found it impossible to cultivate
the land and grow crops. A field
might be plowed up one week,
sown with wheat or'planted with
potatoes the next, and the third
week, lo and behold, a grove of
Tald here is the origin of the story is:
trees would move in. These were
Christmas’ tree af discovered by When Trees Ruled the Land
usually older trees which had
James Stevens, biographer of
In the time of Paul Bunyan gotten corns and bunions on their
Paul Bunyan in “Brawnyman,”
“Paul Bunyan,’’"‘•Homer in the and Babe the Blue Ox trees were roots from years of traveling
Sagebrush’’ and other books. Ste here today and gone tomorrow. about the country. Naturally, the
vens also writes a weekly column In that fact lies the invention of soft soil of cultivated fields had
entitled “Out of the Woods’’ logging. In it, indeed, lies the a special appeal to them. As the
which appears in this paper. His invention of the whole lumber . word got around among more and
more groves of traveling trees,
industry.
And when I say “lies”, I mean more and more of them moved in
just that. Read on and you shall on Paul Bunyan’s farms to take
rcot and settle down and pass
see.
Paul Bunyan, as you ought to the rest of their days in comfort
know if you don’t, was such a and ease.
So at first trees were just a
mighty man that his cast-off sus
pender buttons were used for plague to Paul Bunyan. All one
wagon wheels—and big wheel? year he schemed and figured on
ways to get rid of them. It was
they were to.
In the winter of the Blue the measles that first gave him
Snow when Paul first came to the great idea that led to the in
real manhood, America was i vention of logging.
different country from the land Invention of the Razor and the Ax
At that time it was believed
we know today.
There was no standing timber. that when a body got the measles,
The tree of that time pulled up the only way to cure them was to
roots and trotted off when the shave off the spots. That was how
spirit moved them, or migrated the razor came to be invented,
in great groves from North to simply to shave off measle spots.
South in the winter and from So When the measles broke out
South to North in the spring. among his farmhands, Paul Bun
Trees ruled the land until Paul yan sent over to the King of
Europe for a special measles ra
Bunyan appeared.
At first Paul was a farmer, or zor. When he got it, naturally,
thought he was. All the first all whiskers of his patients were
men sent over by Pete the First, shaved off to boot, along with
King of Europe, were farmhands. the spots of measles.
‘By the jowls "of Jehosaphatl’
But Paul and his farmhands soon
roared Paul Bunyan,’ if whiskers
can be shaved off a man’s face,
why can’t trees that have taken
root to stay in the fields be
shaved off likewise? It’s just a
difference in size; it’s the same
proposition when you get to the
bottom of it. I’m a-goin’ to try it
out!’
No sooner said than done. The
first trees ever chopped down on
the American Continent were
felled with Paul Bunyan’s mea
sles-razors. From then on devel
opments came thick and fast.
and a
Paul soon saw that the razor
was no implement for timber
felling, so he invented the ax
and then the cross-cut saw. He
We take this opportunity to
changed his farmhands into log
gers, and Babe from a plow ox
thank our many friends. It has
into a skiding ox. He invented the
term “standing timber” for the
been a great pleasure to know
trees which had taken root to
stay in his farm lands.
you and work with you.
Stevens Tells Origin
Of Christinas Tree
From
R. D. EBY,
M.D.
Happy New Year
like pups, and they gave Paul
Bunyan plenty of trouble.
Groves of them pestered the
men in the Bunyan camps night
and day. On cold nights it was
common for a ljgger to wake up
and find that trees had crawled
into his blankets with him to
get warm. Or a man would take
a seat without looking, then sud
denly straighten up with a yell
because a young tree had curled
up in his chair. The young trees
got into Paul Bunyan’s beard and
into the hair of the Blue Ox, un
til Paul had to invent tree pow
der to get rid of them.
‘This here just can’t go on,’
Paul Bunyan declared at last. T
got to teach trees to stay put be
fore they are old enough to
make so much trouble.’
