Historical Newspapers of South Carolina

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THE ORIGIN Of THE CHRISTMAS TREE By Harvey Peake fn National Monthly Famlllai- as Ik the Christinas tree to us and as dearly beloved us It Is to the people of the civilised world, It is surprising how very few there are who know of its origin, or its in troduction Into the celebration of the most beautiful and Impressive festi val of the year. Legends there are in plenty.- but few of them seem founded upon a ba sis of fact. Most of them have been banded down?with the customary warping from the original story Iroin generation to generation. The use of the llr tree in the ee|e. brat Ion of Christmas, is usually be lieved to have originated in tlermany. Careful research proves this to have been a fallacy. As are so many of the ancient customs and institutions, Its origin as a Christmas adjunct Is traced to an Irishman. It was Saint Columbanus. who en gaged in converting the pagans of tlermany and Switzerland to Chris tianity, found them so firmly impress ed with the Bacredness of trees?es pecially the tir?that he conceived the ja of endowing them with an lllus . ntlve Christian meaning. To these people the tree was an object of wor ship from which no amount of reas niiing would convert them, and be cause of this. Saint Columbanus and his fellow missionaries found it ? s pecially favorable symbol for their use. As far hack as the seventh century the tir tree, because o: its evergreen vendure, was known in Christmas writings and pictures as a symbol of eternal life, while a legend dating from the same period, represents an old matt bearing a lighted tree who entered every home at Christinas time and granted a single wish to each of the inmates. The evolution of this beneficent old personage, with his beautiful tir into our own Santa Clans and his gift laden tree, is ?asily trac ed. it is believed, morover, that th# llr tree was used for festival celebration long prior to the Christ,an era, for the poet Virgil speaks of the "oscilla" suspended frpffl the pine tree branches These oucllla were small carved pp metal Images of pagan divinities that were so hung that they oscillated or swung about as they hung from the limbs. They were believed to bring blessings or peace to the people Jilld places toward which their faces turned, nnd were afterward distribut ed as gifts to the guests. The cus tom of hanging trees with the gifts was later carried into tSermany, we learn from historical research by Ro man troops. Its spread throughout the Middle Ages was slow, but in IS1 ? a grand Duchess of Austria set up the first Christmas tree In her country for her children and the court. The custom had now necome known in Qermnny, where much untie was made of it than in any other country. Switzerland. Austria-Hungary, and' Scandinavia. During the exile of the Inhabitants of Alsace and Lorraine into France, after the H 'i/.ure ol their lands by the Germans, it was determined to give the expntt'laees a Christmas as marly in keeping with that of their beloved homes as was possible. Char (table organizations of Paris took up the matter and erected huge Christ mas trees in the public halls with which the beauty loving au l suscep tible French became enthusiastically] enamored and adopted as their own. Queen Victoria's German husband is, said to have given the custom its; wide spread popularity in England, nil hough th?- observance of ('hirst mas in Its other traditional phases bad been beautifully celebrated there for centuries. In Spain tin- Christmas tree hasl never h< en popular owing i'> the fact that the Spanish people are great!) averse to taking up with foreign ous; loins, In spi;-- nf this fact, however a Christmas tree ha* always had ? place in the Royal Palace at Madrid. Spain lias her own way of celebrat ing the Woche Duonn." One of the most picturesque is the Cock's mass so j called because it is celebrated at mid night at which hour the rooster an nounces lh9 advent of Christinas. Another beautiful method of Christ mas Celebration In Spain, is the per formance of the "Nativity," n miracle play, just before the midnirht mass, This play is given for three of four * weeks, so popular is it with the peo ple of all ranks and stations The history of Christ's birth is played ex actly as it *?is written many nun? dreda of years ago. Ilprod Is de picted as an ancient kitm of Castile. Joseph and Marv are peasants from sn?. of the province.; and the dn p? beds are rough herifsnu-n fi'dni Oundnrramo hills. Wholly Spanish Ik the setting and the story. Quaint to a degrees Is the presentation and devout Is the audience Although ii..' llr tree as n Christmas jcult was popular in the Home of Vir gil, il ha? since lost its popularity in Italy. "Christmas is celebrated in oth er way?. Jt is. as it is everywhere, a great family festival, and is much given to pleasure and dining. In Sclly the lir tree Is unknown as a Christnms