President Sought 'Good Old Days'
At Christmas time, nostalgia
tor "the good old days” is as
prevalent as turkey and trim
mings, decorations and gifts.
Everybody had more fun —
or so the feeling goes — dur
ing those good old-fashioned
Christmases when life was
simpler and, according to tra
dition, the snow drifts were
always piled high, the foods
lor feasting were always home
grown and home-cooked, the
gifts and decorations always
lovingly hand-made and the
tree itself always chopped
down by the head of the house
on a personal foray to some
hillside or lot.
Christmas nostalgia has
even been known to affect
heads of state — to be specific
a President of the Unitet
States. It was everyone’s duty
the President felt, to mak<
Christmas merry. He and h i <
family, he declared, were goinf
to have an “old-fashioned’
Christmas tree.
A search through recenl
newspapers, or even through
recent history, would provide
no details, however, about 'his
resolve. For the President was
Benjamin Harrison, who, on
December 22 in 1891, announ
ced to reporters his plan for
a “good old-fashioned Christ
mas.’’
Most people today whose
thoughts turn to Christmases
of yore would certainly settle
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rishing
you all the
joys and
| blessings of
Christmas.
KETCHIKAN SPRUCE MILLS
g 745-3530
Palmer 5
MAY Christmas Day be an especially merry and bright one, «
bringing you full measure of joy, peace and contentment. £
Toils Service
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BOB & ROSINA HARDISTY jj
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. for a date much later than
! 1891 as the time when the
, “good old-fashioned Christ
mas" had ceased to exist.
But if the spirit of an old
fashioned Christmas d i d n’t
vanish as early as President
Harrison feared it had, when
did it go? Or has it really dis
appeared forever?
Most of all, an “old-fashion
ed” Christmas is made up of
traditions. Even in northern
climates, only hope, luck and
the weatherman can say, each
year, whether the traditional
snow drifts will be forthcom
ing. Other traditions, however,
may not necessarily belong
only to the past.
Preparing foods for feasting
was doubtless fun — and hard
work — in the good old days.
But not all Christmas cookies,
candies and fruit cakes today
are “store bought.” Many a
.family cherishes the tradition
of having the children “help”
Mother as the holiday goodies
are concocted.
Even the ready - prepared
foods have their traditions,
■/or instance, some families
deliver gift packages of cakes
or candies to friends when
they make Christmas calls:
others set forth a table of
treats in the home, ready to
share with callers.
The same is .true of that
“good old days" habit of mak
ing gifts. In this "new day” of
increasing interest in sewing,
many lovingly home-crafted
gifts are found under Christ
mas trees — and yesterday’s
Mom would no doubt have
been glad to trade her treadle
sewing machine for one of to
day’s electric models.
While Dad may not be able
to chop down a tree for the
family (conservationists of
our “good old forests” wouldn’t
approve), a look at any place
where trees are sold in the
days before Christmas reveals
that choosing the tree is still
a per? >ral, all-family matter,
involving plenty of old-fash
ioned fun.
Almost every nostalgic
dream of Christmas long ago
seems to have its counterpart
in the present. And all the
while new traditions are build
ing up, as each family, each
community creates and treas
ures its customs.
In another 70 years, per
haps, some public figure may
say, “It's time to get back to
the good old ways of celebrat
ing Christmas.” So have an
old-fashioned Christmas, now!
GROWING HOLLY
A holly tree grows 15 years
before it produces, but its life
may be as long as 125 years.
III U/«’| journey, one of the great reward.9 it the good will of our
friends. We thank you heartily and wish you a most Merry Christmas.
Mac's Plumbing & Healing
MAC and MAGGIE
745-3780
Palmer
FIRST STOCKING
FILLED BY
ACCIDENT
In Britain, it is the custom
for children to leave their toys
under the tree until the after
noon of Christmas Day. Santa
Claus (Father Christmas)
makes his Christmas Eve visit,
however, filling the stockings
left by the children at the
hearth or beside their bed.
British legend says the stock
ing custom originated by acci
dent. Once, St. Nicholas was
making his descent down a
chimney to leave some toys for
a family of children and some
gold coins fell from his pocket,
dropping into a stocking hung
by the hearth to dry. Since
that time. Santa has always
had something for every stock
ing.
Follow Rules For Safe
Outdoor Lighting
Modern outdoor Christmas
lights, with lacquered or rub
ber-jacketed cord, make it saf
er than in years past to decor
ate the trees and shrubs around
a house, but there are still
some important guidelines:
Never let the bulbs touch the
needles. Bulbs of 15 wattage
are sufficient. Needles of pine,
fir, spruce, yew. chamaeeypar
is and hemlock are sensitive to
heat. Excessive heat could
scorch them.
Hang the sockets downward
to keep out snow and water.
And periodically check the po
sition of the lights for winds
may shift them.
For FAST Results
Use Frontiersman Classifieds!
LITHOGRAPHER “FATHERED" AMERICAN
GREETINGS, ENCOURAGED ARTISTS
To Louis Prang, a native of
Hreslau, Germany, goes the
credit for being “father of the
American Christmas card.”
Prang, a lithographer who
began a greeting card business
in Roxbury, Mass., exhibited
his own cards at the Centen
nial Exposition in Philadel
phia in 1875, He then had the
idea of holding an annual
competition to obtain the best
of American art for cards.
Hundreds of paintings were
entered in Prang's contest, for
prizes from two hundred to
one thousand dollars. Winners,
with two exceptions, were art
M
ists bom in the United States.
Women artists were well
represented among winners
Rosina Emmet was the mother
of the late author and play
wright, Robert Emmet Sher
wood. Others were Dora Whee
ler, Anne Morse, Lizbeth Hum
phrey and Florence Taber.
ROASTING PEACOCK
Roast peacock was a Yule
delicacy in medieval England
An early recipe directs careful
removal of the peacock’s head
and skin so that the roast bird
can be sewn back into it be
fore serving.
•ndians Had Many Uses
For Red Cranberry
Cranberries, a traditional
part of our Christmas menus,
were used in many ways by
the American Indians. “Pem
mican” was a paste made from
cranberries. Cranberry poul
tices were applied to cuts and
wounds, and the juice of the
berry yielded a red dye.
The Indians called cranber
ries the “bitter berry.” Early
American Pilgrims, noting the
fruit to be the favorite of
cranes, began referring to
them as craneberries, and
eventually cranberries.
,_ GREETINGS
■f
Christmastime, we raise our voices to
^ wish you mil every happiness*
\W^ express our sincere gratitude for
your kind patronage and good »HL
Rv'»W0I«R»,.
bears Roebuck 4 Co.
745-3241
Palmer
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\ Bert's Drug & Wright Travel Agency
Neal & Marie Wright
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745-3400
PALMER