Th«. First Scared Christmas Trees
Paul Bunyan came to that con
clusion on a stormy winter night
just one week before Christmas,
when trees were tramping into
the bunkhouses until there was
no room for the loggers. It did
not take him long to figure out
a way to keep the young trees
in place, after he’d pondered for
a spell.
‘It’s the nature of trees to
like to be prettied up,’ pondered
Paul Bunyan. ‘Most of them grow
flowers and fruit, and turn their
leaves all colors in the fall. That’s
why apple, oak, holly and such
kinds of trees are contented to
Thursday, December 21, 1944
The best of the sea
son’s greetings to every
one.
PEBBLE CREEK
DAIRY
HAT stauncher tree than the oak, and
what stauncher friends than ours? Each
year at Christmastime we realize more keenly
than ever that cur success in this community
is deeply rooted in the firm soil of friendship.
We cannot tell you in so many words how
much these friendly associations mean to us,
and how we cherish them. But we know you
will understand.
W
es
for
a happy
holiday to all our
customers.
Soden’s
In this spirit of appreciation we send our sin
cere good Christmas wishes to you and to all
those dear to you.
THE PAL SHOP
Our Special — Black Walnut
Tree« in Hi» Beard
MR. and MRS. JEWETT A. BUSH, SR.
Here’s where Christmas trees
come in.
In a few years Paul Bunyan
had all the grown-up trees of
the country tamed so that they
would take root and stay in one
place until they were logged.
But the young trees were harder
to change. As soon as they were
weaned, they’d go frisking off,
.«?
4-
arber
Shop
CHRISTMAS
CHRISTMAS
MANY thanks to our
customers for your
steady support during
the past year, and
many sincere wishes
of-the season to all.
Be seeing you soon!
Vernonia Eagle
grow where they are put, and not
roving off into devilment. Pine,
fir and spruce trees don’t have
flowers or fruit, and their leaves
don’t turn in the fall-time. But
if they could be prettied up
somehow, I bet they’d be more
contented to take root and grow
proper.’
Paul Bunyan called out his
loggers for a confab, The upshot
of it was that there was no
more logging for the week. In
stead of swinging axes and pull
ing axes and pulling saws, the
brawny men of Paul’s outf’t
worked day and night making
ribbons and bells, candles and
stars, for prettying up the young
fir, pine and spruce trees in the
camp. On the night before Christ
mas Paul Bunyan herded and
coaxed all the young trees into
the big cookhouse, which was so
big that they used wagons and
four-horse teams to fill the salt
(Continued on page 6)
LOADS OF HAPPINESS
TO YOU!
Christmas of 1944 is going to be a
BIG Christmas. See if we aren't
right
and a
HAPPY
We wish our customers and
friends a Merry Christmas
and a Happy New Year.
NEW
YEAR
May YOUR Christmas be boun
teous and full of good cheer, and
may our greeting and best wishes
add just a little to your pleasure
this Yuletide.
OREGON GAS AND
ELECTRIC CO.
DESSY’S TAVERN
Marge and Mike White
HOFFMAN HARDWARE COMPANY
“...and on earth peace,
GREETINGS
good will towards men.”
T
‘
&
• I
There is something in the very season of
the year that gives charm to the festivity
of Christmas.
—WASHINGTON
uving
1HE nearness of Yuletide
is unmistakable. Whether snow festoons the
fir trees or whether earth still awaits its mantle
of white, woods and fields, city and town
breathe Christmas and its spirit of kindness.
We sincerely hope that the Christmas sea
son of 1944 will be richer for you, fuller, and
more satisfying than for many a year, and
thank you for twelve months of very pleasant
relations.
MR. AND MRS. HARRY CULBERTSON
SHORTY
LEE
TRANSFER
And to each of you who
read this message that
enraptured happiness
which comes only at
CHRISTMASTIME
SCOTT STUDIO
5