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VOL, to.-NO. 48. PICKENS. S. C., THURSDAY, DECEM ER r nOW OLD SANTA CLAUS REFORMED. By Peter McArthur. "Get out of herel" said Santa Claus. "Pick up your grips and walkl I don't intend to buy from you And haven't time to talk." ge chased the drummers from his house, And then with bang and din He turned the keys and shot the bolts As he went grumbling in. The telephone receiv er next Down from its hook he dropped, Then said to Mrm. Santa Claus: "It's time this thing was stop ped. "They've fairly made --a fool of me For twenty years or inore, But when they case with aeroplanes I hhowed them to the door. "With automobiles and such trash "GET OUT OF HER!" And bicycles I'm through; My reindeer sled is good enough For what I'm going to do. "I've just made up my mind for keeps To start the century right; So take all that newfangled stuff And hide it from my sight. "MY REINDEER SLED 18 GOOD ENOUGH." "The thingumbobs and curlycues That silly folks contrive I'll never give away again As long as I'm alive. "I'll give no phonographic dolls, But ones of rag instead; I'll let the little girls have f1u, Just as their grannies had. "To ittle boys I'll give but things That they can pound and smash; On no more toys - mechanical Ill waste my Christmas cash. '80, missus, put the kettle on And make molasses hot, And taffy candy we will make, Such as their dad dies got. "ring all the . and raisins out, 1,. W The bullseye sweets and sticks, And in the good old AND THEN HIE HITCHED fashdoned way HIS REINDEER TEAM. Their stickings I will fix." And then he hitched his reindeer team, Took up his mighty pack, .Tucked in the robes, shook out the reins And gave his whip a crack. To all his little friends he gave Big Noah's arks and ouch Instead of pretty, dinky toys ' That "Baby mustn't touch." *er /a 1 THIS SIGN WILL MEET YOUR NY3. And there never was a Christmas day since grandmammas were young When children with such happy hearts TheIr Christmas carols sung. And if you visit Santa Claus This sign will meet your eyes "No drummers with newfangled stuN Ned any more apply." The Toy Trat. One gigantic monopoly there is free bom attack, and that Is the toy truist kept a-going b)y one Mr. Santa Claus, aided by about 400,000,000 lusty shout era. Pa and ma and uncle may buy Christmnas ginerackcs from SmIth, SJanes or Brown, but they won't go down in the stocking not' up the chim ney flue until S. C. pts his trademark on them. Call It patent right or copy right or vested right, the grand ld f1el low holds It in pe'rpetulty. T1rue, he doesn't charge a cash fee for the use of his name, but he Is a stickler for ail Vthe glory there Is In It, aind be gets it in full measure. IDverybody plays lnte thse hands of this trust, 'Thle consum era must have the real thing, and the .ealerg and middlemen conspire to slootthe demand. XAS AT TH .-~FAI T HE unmistakable man made signs of Christmas were left behind when 1 plunged into the dreary waste of sn~ow beyond the borders of the town for the annual pilgrimage to uncle's farmi. Only the snow, hid lng hush and fence, the wihite mantled trees and the cold gave a sug gestion that somnewhiere beneath the chilling rural surface of things there were joyous groups pirepiaring holiday revels. Wilnter was too keen, too freezing, not to have a brighter side than that which lay out of doors. As I passed the big barn the sounds of young voiees behind the huge doors told mhe that Cousins Frank and Jim were inside, p)erhiaps mending harness or tools or enring for the live stock. T1ho little door, framed in the huge ones, opened to my hand1(, and Jim and Frank, one holding opien a grain bag and the other emptying a bushel into its mealy, gaping mouth, smiled a welcome. Without looking up, Uncle David "struck otf" another heaped up measure of grain and marked it down on the score. "I thought