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About Eagle Valley news. (Richland, Or.) 191?-1919 | View Entire Issue (Dec. 19, 1918)
The Best Gift of All (Copyright.) 'M GOING to write Santa Claus n let ter asking hi in to bring me the things for Christ mas I want," said Hobby Sawyer. "M a ra ni a says that because papa won't ever come home any more we can't have any Christmas gift. I don't see why, be cause papa was lost at sea, Santa Claus won't come as he used to. I hear of children writing to Santa for what they want and I'm going to writo to him. too." So Bobby sat down and wrote his letter. He spelled bugle, bugel, and Christmas. Crlsmus, and some of tho words were so bungled that the old fellow must have had a hard time de ciphering them ; but all the things Bob wanted were named in the letter and he did not doubt for a moment that Santa Claus would respond gen erously. One morning shortly before Christ mas, I'eter the postman left n letter at the door addressed to Robert Saw yer. I'eter who had long delivered the letters of the Sawyer family would not give It to anybody but Bobby, saying that Santa Claus required him to give any letters marked "from Kris Krln- Bob of course was delighted with this, and ho noticed that from tho time of Its receipt everything about tho house seemed to take on n ccttnln el.eorlness. Bobby hxld In wait for IV ter when ho came again and nsked Mm a lot of questions us to how anil woro Santa Clnus gave him tho letter. I'e ter said that ho was not permitted to tell children anything about Santa Claus. They must hang up their stock ings and wait for hint to lilt them. This was threo days before Christ mas. Bobby who was very watchful detected his mother smuggling In cer tain packnges. This puzzled him, for his maiuuin had told htm there would be no gifts this year and ho did not expect any except what Santa Claus would bring. Bobby nsked his moth er If what she brought In was Intend ed for Christmas, but stie gave htm no satisfaction, though she took him in her anus and gnvo him n bear hug and n dozen kisses. Sho seemed as happy as if she expected Santa Claus to bring everything slto wanted for Christmas. Tho day before Christmas a mes senger boy camo with a telegram for Mrs. Sawyer. Sho tore off the envel ope and read It, and looked very hap py, giving tho messenger n half dol lar. Bobby asked what the telegram was about. She told htm it was about n Christmas gift sho and nil the rest of the family were to receive, and when Bobby kept asking ngaln nnd ngnln "What Is it inammn?" she gave him another bear hug nud smothered h!in with kisses. Bobby had n sister, Edith, twelve years old, ond n brother Jim, ten. Both of them were too old to sympathize with Bobby In his faith lu Santa Claus bringing him the gift he had promised him In his letter. Indeed they didn't believe Santa Claus really wrote let ters to children. Bobby tried his best to get out of Edith or Jim what mado their mother so happy, but they would not tell. Indeed they seemed nlmost ns happy ns she. Having fulled with them Bobby tried I'eter the postman. I'eter said he suspected Santa Claus had something to do with the family happiness, but ho was not sure. So poor Bobby was obliged to swallow his curiosity and wait for Christmas morn ing. Bobby went to bed on Christmas evo determined to resist the sandman and keep his eyes open all night, so that he might get a glimpse of Santa Claus and see what his remarkable gift was. But the sandman soon began to drop sand In Bobby's lids, and he was asleep In ten minutes after his head struck the pillow. AVhen Bobby awoke the sun wns quite high In the heavens. He heard tho word "Bobby !" shouted In his cars ffi i'v '''1" Wrote Hie Letter. gle" to tho child to whom it was ad dressed and to no one else. Bobby opened It ond read: "Deur Bobby; "I have received your letter and will bring you the Uncut OhrlstioBB present you over received In your life. "SANTA CLAUH." "Why, Papa!" He Exclaimed. and nt tho same time felt himself gent ly shaken. He did not awaken by de grees, but all at once. And there standing beforo him and looking down upon him, smiling, was his papa. "Why, papa!" he exclaimed, "I thought you were never going to come homo any more." "Santa Claus told me that ho was to bring mo home to my little boy foi a Christmas gift." Bobby threw his arms around his fa ther's neck and hugged and hugged, nnd it seemed that ho would never let go. Mamma, und Edith and Jim came In nnd so great was the excite ment that Bobby forgot to look for what was la Ills stocking. That was certainly tho happiest Christinas the Sawyer family ever spent or ever would spend. Bobby was too young to have It all explained to him, but when he Is older Ills mother intends to tell hlin that his father was on n vessel that was torpedoed and sunk. Mr, Sawyer was reported miss ing, but he was picked up