adjunct but the very lu dicrous custom} pt "beating the nach, clor" is observed by the women. All of tho umv.arr'ed men In the villa :" are driven Into tho church after mass by tho outnumbering women and run about the sacred edifice and beaten until they declare (often falsely) that they will wed ere another Christinas comes around in all Catholic countries a peculiar Christmas custom Is the baring of the right leg of the ' Santo Ramhino," or sacred child, used in the representa ty in the various churches. The reas on for this is set forth in the follow ing legend: In the church of the Aracoell at Rome, there is a wooden statue of the Mother and Child that Is said to have j been painted bv n>> less a personage than Saint Luke himself. This image j Is credited With remarkable cur'.s, j made during Its numerous visits to the bedsides of the sick and dying. A very wealthy Roman woman, de- | siring to own the statue for her own j uses, had an obscure artist make an j exact copy of it, and by cleverly sub- | s,t,ltuting it for the original, carried Iftt* .latter stealthily to her home. Ill .'he dead Of night however, the mo'rks ft* -the rifled church heard a grea* CAWlUUOtlou and hastening to the outer e-iutranee were amazed to see the sacred A'hjld standing upon the siept, violently kicking with one of Its wooden feet upon the oak'n panel of the door lu this manner whs the theft discovered and the Image return ed to its rightful place. r A LEITER FROM CROSS HILL $ Editor Advertiser: My asso*. atlon With The Advertiser has always been so pleasant that I have decided to j write you a Christmas letter. 1 have enjoyed the weekly visits of the paper almost from its birth. When the late Col. B. W. Ball took charge, we Cross IIIU folks had to have the pa per. For several reasons we felt like , we had a proprietary interest in the ' paper under Col. Ball. He spent his' boy-hood days in and about Cross Mill, and when ever our people wanted an orator for any special occasion they would think first of calling on him. At one time when he was here to make an address he prefaced his re marks bj saying that he thought one reason he was invited was because of the fact that more than fifty years ago he happened to be born about three miles from this place. I 1 ive heard him tell some runny thi igs that happened w hile he was a s< hool hoy here. He, Zack Pullam and Pick Watts lived with their uncle Dr. J, P. Watts, and attended the Cms- Mill school. They had to walk about three miles At one time they bad great fun morning and evening throwing rocks at a \>\k hornet's nest by the road-side. They would fill their pockots with rocks and give a fusllndc at the hornets nest, as fast as they could throw the rocks, and then run to fcet away from the hornets. One afternoon ju.t as they bad fired the hornet.-- and were running away. Mr. hivld Pollard, who lived near, came riding along and Into the swarm of honets, They stung him and his horse trribly. Tie- old man never forgave then and said they did it on purpose, j We Could aoi help but be friends if ? ?? Advertiser under his manage ment; and when we knew he would rtfnhri for what he believed to be right, though great odds wer.- against him, We never knew "Billy" so yvel'l personally hut we knew ho was a chip off of the old block" and would make good In his day. It was when" ? Copeiat il was manager that this eon- -spotidcn) agreed to write the lews from Cross Mill If by sending pews from here I have helped to; make the paper more Inf -resting and if my correspondence has been a ben efit to my home town, or a pleasure.' in a small degree, to my people here I I am thankful. I will remember with : pleasure my association with the men who have made the Advertiser: Ball, Copeland. Boney, Taylor. Black well and Others, and I trust that under the present management our relations may be the same. Wishing yon a j merry Christmas and a happy New I Your, I remain. Yours truly W. T Austin. , Dec, ir?!o. cross Hill, s. C P S Pullam and Watts the two hoys ? mentioned In this letter gave up their I Bves to help repel the Invasion of a hostile army in |8{$0 to I si;.", W. T. A. SPECIAL LICENSE TAX. Stute of South Carolina, County of Lauren*, The City of Lauren*. An Old I miner Imposing a special Li reuse Tax Oil occupations and busl ness prosecuted or carried on wit hin the corporate limits of the Cit> of Lau Be It Ordained by the City Coun cil of the Clt> of Laurent: Section I That no perse 11. firm company or corporation shall, after the first day of January 1911, engage in. prosecute or carry on any busi ness or profession hereinafter named within the corporate limits of the City ol I.aureus without first having paid a special License Tax therefor Amount of said special License Tax shall be the amount placed opposite each oc cupation, business and profession herelnbelow named, and the said amount shall he the cost of said spe cial License Tax per annum, unless otherwise specified. Auctioneers, per anuni .. . .