it was albout time," said he, and I then knew that my social status at the farm had not changed since tihe last visit. Th le horses in their stalls stopped nosing the hay and pricked up their ears for a minute, the entitie held their ends lazily and stared; then the atmosphere resumead its throbbing stillness I ~ funtil the load of bags had been tie'd and set in rows. Only tis and nothing more by way of eereimny ini receivinlg a Christ a guest. Later came inqut )rics after "the. folks" and the nlewest doings in town. () Whlile uncle cast a satisfied glance at the bursting haymows, tile sleek horses and cettle and the rows of bags Jim and F'rank challenged mue to guesses at the remaining conltents of the bins. "You will all have another guess," chimed in my uncle, "and now let's go and see what's goin~g on In the kitchen." I no ticed for tihe first time that his linen was v'ery fresh for a farm er at work and that the boys eachl had (on a brand1 new suit from wool raised oil the farm. These trifles were the only evidence of a hloliday, for not a word of Christmas had been spoken. We entered thle strung out, rambling line of buildings constituting the farmhouse, through a wood shed, into the washlrooim, thlen past a storeroom having a faint suggestion of holding supplies that were toothsome. Next vuame a summner kitchen withu a positive odor of newly peeled apples, doughnuts and slpiced mlinee 'meat. Uncle led the way out upon the porch to avoid the crowd ed imaiu kitchen, through the open door of which camne hot and heavily laden air from amiple ovens anid steaming kettles and pans. Cousin Martha, the unplucked flower of a group of seven girl., rushed for ward to give the first effusive greeting. anld Cousin Hattie, wt osnMr Vinl's wife, Jrennie, followed suit in make believe gIrlishness. Aunt Harriet, looking generous ____ enough to wvishi that all creation mlighlt sit down to the feast, whose stages of preparation were shownt by stains and flour patchles extending from heCr eves to theO hem of hter aplronl, said in kindly reproval, "You're her'e, but alone, as usual." From tihe porch we went in to the fomily Hitting room, and uncle seemed to cut loose froml his f'ollowing as he' sat dlown be- - side Cousini Tildy, whose fresh widow's Weeds lenit a somnber key to the oreg~'ionl. Jiml and .. Frank gave ai *'imi in choking silence to their Ilmurnimng sister, and( I wanted to, but had to answer for the city aunit and1( cousins. Two father less little ones rushed ini with six other sets of hlappy graindchilldren, and som bernless fledi fromi thet farmhouse, for tihe rest. of that (liy at least. Cousinl Marioni startedl in to cheek her b~roodl, but hier chlilless sister Kath erinle said: "I.t thle youngi Ones go it. Tiime (enoughi to be soller when they get old.'" Thlen uncile golt down on tile floor andl turnedl hlimself Into a horse play hug grandidadd~y unt il the racket madle the 01(d house shake. Mly -cousins1 stole' out andi huurried nlervously to the carriage house, on the sidle oif the farmn oppiosite tile big barnl. 'Thlere was life' and( bustle there, for sleiglhbllaji gave 11tful mlelodlies as they wvere taiken ofT and hung up; horses st almped' ami1( were told, with sounding slaps, to ''(et over!'' Cousin Marvin was ac(tinlg tile host to tile brothers-inl-law from the 11111 farms. lHe lived on a section of' landt s4et off fromi the hlomesteadi amnd was uncle's right hand man. There wais a word or two of re ~' ~ gret from the older ones for the P ~lamilented Samuel, who had been thlere' last C'hristmnas; then the 0 ,,~ -~ group limar(*hed single file be imil thle stalwart Marvin over - '~ ~ ) the nlarriow snlow path to the Filoatinig up from the front yard camne a bab~el of voices, y 111111aHi ialph, tile oldest grandson, a faut. hearty lad, houted to us boys. "('orne and1( see our Christ malis!'' As we roundeltd tile cor