The Clinton chronicle. (Clinton, S.C.) 1901-current, December 17, 1953, Image 9
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Volume LIV
Clinton, S. C, Thursday, December 17,1953
Number 51
CLERGYMAN SAYS CHRISTMAS IS
GREAT NEWS STORY OF ALL TIME
Says Tree and Fundamental Spiritual Reason for CeMbraffon
Has Not Been Forgotten, and Its Coimnercml
Aspect Only Natnral.
Many say today that Christmas is
too commercial.
Atlanta’s widely respected Dean
Raimiindo de Ovies disagrees.
He believes that folks who feel the
spirit of Scrooge has finally nudg
ed Santa Claus out of Christmas are
merely mistaken.
“And, those who think that the
true and fundamental reason for
Christina has been forgotten,” ac
cording to Dean de Ovies, “are sim
ply cynical. The Christ is very much
in Christmas.”
Purpose — the noted Episcopalian
clergyman and writer said the com
mercial aspects of Christmas actual
ly serve a spiritual purpose.
Dean de Ovies explained:
‘‘Nearly every city and hamlet in
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the South is decorated now with an
array of colorful lights. Stores are
busy promoting the sale of gifts.
“But all this hooplay and publicity
also serves to remind people that the
birthday of Jesus is close at hand.
“The cynic may complain that
Christmas is publicized and com
mercialized merely to sell merchan
dise, but he forgets that none of that
would have such tremendous sales
power were it not for the great un
derlying spiritual fact of Christmas.’
He painted to all the commercial
whoop-de-do surrounding such days
as St. Valentines, Thanksgiving and
the Fourth of July and emphasized
that the lack of such spiritual signi
ficance makes those events pale in
comparison to Christmas.
Never old—Dean de Ovies went on
to describe Chrismtas as a “piece of
news that never grows stale.”
He continued:
“Christmas is the great news story
of all time. It came directly from
heaven with the song of the angels—
glory to God in the highest, and
peace on earth to men of good will
»
“It is never old. It hs great news
for each generation of children, but
great news also for grown-ups. And,
touching, too.” Dean de Ovies ex
plained further:
“Older people would not go to so
much bother about Christmas sim
ply because it is so well advertised.
"They don’t go about it altogether
in a spirit of nostalgia either. There
is that instinctive desire in all to re
turn to the innocence of childhood
and renew the Christlike virtues.
“And if you dont believe that,” ac
cording to the dean, “please note that
the easiest buck ever turned from
even the hardest-boiled man is a
contribution for an empty Christmas
stocking.”
Salesroom reports throughout
the South meanwhile, indicate the
regional yuletide sales are riding a
boom-time high crest.
But, as Dean de Ovies concluded:
“It is worth remembering that ev
erything else about Christmas, in
cluding ole Saint Nick or Santa
Claus, spring from the spiritual
meaning; and the commercial aspect
aspect of it merely serves to remind
us.
ter?) 1926 was the year it all start
ed.
Santa in those days was George
Bultman. But it was his sister,
Mrs. R. J. Pitts of Clinton, whoj
suggested his appearance. In that
upstate town W. R. Anderson, then
connected with the Bee Hive, had
begun the annual custom of riding
in on the train as Santa from Lydia
Mills to be greeted by the young
Mrs. Pitts didn’t begin talking
about the idea of imitating the
stunt here until nearly Christmas,
so Santa’s arrival was a bit last-
minutish. George went to band
practice, tossed the proposition out
to his fellow musicians and they
took it right up, decided to stage
his arrival in the next couple of
days.
The Catholic priest, Father Quinn
happened to have a Santa suit. The
late Harry Bultman drove his
brother to Mayesville\ helped him
don his regalia and into town they
rode with the band out to play wel
come and give out candy and fruit.
Passengers on the train were de
lighted over their fellow traveler—
and Sumter’s children? Well, their
joy bubbled over to the point where
traffic on the ACL line was almost
stopped. After Santa got off, the
engineer had to “pick his way” out
of the station to continue his run.
The late Chief Johnny Barwick
ruled out a repitition. Santa had
to come in at night when only the
older children would be on hand to
gret hiem for the next couple of
years.
Then someone conceived the idea
of having him arrive by a different
mode, the airplane. He was met
at the airport, driven to town, and
the parades from the Claremont
Hotel corner began. There were
always climaxed by a carol-singing
at the court house which was thor
oughly enjoyed.
The parades, with George Bult
man in the principal role, contin
ued until the eruption of World
War II and afterward they were
resumed by the Jaycees who have
staged them on a much more elab
orate basis.
The early Santa Claus likes to
reminisce about some of those shin
ing and trusting faces that were
turned up to him. And he gets *
real Santa Claus look in his eyes
when he talks about it ... .
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CONSERVATION NOTES
By J. B. ODELL
M
Food prices may be at a peak on
human food, but the food situation
for quail looks good in Lauxem.
The Laurens Soil Conservation Dis
trict received 50,000 leapedeza bi-
color plants on These plants have
been distributed to 18 cooperating
fanners for planting around field
borders or in one-eighth acre plots,
primarily for the production of food
for quail.
The plants were allotted the dis
trict by the South Carolina Wildlife
Resources Department.
The recommended number of
plants for each one-eighth acre is
1,000 plants.
According to Verne E. Davison, Bi
ologist, of the Soil Conservation
Service, “There Is more bird food in
one-eighth acre of bi-color than in
a whole acre of peas.”
Wide plantings of bicolor have
been made by farmers for the past
several years. To date approximately
278 acres have been planted in the
county. One-eighth acre, properly
managed, should produce enough
food for one covey of quail. There
fore, the 278 acres would take care
of the food requirements of 2,224
coveys, in addition to furnishing
cover and protection to the soil from
erosion.
IQtTUD UNRtt AUTHOMTV OMMI COC^COU CO«VaNV W
GREENWOOD COCA-COLA BOTTLING COMPANY
"OS**’ a • Hodt mihi.
Q ms. TMI coca coca COMPANY
Idea of Santa's Visit
Begun Here In 1926,
Spread To Sumter
Emily H. Fushbume, society edi
tor of The Sumter Item, writes a
column under the caption, “Pano
rama.”
Lat week she told of holiday ac
tivities now planned in that city,
and went back to reminisce with an
item. “Santa’s First Visit to Sum
ter,” in which she stated it was
Mrs. Raymond J. Pitts of this city,
before marriage Miss Helena Bult
man, who first suggested the ap
pearance of Santa in her own home
town, showing that the idea begun
here is responsible for the annual
vsit of the distinguished guest in
that city.
The item taken from the Sumter /
paper, follows:
Santa's First Visit
Santa Claus’ early “parade visits’’
to Sunjter might have lacked some
of the detailed organization and
promotional ballyhoo of his recent
ones—but the enthusiastic recep
tion accorded him by Sumter's
youngsters (many of whom are par
ents now) was just as unbounded.
According to the best recollec
tions of the man who played Santa
Claus (and who should know bet-
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HAMILTON^
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UNTIL CHRISTMAS