$ l.'.On Auctioneers, "per day. 15.00 Automobile repair shops, per annum. 10,00 Automobile hacks, per annum 1.">.00 Agents, claim or collecting. per annum. ID.00 Agents for merchants tailors. per annum. 10.00 Agents, Belling hooks, per day 5.00 Agents, selling hooks, per week 10.00 Agents, selling l>ooks, per annum. 20.00 Agents, selling fruit trees or other trees or plants, per annum. '.,. (' ij Malls or dances, wdien admis sion fee is charged. per night. 2. SO Hoarding houses, public, per annum. 5.00 Moot blacks, per annum .. .. 2..r>0 Each and every boot black doing huslness oil the streets of the City must be licensed and must wear in a consph lous place, a numbered badge, furnished by the City Clerk and Treasurer. Moot and shoe shops. each workman, per an mini . . 5.00 Meef markets, per .annum ... 2.",. 00 Meef or hog retailing on wagon each. .75 Calf, mutton, shoat or kid re tailing oil wagon, each .. .40 Blacksmith shops, i forge per annum.,. 5.00 Sume, each addition forge. per annum. 2.00 Mar her shop, each chair, per annum. ."?00 Building & Loan Associations, or their agents, for business done within this Stnte and not including that done with out this State, for business done under Fifty thousand Dollars, per annum. 25.00 Same, over Fifty thousand Dollars '.'er annum. 50.00 Bill-posting distributing and sign tacking, per annuii1 .. '.5.00 Same, per day. 1 .00 j Bonded Warehouses, each, per annum. 2.".00 Brokers, agenis or dealers In Commercial fertilizers under two hundred tons, per an num . 25.00 Brokei ?, in grain, hnv, produe.e and ir< visions, per annum, l ", oo Brokers or dealers In coal, per annum. 10 "0 Brokers or dealers in wood, per annum. .". .00 , Billiard, pool or bagatelle, three or less tables, per annum 100.001 Same, each additional table, per annum. ."..00 Banks, for every one thousand dollars capital stock, per an num . 1,00 Brickyards, per annum 10.00 Bicycles, dealers In, repairing and renting, per annum .. r.50 Bakelits, per annum. 15,00 Bottling Works, per annum .. 12.50 Bnnklng, private im|lvidurlls, for each one thousand Dol lars employed in business, per annum. 10.00 Chiropodists, per day. 1.00 Cement block manufacturers, per annum. 5.00 Con t roc tors, taking contracts for less than one thousand Dollars, per annum. 10 00 Contractors, taking contracts over one thousand Dollars, per annum. 2'. On Contractors, for moving hous es, each person or firm, per annum. 10.00 Cotton seed oil mills, per an num loo.oo Cotton ginneries, each gin. per annum. ." en Cabinet I'tld general ????pair sh<>;. per annum. 5, 00 Cotton Buyers, each buyer, per annum. !. ''niton mills, per annum .. .. 200 00 Cotton kvoighei's, p< i annum. . *. Cnflon seed huyers. each Pay er, per annum. 15.00 Dealers in Wagons and Other vehicles, other than Manufac turer, mi $5,000.00 or less, per annum. 15.Ol Dealers in pianos, or organs, by sale or sample, sewing for business done in this state and not including that dOllO Without this stale for Oral road, per annum . . . . :< 0.00 Same, each additional rail rood, per annum.!00 00 Skating rinks, each, per annum hi.00 Surveyors or artchltects, pe/ annum. '?. ">?? Stables, feed only, per annum 5.00 Stahles, livery only per annum 15.00 S'anies. sale only, per nulluni 25.00 Stahles, sales, feed and llvcrj'A p< r annum.VjO.OO Stock ." .i ds per annum .. .. "Sjp.no Street hacks or carriages, one horse. !>er annum. ?_?( Street hacks or carriages, two horses, per annum. L'ntnii No persi n or persons, firm or cjbr pOrntlOll shall let or hire any haV'ks or other vehicles for hauling or frans portatlng of pnssengers wlthlh j'.ho corporate IJmlts of the city, without first having obtained a license there for from the city Clerk and treasurer. Every person or persons running or operating such a hack or vehicle shall have the registered number of same legibly painted or otherwises marked upon such vehicle In letters not less than three inches in height and one Inch In width; and every driver in charge of such vehicles must wear a numbered badge furnished by city clerk and treasurer. Owners and drivers must comply with the terms machines. Iron safes, tomb stones or well fixtures, each per annum. 15.00 Dealers, transient. In soaps, jewelry, patent medicines or other goods, on streets, per day. 10.00 Dealers in green groceries grown outside the county of Laurens, on salesdays and the weeks before Christmas and Court week, each wagon, per day. 1.00 Dealers in green groceries grown outside the county of Laurens. each wagon, per day.50 Dealers in terra cotta. per an num . 16.00 Dogs of all kinds, each, per an num . 1.00 Upon end) and every ?log. to be paid by person or persons upon whose premises the dog is kept. The po lice of the City of Laurens are here by authorized to seize and confine every dog running at large and not having attached a tag for tax furnish ed by the city. For every dog so tak en up by the police $2.00 additional must be paid or dog will be killed. Dinner houses, per annum . . 