ner of the house tile saume tones cried ouit, "Ready, aim, fire!'' anid a diozAen balls whisked past our heads from a snow fort Imanniedl 113 a troop of boys and~ ~~ ~girls ini muifllers and~ mittens. -----A fter thiis receptiomn the garrison sentitered an 1( hegant placing great rolls upon the parapet to buildl it higher. A 1now man11 as5 lig ats a glhint and a rabb~lit tile size of a Saint Bernard wer'e pat('heId upl withI al nose and an ear, and we were asked to review the sights (of tile frosty (Chimlstlmias mlluseum. ''Te eniul to dllnne(r led to a real chaurge through ev'ery (leer of tile mansion, and~ whieni we got at glimipse' of thle dining room, ats theO wiomeln seated1 the little ones. it. ptr'esented a jiumble of happljy, red faces and hiea of cooked things in browvn, wiItef, link l and( yellow. All Chlristmlas dinnlers mare alike In oneC thinlg-und~er ally and all circum stancees tile guiests alre raven'lously hun~gry and( b)oisterous51' lyaplpy,and1( neither 01(1 nor1 young ennul obiserve the rule of hot talking with thle mouth full; othier wise the feast wouhli he silent, and1( wIth 35 mlouthsa enjoying Aunt Harriet's bounteous spiread~ that dinnme'r wats not at aill (quiet. M oreoiver-, I dlidn't regret hiavintg ture ml'l'( y baitk upon11 townl celebrationls for a C!hristmias at the farm. U. K(ENNETII GILMER. ~ 4 FTHE HEAD I ANIMAL MAN'S XMAS. By J. H. Connelly. CoPYnioiT, 1900, BY J. If. CONNE.LY. He prayeth best who lovet h best All thinge, both great aid mnall; For the drir i,, who loveth us, le madie arid loveth all. When the show reached winter quar ters in Cincinnati, the propr-itors were Iin histe to get away-f ir. King to New York and Mr. Lake to his I Michigan farin. The former, who was "boss," said to me: "Rill Cripps, you've been our head a1tm:1 11inan only one season, but that's enough for til to know and trust you, so I'm going Iwaty with iy mind eItsy, leaving yol lin emitire charge of the meingrie. Keep th. hills down, draw on 111Le wleni youl want inoney, I said I'd do my best and nieant it. The (ircus outfit I had iothing to (1o with. ''lie menaf-gerie vas well housed WK H1An A LOT 01F vSIsTOnS. tIn it Ullge. h1:11*1 1lIty1% len oil W estern row. whicb seetned it) Lave been built to lit it. A good big r44ln was pmrti tionedl off for m in Ili- f.ront corner. Thel% enges were~t ranged alonmg the side walls. with :1 rieniway bechitld thein, and)( In b1ox stalls neosthe farther enld were the zehran. Ihv eiolephant, the enmi el mnd thet snvred cmw. A muonster red hot tvestoofd In lhv mniddle of the vventral "pact.. with it large imnehl Ilght over it. Altogether it wax as warm, brigh1t, elen-n and chlevry it pitee 111 yollu'd wantl 140 see, aS vverybiody said whte saw%% It. alld wve had it good man11y visiAL. Ai Caged n11imal111s bec om e restless If left atlone, and I never wet out m ore than anl hiour or two ait at 11meC, but even at thlat I took a good 11111nny1 long walks for exercios lil to see thilt y, learile black a-m%3111tlly helper-a id the i. engo, eleninlers for the unilils to iool at ilt I itt. ite aIn along to near Christmas I selet ito lw ihart for going outl Imnh. Sonliethling In the arnliadt. me feel iellf(.'r, iulore thanl over iv. a Is befo oe est lnesonile. loneless t otal st r wntgr. The stores were brighter ande4 gayer than I had evie noticed ther l enl before; thte strilet full tif happy ft'acel" people carryin huflortes of CrIstnln pres i ts; te windows of ii hoen to dorn Chrsti irnts; sctiedt shomenh's for busy indeiven goodiy*It iilt thingsChh The l L od' knos sdin't egrudgu ainhodysttlt un i iner. t l n me f eel unuternblyusad. In a l th y woldl. (Ii knewig11114 e of ne ist ey11 wuldeis brthe wno s su oe adeleon bur y de ni eng. godA is for ingi t nhut aliuis weti(have'been tiht trna. enml-eodI mens soitoned hd' end alivyboy ith 1) 1ing-i t man wil a heartilg Itolel hi' is