. Expert Instruction iu Music. Reduced railroad rates. tor program write to The Collect Exchange. Oregon Agricultural College. Censllii. (Iw-fl-i la f-1) ist;t;p vsiti viz LENSES Are designed especially to re lieve all forms of eye strain and to correct more perfectly errors of refraction. A few of the ad vantages of Heacock deep curve lenses are, Clearer Vis ion, Wider Field, Greater Com fort and -Improved Appearance. My work combines that of both oculist and optician. I pre scribe, grind and fit my own glasses. The responsibility is mine the comfort and satis faction is yours. You only have one pair of eyes; take them to the best specialist in La Grande. That's Heacock. HEACOCK EYESIGHT SPECIALIST Office 3rd floor of New Foley Building. . The one perfect front-lace corset with ' that xcluaive VENTILO back, end VENTILO front shield. A model for every possible figure and a price for every purse. $2.00 and up. MRS. ROBERT PATTISON CORSETIERE. Other models at 92.00 op.' Residence 1702 Oak Photo Red 8221 HsWaanmBasBssssssssMHsBBssEassssni NEW NAVEL ORANGES 1 SUNKIST BRAND 4 sizes 25c, 30c, 40c, 50c per dozen. : Sweet Japanese oranges, 20c per dozen. Try a sack of SNOW DROP FLOUR, per sack ... -$1.45 There is nothing better. " PHONE MAIN 70 HARRIS GROCERY 408 North Fir Street, Cross Track What does he say? CALIFORNIA - IS BETTER EVERY YEAR THE climate doesn't change, but there are always some attractions or pleasures added to those of previous years. Take this year the exquisite Exposition at San Diego and movies in the making are added to the us ual tennis, golf, polo and countless California delights. Go to California this winter. Ask anrepresentative of Oregon-Washington Railroad & Navigation Co. UNION PACIFICSYSTEM to help you plan your trip. See your local O-W. R. &? N. agent today, or write the General Passenger Agent, Portland, for literature and full information. "We Wish Xtnas Lasting Thruout CARPENTERS READ Our Xmas offer to any time on FOR RENT OR SALE. We have a house, a few blocks from ihe high school that we will rent to some carpenter, and he can pay the rent by making repairs about the house. This place can be bought on terms just like paving rent, and by fixing and painting up a bit it could be sold at a great profit. If you wish to rent this house for your' spare time, or wish to buy it on your own terms come and see us at once. Let us insure your building, furniture, auto, mer chandise, etc. Geo. H. Currey Op posits) T. M. C. A. Phone, Black 2001 HE WHO MOVES REAL ESTATE Use Our Want Ad Column I 4a m ;. ,............JMi You all True i Cheer the Coming Year" carpenter with some spare his hands. 103 Elm Street La Grande, Oregon. J
