6
TH« SANDY (Or«.) POST Thur*., D m . 25, 1969 (S m . 2)
Birth of Santa Claus
By PRESTON TAYLOR
“Yes in those days children,”
he said, “there wasn’t a man
Now my children if you will
who could fight or out ride
pull up a chair, I will tell you
how I came to know Santa
me.
Well, as stories go, the
Claus.
children would go home and
It was a very long time ago,
tell their fathers and mothers
in a little town in southern
all about the old man and his
Germany, where it all began.
wonderful stories.
In this town there was an
The merchants and parents
old man with a long white
of the village became so
beard who was disliked by the
alarm«'1 that the old man
merchants, but was loved by
would lead their children
the children. He used to spend
many hours in those short
astray, that the perents forbid
their children to see the old
, winter days telling the children
stories.
man.
Well, naturally, the old man
He told them of the battles
became very lonely. He only
of the knights in their silver
lived to make children’s faces
armor, and he said he was the
turn into smiles and bring joy
best knight the king ever had.
to their hearts.
The old man would go to
the town square where the
children would be playing in
the snow. He would wave to
them, and the children’s faces
would shine for a moment.
However, the smiles soon
disappeared when they thought
of what their parents had said
about the old man.
Then the children would
turn
and run. And the old man
COCKTAILS
would turn and walk slowly
towards home. Sometimes you
could hear him say, “The only
thing I have in this world is the
love I have for children.”
It was Christmas Eve and
the old man was sitting by his
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heated fire, when there was a
knock at the door, “Who could
that be at this hour?” he said.
“Who would come and visit
me?"
He walked to the door and
opened it. There was an old
woman in rags, shivering from
the north winds.
“Be off with you,” the old
man said, “can’t you let an old
man be in his sorrow.”
‘ I’m very cold,” said the
woman. “I have traveled for
many miles. Could I come in
and warm myself?”
“Come in then if you
must,” said the old man. He
didn’t know how to be mean.
He brought the woman
some hot chocolate and some
pastry. Then he noticed a glow
in t h is w om an ’s ey e s.
“Why-Why it was like the
children’s he thought.
“How is it,” he said, “that
you look so poor, yet you are
so full of joy?”
“Have you been sad and
lo n e ly ? ” she asked with
concern.
“Yes, very much ” he said,
“for you see I used to have the
village children around me, and
what joy they brought to a
tired old man like myself with
my telling —”
“You mean tales, like riding
for the King” she said, and a
smile crept into her wrinkled
face.
“Why yes, how did you
know?” He was filled with
curiosity. “How could this
woman possibly know,” he
thought.
“You see” she said, “I know
all things.”
The old man laughed and
laughed. He sipped his hot
chocolate and looked into the
fire. The fire’s flames looked
full of laughter too. He knew
she must be lying, and now he
must get rid of her.
But when he turned she
was gone. He looked behind
By HERB WILLIAMS
the chair. He went from room
to room with his lantern, but
For the little woman who
he could not find her. Did she
cooks what you bring home: a
leave by the door. No! - he
new booklet issued by the
would have felt the wind.
Bureau
of
Commercial
He felt very badly now that
F isheries entitled, Seafood
he had thought such terrible
Moods.
things about her. She did know
This booklet was prepared
about those stories he had told
through cooperation with nine
the children. He was very sad
private and governm ental
n o w . “ What a terrib le
groups in Alaska, Oregon and
Christmas I am having.”
Washington. Within its 30 pages
At midnight he decided to
are 37 recipes for the sea foods
go to bed. As the flow of sleep
found in the Northwest.
cam e over him --he was
As the foreword points out,
suddenly awake. He rose out of
there are 38,340 m iles of
bed and walked slowly into the
variety, flavor and imagination
living room.
in the fishery products of
The embers in the fire had
Washington, Oregon and
died down and were ready to
Alaska.
The nine full-color
wave their last farewell. “I
photographs in the booklet are
must be getting old,” he said.
quite glamorous and certainly
Just then a hand touched
should help cooks make
his arm. It was the old woman.
something
which
looks
* “ Where-Where did you
beautiful as well as tasting
come from?” The old man
delicious.
thought he must be dreaming.
Recipes include such things
“Come!” she said, “I want
as baked sea bass, fruity tuna
to talk with you. You must
salad, oven-barbecued ling cod,
believe the story I’m going to
crab elegant and Alaskan
tell you, if you want to make
fisherman stew in addition to
children happy again.”
salmon, halibut, clam, oyster
“Yes, yes,” he said.
and shrimp recipes.
“I am the woman of all
It’s available for 60 cents
time, I know all things,” she
from the Superintendent of
said. “Now will you come with
Documents, U. S. Government
me?”
Printing Office, Wash., D. C.
“Let me get dressed,” the
20402.
old man said.
ooo
“ D o n ’t bother, because
A coating of household fur
where you’re going you won’t
niture wax is one of the best
need your clothes,” she said.
protections you can have on
“But-But--” And before he
your gun to meet the wide
could reply she had taken him
variety of conditions found here
a long way off.
in the Pacific Northwest.
Now children, this old man
Regardless of where we live,
thought he was drean^ng as he
we’re within a few hours’ drive
flew through the Christmas
of a wide range of conditions.
skies dotted with crystal stars,
There’s the interior, which can
and his white beard blowing in
be hot, and dusty early in the
the breeze.
season or become snowy, cold
Below hith were all the
and foggy at times later in the
fields dressed in lily white. And
for some reason, he felt so
season. The western slope of
the mountains can be humid
good.
and wet, to say nothing of the
When the old man opened
corrosive effects of salt water.
his eyes, there was a fire
Then, we have the mountains,
burning in the fire place, very
where temperatures can drop
much like the one he left in
well below freezing at times.
Germany.
The furniture wax is good as
The ragged old woman was
a protective film for the outside
sitting there chuckling to
of the gun. Lubrication of the
herself.
mechanism is another story.
“ From now on you will be
But we do need protection for
known as Santa Claus,” she
both stock and metal against
«aid. “Every year you will
moisture. The metal can also
m ake children happy at
be damaged by the acid from
Christmas time.”
fingerprints as well as the
“But I am an old man” he
corrosion of salt water.
said.
Before applying the wax, be
“As long as the*e are boys
sure the gun is clean and
and girls you will live to bring
completely dry. Then apply the
joy and happiness to them.”
liquid wax with a clean, fresh
He had lived in dreams all of
cloth. Just wipe it on the metal
his life, and now his dreams
parts. If you have an aerosol-
came true. “This is Merry
type spray can, don’t spray it
Christmas,” he sighed.
directly on the metal, for these
cause the surface temperature
to drop sharply. This can cause
M a n -M a d e C a ta s tro p h e
a fine film of condensation to
NEW YORK— Most years, the
form under the wax. Spray
nation's worst catastrophes are
such wax on the cloth and then
the result of windstorms or fire.
wipe it on.
But in 1967, according to the
With the metal parts covered,
Insurance information Insti
then simply follow the wax
tute, the costliest was man
manufacturer's instructions for
made, generated by the civil dis
polishing furniture and apply
orders in Detroit in July, which
the wax to the stock. Then
paused insurance losses of J41.5
you’re ready for cold, wet and
million.
dust.