onel iness.t wl.ovi fohr man3 hadfriend. s, evnfor o nt Aenl;l wha'oft made Cilt harder 5t'o5b; was1g that woel hande ilo blitoged ey pstl - r I i'icoulstd notI forgt the Whien t carn tbaciklto. New Ymrk afI o wier e intageetiith~ "eentlrei blrack on" inhWs nde Southl Amltiden It nn imyder ole Lizzle that beeni rund dowyt a Ilt'lr( 1w3 astge ad kiled.h Andfrgt wha becom'et o' my wt li etld it'sby Jenie, only 4 y'ears old, niobotly t' tell ime. Th'lat was a dozen yearis ba: buit netverl siice hiave I felt any b heartsiek andt lonely thiani when grIef was firesh, and in the winit along about Christmas, I always fer' mlost. The anllimls, as I sat brooding b~y stove, seemied to know I was ini tr. ble antd feel sorry for me. Thley wol stahid stIll a long time looking at i andh the e'lepihnt, I'ml sure, trie'd to at by his little I4quteals, 'what wvas the nio ter'. Only that me'ian camel screw upl his nose scornftullike, as If ho did; care a (!u5s who felt bad, whIch ho c' tainly didn't. F"ridlay morning, the third day bef< Chrstmas, .Jack Henderson, a you reporter, dropped In. as he often " anti happened to remnark: "It set hard to be Imprisoned for life wit' an occasional lihppy day to v'ar mlonIotony. Caged anImals 0u have holidays." That set 111 thinking after gone, and~ I madtte uIp my1 mind1 ( atgerie under miy charge sh 0onCe anyway, have a Christe sidered what every bird : the lot liked best andi got, antd all those thl... should havc c.:: Chra istrna. afternoon I went out b)uyinlg ed to myself when I thioug' tually purchasing Christmab for a lot of folks who would 1, appreciate them. I got for the birds 'all sorts of fruIts, nice seeds, ants' eggs, worms, and so on, accordIng tc leveral tastes, and for the amt mmra ftne fruit fg nae, a nn beef iist 1 : ordirq d be don accusto.ape mashes, l th~'ellehint- L, badk a'o gesandIhad bake.. lot of xAd esidb t b.e used to enjoy- at,.1fo In- India. 'he badil didn't redi i$eerv,e any Otstmas, but I boug.l a 4'lof datea to him I wps go tip the.stir in on Satur day afto ri0i qu seg V c i ame arotnd again bt a b beli o geod qigt's for my Chris'tmasandi1t broughit mtheart up in'my.thr'oat~ that 'the kind-fellow had titt Meof re -pfo' no one elise had slidc Iledlied. He :asked what the thiTg wer for;' and I told. bim' Mayl1 I ndi more t lin I Aue'tnt to, fot my -heart , was' ful t thp. tithe, and -1 had ndi ide'.of his ptuttInl anything in the paper ab'out the micnagerte's Christ mis. But -le did, amldirtIly when I read on Chistulas morning the story ho.gt up 1 was riurprised. Cat animals are'nevgr fe onP Sun. days and as we loti41 go siry of break. fast Mozday the meqagerie's appetite for a Christmas dintler at noon was sure, to lie good. 'Before that tind came we had a lot'of 'vietors, nice peo pie whdlbtid seen Jack's story, and among-them ,web a' fipe wvhJte headod old gentleman who In frodkeQQ(4, hihself as 0fr. Hirnm Bidwell, and-his adopled daughter-a splendid looking -girl, Lideklly we Were in good' shape tq. re. ceive them. Sam wore a new ruit I hadgiven him. The cage cleanerswere so wifihed-and draped up they hardll recognized eich ot.ier and I was ,got up with as much style as a ringmastej mysOIC Preelsely at noon we sprung our glad surprise on .thq. animals. If you imagine those .birds and beasts didn't notlce-any change in their bill of fare, you are wrong. You never saw such joyous exeltement among feathers and fur. They jabbered. ohn ttered, shriek ed auil roared their dehiglit in All thpir varioufsnlodes of slecl. 