PAGE FOURTEEN
HERALD AND NEWS. KLAMATH FALLS. OREGON
WEDNESDAY. DECEMBER 21. 1955
Pioneers Lacked Yuletide
Religious Significance
BV PAUL W. HARVEY JR.
SALEM jB Christmas in Ore
Ron 100 or more years ago was
celebrated with lots of whiskey,
dancing and rich food for those
.vho could afford it. But for those
who couldn't, it was a pretty blealc
offnlr.
The Oregon Council of Churches
Is sponsoring a move to "Put
Christ Back In Christmas."
But in pioneer Oregon, the re
ligious significance of Christmas
was almost forgotten.
After reading In the Oregon State
Library many account of Christ
mas observances, it appears the
but whiskey barrel was the central
point.
The first Christmas In the Pa
cific Northwest was celeoiatea In
1791 by the crew of the "Colunv
bla." Capt. Robert, Gray's ship, al
NooUca Sound, on the west coast
of Vancouver Island. The ship's
officers and Indian chiefs had a
dinner of wild fowl on the ship.
The Columbia's officers and men
pent Christmas night drinking
loasts to their wives and sweet
hearts, who were separated lrom
their men by a continent.
'I he next Christmas celebration
was Just 150 years ago, and it was
an unhappy aflair.
Lewis It Clark's Expedition had
reached the coast on Nov. 14. 1806
and camped a few miles south of
Astoria. On Christmas there was a
gun salute at dawn. The smokers
were given gltts or tonacco. and
the non-smokers got handkerchiefs.
Lets let Capt. William Clark
tell the Test of the story from his
journal:
, "The day proved Showcrey wet
.and disagreeable. We would have
spent tl:ls day the nativity of
Christ In feasting, had we anything
to raise our Sperits or even grati
fy our appetites. Our Dinner con
sisted of pore Elk, so much Spoiled
that we ate It thro" mear necessity.
Some Spoiled pounded fish and a
lew roots."
But from then on, the Christmas
parlies were livelier. .
In the 1830's, at the Hudson's
Bay post at Fort Vancouver, the
Christmas celebration lasted a
week. The, worker got free wills.
key, and spent the whole week
drinking and dancing. Christina.,
dinner included geese, swans,
ducks, quail and plum duff.
Sometimes there would be a ship
anchored off Foil Vancouver, and
the sailers would liven the cele
brations. The sailors gambled, ca
roused, and "made sheep's eyes
at the fair damsels, one account
says,
Another Interesting Christmas
was In 1842, when the expedition
of John C. Fremont was camped
bv a lake in Lake County. He gave
brandy, coltee and sugar to each
of his men.
William V. Wells came lo Ore
eon for Harper's Magazine in 1855
and wrote an article, "Wild Life in
Oregon." He was particularly Im
pressed by one phase of wild life,
which was a Christinas party in
Coos Bay..
Deacon I.-- gave the party.
Everybody in Coos County was
there.
"Oceans of whisky, hills of veni
son and beef, no end of pies and
sech like'," Wells wrote. "For two
days and nights the festivities con
tinued; and after all the dancing,
riding, drinking, singing and laugh
ing. Ihero were buxom forms and
brilliant eyes that dared us to an
other breakdown."
Wells, who had seen most of the
world, called the party the great
est event of his life, being even
greater than the siege of Scbasto
pol. He said the girls at the party
were the fairest on earth. 1
Parties like lhat were the usual
thing in . Oregon Territory.
But there wore exceptions.
The Thomas Klncald family'?
first Christmas In Eugene in 1853
was different. They had Just built
their log cabin after crossing the
plains, and had only flour, pota
toes, a little dried fruit, a small
t ' L : ' ,W- ,4JJUJ r.JL'-. w -X'-l
mWmt
VvccU KLtMcNiAKT "A"
Couple Waive Pre-Hearing
PORTLAND (UP) ' William
Clarence Peddicord, 38, and Mrs.
Joyce Keller, 28. have been bouno
over to a Multnomah County
Grand Jury accused of the bomb
ing of Meier and Frank Company
store here last April.
Tne two waived ' preliminary
hearing before Municipal Judge J.
J. Qulllan yesterday. Judge Qull
lan reduced ball from J75.000 to
525,000 ou each of the accused.
Peddicord, an unemployed blind
chemist, has tdmltted the bomb
extortion plan against the depart-
re
I'bAM, champions or the Duntmuir Recreation Basketball tourna-
ment, posed for Lucile Gaynor'i camera. Tm members, from left, are: Chester Harris, Jon
Scribner, Pater Baldo, Alvin Andreghetto, Douglas Blankenihip, Eugene Stokes, Bob Zalunardo,
Frank Demarco, Curtis Jones and Woodrow Smith. This is the first time in history the Weed cubs
have won the championship. ,
quantity of brown sugar and some
bacon. 'Hiey had no money.
But they were thankful for their
Christmas dinner. Kincald shot a
grouse, and his wife made some
Utile cakes. The small daughter
got a home-made doll, and the boy
got a cane.
on Christmas nignt, Kincald
rend the Christmas story from the
Bible, and then he told them what
It meant.