out of tho water by an American cruiser and in time managed to get home. After word enmo that ho wus saved tho letter was written to Bobby by his sister as from Hnntu Claus, and afterwards a tele grain came saying that his father would bo homo on Christmas morning. m - v J'' Ji CHRISTMAS OF LONG AGO URGE NAVY SECOND TO NONE U. S. General Board Plans for Maxi mum Fleet by 11)25. Poignant Pangs Come Instead of Peace, as Season Causes Thoughts of the Past Christmas, singularly enough for a festival that Is supposed to celebrate Joy, is characterized by sadness. Tho time of year, which Is supposed to bo fraught with good cheer, is laden with pain. Instead of peace, there uro ex perienced poignant pangs. Nor Is It cynicism which says so; tho average man lu tho street will tell you tho same. Neither Is crabbed ago sponsor for the crotchets of tho time; unless, indeed, crabbed age begins In this hurried era when a man pusses his majority. Nor Is the tragic contrast between the cloud, which now for the fifth Christmas darkens Europe and tho world, and the bright star of Beth lehem tho reason for tho somber tono that sounds beneath tho gay notes of tho season, as the deep diapason of tho organ rolls beneath the rippling mel ody. No; It Is none of theso things which Impnrts to Christmas tho som-j berness which Is apparent to every-1 body who has passed Into years of ma-' turlty. It's memory that does It. Memory plays tricks with us on theso days. I'erhops more than on nny other holi day our mluds revert to Chrlstmases thnt used to be. We like to think about It; wo like to read the Christians Carol, because It puts In everlasting words the emotion of glndness which used to dominate that day. No mat ter how humble tho home, memory paints It In wonderful colors on this one day, from' tho time wo Jumped from the warm bed long before dawn and scampered across the cold iloor to get the stocking which somehow had been stuffed during tho night, to the end of the plethoric homo festival, when, candy-smeared and filled to the point of repletion wo were rescued from the wreck of toys and packed wearily ofT to sleep, moro or less troubled with pnlnful suggestions of turkey und mlnco pie. There Is only one thing thnt enw mnke Christmas real to a grown-up, nnd that Is to do something for some body who cannot pay It back. That otherlsm Is, wo begin to suspect, the thing which dominated the Christians en that used to be and mcdo them so real that they remain warm In mem ory. Unless you would havo memory become a dry specter, you yourself must make real for Ilttlo children of the now tho pictures which memory conjures up for you of tho Chrlstmases that u--ed to be. Saturday Globe. HIS CHRISTMAS RESOLUTION cl l i j 1 i Washington, 1). 0. Neither tho und of hostlllltlcH nor proposals for a league ot nations has altered the policy of tho general board of the navy In regard to making the navy second to none lu tho world. Ilear-Adiulrnl Charles J. Badger, chairman of the executive committee ot tho board, Saturday told tho housu naval affairs committed that the navy should bo equal to that of any other nation by and urged that suffi cient appropriations to make this pos slhlo be made by congress. "Tito general board believes that under tho present world conditions nud tho conditions likely to obtain lu the future," Admiral Badger said, "the United States navy should steadily continue to Increase. Ultimately It should bo equal to tho most powerful maintained by any other nation of tho world. Year by year development should bo made as consistent with tho facilities ot the country, but tho limit above defined should bo attained not later than 1925. "Navies must be tho principal sup port of a league ot uatluns, and thu United States, from Its wealth, Influ ence and power, will bo called upon to contribute a largo share of the Inter national police force to render such a Icaguo effective." The duty of thu navy, tho admiral said, will bo not only to guard tho country ngalust Invasion, hut to pro tect ns well tho great merchant marine now being built. Completion of tho threo-yeor build ing programme authorized In 191C nnd which wns halted to build autl-sub-marine crnft, was recommended by Ad miral Badger. Work has not yet been started on six battleships, six battle crulBcrs, two Bcout cruisers, nine fleet submarines, two destroyer tenders, ami one fleet submarine tender, ho said. Lack of ships of this type, ho declared, would havo been fatal to the United States If It had been fighting the war alone. PRESIDENT ACTS TO BRINg ABOUT PEACE Washington, I). C. Acting Secre tary I'olk made public at tho State department Saturday tho toxt of tho note handed by the United States ambassadors recently to tho presidents of Chile and Peru, urging that tho two South American nations owo It to tho rest of tho world to compose their differences and informing them that