'vime mn11 keys fbmed half crazy, il(i evei the sedate- elephiant dancedl, happed is ears llke Cans and squentieid. Only that mean camel was indilferent 1ad ate his fancy dates with a sneering twist of his nose, as if lie menut to say, "You can't soft sawderI m1e." The sight of the getilnral haplpiness gladdened everybody an(i none mor( than )r. Blldwell and his daughter, who staid nutil all the other visitore were gone, talk!ng with mne about the animals and, as I afterward r(-nem bered, ia good deal more about mlyself. Near (lark, just when I was thinaking of going out to a restaurn t for my dinner, Dr. Bidwell cane bic, and nothing would do but I must go wil: him to get a glns of eggnog. L By- F.. A, Obr 'It may or may not bageie lly known, but the Orst Christmas- celdb'ation In America took place In the WOst'ndies and in the very year that Anleriea was diseggered: There was not. mnuch fes tivity n'bhout'lt, to be sure,'for the Orst, pnniversary of the Nativity il the neW' world found the participants in. a state of mind not conducive to merry.' making or cheerful entertainment. . 1he great navigator, ChiNtopher Co lumbus. wh1o showed .'the Civilized. world the way across tlie Atlantle. wad :waster of 'cereluonles, and he, had llt te" reason for rejoicing, for on Ohrist, nis eve, 1492, he had lost his Oag-. ship, the Santa Maria, -which had Tui on a reef on the north, coast of Haiti. Fortunately for him and his crew. the native Itidians of the island werc friendly. and they not only came to his regeue; but haved- all the wreckage of his vessel, whilh they piled up on the beach at Guailco, near the present city of Cap6 TI*Atlan. The Indian cacique did all he could to allay the grief of the Spaniards and qw. Chi'latmab day spread a ban t whch they were invited and dv, FV'1uany 9f his peo pi9 acted in fs74 pacity of ervants. This was the "irst Christmas dliner II Amerlca, and at this aboriginal "spjrend so many new -and strange ar ticles of food were offeied the Span lards that Columbus made a note of them, so we are enabled to state exact. ly what they were. In the first place, there was malke, or Indian corn. whilh the IEuropeans may hvfe seen in the Bahamas, but which tlef had not eat en before. In fact,I*the golden kernels carried back to Spain by Columbus from this first voyage, to A inerica were the first that ever, reached the old world, and it. Was ninny -years after that hefore brown bread and "In'jun pudding" becam e at all cornmmon on the tables of Enopean royalty. One of the Ourlons tubers offered the Spnliards that'day by the Indian Chief' tain in 1Hiti Was the maniloc, or cas sava, from whieh the 6iporigines muade their daiy bread. 'ihey were the orige Intors also of the Ca::qreep, or West Indian pepper pot, uinde by throwing iplevos of, meat of, aill kinds into an the tonoWNu1 t . OFull Thils Week otit*hargan se'ill 6 grandest .:Dont, blame :ydinsdlf wards IM'u * 1 tolAecure: a share. will be t we kfor.'Xnas shopping ou will buyodur Xma's' pres.eni lo 40 fatmly a 4syoxi must rot fotgb nurse. -maid :or vasher. They all" 4olate-beltig rememboiel. You-Nil your money ,to buy more this. week any~eek ,'in the, year,.- H gre 'will'bi.' place to get-the. most for your do) lari Things suitable for Xxhas gifts h't h prices;, nototho cut In pr cee' 2 Mado suit at $7,50, $850 and i, -reA price $10, $1260 an4 $10 A cat e AV worth $1 60, better one at $1.50, wd*tl M_ HIandsonie Plush Cape': for $9, wo 'Ja<.kots at 3;.Y& centsof regpular #rjt" Carpets, Rugand 1 'I50 Smyrna Rlugs, 8X7 4pet at $2 50o,Vdui $5; 50 assorted Smyrna anq ioqtidt Rg1 at cut prices; 50 rolle of now -atting at cut prices; Ingrdin, Brussels, Moque knd Velvet Carpets at. cuL prics. Underwear aid H6siery Broken lot children's Union Suits 190 regular 85 cents quality. Men's' Vesta, at 50 cents, fort er price 65-cents; better quality at very low prices. h vises fast black i ibbed Hose 10 cents, regular price 12% cents; Ladles' fast black Hose at 10 2%, 15 and 26 cents; worth 15, 18. 20 aild 85 con ts. Bettor gradei at prices , that will appeal Lo yolur purse. Red arid White Flanne. lied Flannel, all ivool, at 15, 20, 25 and 35 cents, worth nearly double. White Flnhel at 15, 24), 25, b and 50 cents, can t be touclht in (oi),