Good will, he said, Is only kind
ness. A person never should say
an unkind word nor make a cutting
or sarcastic remark. And always
help a fellow man carry his bur
den.
This account was written by
Leonore ' Gale Bnrette, Kincald's
jrranddaughter, who comments It
was a glorfous Christmas.
The Kincaids felt they had the
greatest gift of all In their safe ar
rival in Oregon. They had arrived
only 75 days before Christmas.
From about lhat time on, Christ
mas did hae more nfeaning.
Neighbor Spots Lost Sleigh
SPOKANE, Wash. Ifl George
Locher'a open sleigh has been
found. . , ,
Locjier told sheriff's deputies
Saturday that his 60-year-old sleigh
a high-runner two-horse model, had
been stolen. '
DOUBLE DEATHS
PORTSMOUTH, Ohio iff Mrs.
Helen Rowe Cooper, 58, died yes
terday of heart attack. Her hus
band, Maurice, 59. died the, day
before of a heart attack.
MclNTYRE
TRAVEL SERVICE
Your Experienced Agent
WILLARD HOTEL
Phone 3088
w vs. m
Even Santa Himself
Couldn't do Better!
CHECK THESE PRICES!
"KIDDY KOOK"
Aluminum Cooking AQp
Sets. Reg. 98c. "C
Battery Operated CARS
Late Model Cadillac
Reg. 1.98
CHOW CHOW FEED TRAIN .
Makes your child want to eatl Reg. 79c 1C
Reg. 1.39 " '
MUSICAL TOPSX"; 79c
MARBLES Get an extra b9 ,or
marble games F -baa
vV
PLUS
DOUBLE
BROWN
STAMPS
1.29
For those of you who have been askinq
we hove received another shipment of
66c FRICTION TOYS
Battery Operated
4-PIECE TRAIN
Complete With Track.
4-piece Wind up
MECHANICAL
TRAIN
79c
American Plastic Sticks . ,. 1.49
Ride-'em Horse
Cl IV If l''0''1" p'ostie head. iA
Reg. 2.98 1.49
BOW and ARROW
SETS
Genuine Hickory bow, 3-rub-ber
tipped arrows, 1 )Q
Target. Reg. 2.29 l Jmf
Smaller
Siie 66c
scole m
Reg. 1.
Famous
SPORT CARS
Friction Operated
odels by Hubley
49 HQ
BASKETBALL SETS
Thursday - Friday
Saturday
on Everything in Our Thrift Department!
MOTHER and DAUGHTER
MATCHED APRONS
Set
25'
a.
Nationally Advertised at Double
T These Prices! V
STAINLESS STEEL
ECK0 WARE
Heavy Weight Stainless, Copper Bottoms
4'2Qt. $98 7" Open $198
Pan J skillet
A neignbor told Locher today
she had spotted the sleisth only a
block from where he had left it,
tipped over but not damaged. 1
Locher. who had promised a .
free ride to the finder and his
family, said they'd soon be dash
ing through the snow. '
CLEARANCE
HALF PRICE
A few fair traded items excepted.'
FREE Parking - Budget Terms
As little as 1.25 a week
11th & Klamath
SERVICE STORE
Ph. SI 41
ment store firm and has Implicau
ed Mis. Keller, his sister-in-law.
He .said she served as his "eyes.'!
ATTENTION
KOHE CtAFTSMEHt
W
if HOWIE
DUZZIT;
Ur vry tHYMtWf" Un
r tr.
Ym, rt'i Wm4 f inofvl
futtj f Hp nf idii ft
Meiymn (nd wmM, H)
. ! Mnbind In vuful, if.
tratttv eUdr yv kftf
up in yttr ktm it quick nj
rt)frtMt.
W Invrf you t 1
mJ 9t yur "How T D M
ulMir trt'ottr itort hw, U'$
LUMBER
Corner So. 6th
& East Main
Ph. 8167
X
Battery Operated
4-Motor Bomber
Wheels and props
turn. Reg. 3.98
B-30 Model
249
Reg.
2Sc
Christmas Cotton 10c
ANGEL HAIR 5C
GIFT TIE 15c
Reg.
25c
Plush Toy Assortment 1
Musical and Non-Musical. Bringing
musical toys below $2 cost. While
they last
3
off
HOLIDAY CALIFORNIA POTTERY
20-Picce sets Reg. 7.95. i , A QC
Rich colors, modern styling. Special 3
OPEN NIGHTS 'Till 9 p.m.
3-Pc. Set Hoop,
Net and Requlotion
Site ball. Rcq. 6.95
Heavy Duty .
TRICYCLES
10-inch Wheel. Reg. 13.95
While they lost!
.4
4710 So. 6th
1 0
1
BETTER THAN GOLD J?V 235
60 Couqe - 15 Denier - Dark Seam
Less than 79c per pair
Tuck in a
LaPointe'i
Gift
Certificate
Phone 6875