tho United Stntes "stands ready to tender, nlouo or In conjunction with other countries of this hemi sphere, all posslblu asslstuuco to bring about an equitable solution." The note said tho United States viewed the sovernnco of consular re lations between tho two governments with tho gravest apprehension, par ticularly on tho evo of tho 1'urls peace conference, "In which It Is confidently oxpected thnt steps will bo tnlcon to provide for nn era of lasting penco among alt peoples." U. S. FLYER COVERS 1365 MILES ON TRIP Muther Fluid, Sacramento, Cnl. A summary of his flight from Mather Field to Seattle nnd return, prepared by Lieutenant A. F. Hogland, army flying officer, nnd made public Sat urday, showed tho aviator trnvoled a total of 13G5 miles and flow on nn averago of CO miles an hour. He mado tho trip on 217 gallons of gasoline, burning one gallon to ovory G,3 miles flown. Ho covered C7C mllos lu tho flight to Seattle and COO miles lu returning. "I clcured many mountain peaks by less than 100 feet and found It nec essary to go around soveral becauso I was umtblo to gain sufficient altitude to cross them directly." Lioutonnnt Hoglnud'H report suld. Numerous thick clouds encountered over tho mountains mado flying very dangerous on tho roturn trip, ho added. Ex-Kalser Food Hoarder. Coponhagou. According to Berlin advices, enormous stores of foodstuffs were found lu tho custlo ot tho ox Gorman otnporor lu Berlin, A iiiombur of tho Soldiers' and Workmen's Coun cil Is authority for tho statement that tho value of tho food normally would bo several hundred thousand marks, WORLD HAPPENINGS OF HUT WEEK Brief Resume most important Daily News Items. COMPILED FOR YOU Events of Noted lVople, Government and Pacific Northwest and Other Things Worth Knowing. It Is officially estimated that there are a million cases ot Influenza lu tho Dutch East Indies. Government supervision over tho steel Industry and steel price fixing will end December 31. Tho sugar grinding season In I'orto Illco opened this week. Tho prospect Is good for small quantities of new sugars to reach tho refiners beforo tho now year. The HesHlau Workmen's, Peasants' and Soldiers' council has been dis solved and will be replaced by the "1'eoploH' Council for thu Hepubllc of Hesse." The value of tho Gorman mark has fallen below 42 to the British pound. Beforo tho war tho mark was worth approximately ono shilling, or 20 murks to tho pound. Tho First Church of Christ Scient ists ot l'usudemi, Cal., Friday obtained an Injunction lu thu superior court forbidding tho health officer ami cliloT ot police from Interfering with tho holding ot church services. Holding that tho war may be over, but has not boon fully paid for, Sec retary of tho Treasury McAdoo has seal an appeal to tho twelfth district federal reserve bank to urge all own ers to retain their liberty bonds. Abandonment of 19 war construc tion projects, Including a number of nitrate und other chemical plants, was announced Thursday by tho War do partment. I'rojecto abandoned In cluded tho T. N. T. plant nt Giant, Cal. According to reports from Berlin tho entente governments Intend to re fuse to send foodstuffs to Germany until n demand they aru said to havo mado for tho dissolution ot the Sold iers' and Workmen'11 councils Is car rlcd out. Itupresentntlvos ot tho troops which are to guard Berlin took an oath lu tho town hall at Stcglltz. swearing nbsoluto loyalty to tho Gorman peo ple's republic. Independent socialists exhorted the soldiers to disarm, but they refused. Charles l'lcz, vlcoprcsldcnt nnd general mnnager ot tho Emergency Fleet corporation, Is to succood Charles M. Schwab as director general ot tho corporation. This announce monl was mado nt headquarters of tho Shipping board. Heads ot industrial bureaus of the War Industries board havo been asked by Secretary of Commorco Hodflold to form a hoard of Industrial advisers to act as "Informal ambassadors" of In dustry In Its relations with tho de partment. It Is Intended they bo sum moned oi consulted when advisable. John H. von Hcgormaun Linden eroue, former Danish Minister to Paris and Berlin, is dead. During the ceremony In tho city hall Sunday lu connection with tho official entry of President Polncaro, Premier Clemenccuii handod to tho Mayor of Motz tho koys of tho city, which tho Gormnns failed to got when thoy cap tured Motz In 1870. Notes woro sent to Berlin and Vien na by tho Stato department Tuesday, advising tho Gorman and Austrlun governments thai tho United States desires to recolvo no further communi cations from thorn which should prop erly bo addressed to tho alllod nations. Tho navy's excellent health and low mortality rate during tho war Is at tributed by Itear-Admlrul Brolsted, surgoon-Kenoral of tho navy. In his annual report, lurguly to tho Increas ing appreciation by commanding of. fleers of tho rules of hygleno and sanitation.