20.00 Dentists, doing business under $1.000.00. per annum. IT..00 Dentists, doing over $1.000.00 business, per annum. 20.00 Kmba 1 mers, each, per annum 10.00 Express Companies, for busi ness done within this State and not including that done without this State, per an num . 100.00 Electric light power compan ies, per annum.100.00 Exhibition performances or shows of any kind, the li cense to be fixed by the City Council, except Circuses, the license shall be per day not less than $100.00 nor more "than.200.00; Electricians, per annum .. .. 10.00 Foundries, per annum. 10.00 Furniture manufacturing com panies, each, per annum .. 2.">.00 Fire. li''e or accident insurance companies, each having an agency or doing business within the City, per annum 10.00'? Fish, fresh fish or oyster deal ers, for first three months (.Inn. Feb. March) and the last three months, (Oct. Nov. i*ntl Dec.) each, per annum 10.00 Same, 'or both, per annum 15.00 drist mills, per annum .. .. 5.00 Hotels, each room, per annum 1.50t Harness shops connected with store or separate, per annum 5.00 Horse Traders transient, per day. ."i.OOi Same, per month. 15.00 Hogs, drovers, who offer their stock for sale within the cor norate limits of the City, pet nay. "..00 Same, per month. 10.00 Same, for six months, viz: Jan., Feb.. Mch. Oct. Nov. and Dec. each. 1 .">. 00 Ice cream, bon-bons, milk shakes and cold drinks in connection with fountain, per annum. 25.00 Same, without fountain, per annum. in. 00 Ice cream carts on streets, per annum. 10.00 Kerosene oil companies, or a gencles doing under $1.". business, per annum . . 50.00 Same doing over $15,000.00 business, per annum . . 75 00 Lightning rod wagons per month. . 00 Same, per annum . 20 00 Lumber yards, p.-r annual Laundries, run by hand annum. t~, OD Laundries, run by machinery per annum !.". oi Lawyers, doing bualnesH of! *;. 000.00 or lea* er i n n . tn 15 ifl Lawyers, doing $1,000.00 to I- ill >ev \.. num. j.'j 00 Lawyers doing neas f>f .v.ore than $2,000.00 annum 30 00 In cases where t'n*:* ar ? two or more ii ,?-.??- practicing together under firm name the minimum license v, >?.* paid by such firrr. >. y.haW he, for each mem -?? - per annum . . , !",. Merry ra mrts er day Merry *o roti .: ? ..? ? week amount of yearly sale* > follows, v\z: $50,000,00 or le* I, pet annum Foi each add;' onal $ 1,000.00 per1 annum. Medicine sellers or venders; $60.00 to . Petitors lor hawkers) selling or offering for sale goods. Wares or merchandise, per day. Plaining mills, per annum . Plumbers, per annum Photographers, or artists, per annum. Same, per momh Santo, per day. Public weighers, (other than cotton! per annum. Physicians, each, per annum . Occttlists and Opticians, Itener ant, per day . Paw nshops. per annum. Printing offices, fnowapaporai per annum. Printing offices ijob printing) per annum. Oman grinders. ttenornni musi cians, etc.. per day. Restaurants, per annum . Iii.-:] estate business, p ir ah* Railroad corporations, each, of tho city ordinance in reference thereto, any person or persons vio lating any of the above provisions shall be lined not exceeding live dol lars or Imprisoned not exceeding live days for each ami every such viola ; tlon. Street wagons or drays, two horses, per annum. 7.50 1 Street wagons or drays, one horse, per annum. 5.00 Each and every driver of every dray, doing business In the City of j Laurens, must wear. In a COllsplcloUS place, a numbered badge, furnished by 1 city clerk and treasurer, and must i have, legibly marked on both sides Of suc h dray, the same number borne I by said badge. Sign painters, each per annum 10.00 Sign painters, each per day .. 2.00 Shooting galleries, per annum 25.00 Shooting galleries, per week.. 5.00 Salvage or bankrupt sale man agers . B0.00 Tin or tinker shops, per annum 7.50 Tailor shops, with clothes (dean lug and pressing, per annum 10.00 Telephon ? companies Ol" agen cies, doing a toll line of long distance phone business with in the city of Laurins. and not including that done with out, per annum.Kin.up Telephone companies, with cap ital stock of $10,000.00 or less, per annum.100.00 Ten pin or bowling alleys, per annum. 50.00 Telegraph companies or agen cies for business done within this state, and not including that done without, per annum 50.00 Undertakers, per annum .. .. 2?.oo Wheelwrights, per annum .... 10.00 Watch and jewelry repair shop. per annum. 10.no Section 2 A. That every person, firm, company or corporation requir ed by 'his ordinance to obtain a li cense to engage in trade, business or profession for which a license is re quired shall at the time of applying for such license make a statement under oath before an olllccr qualified to administer oaths and tile said statement with the city clerk, setting forth: 1. His or her name, style of firm, name of company or corporation. 2. The trade business or profes sion for which a license is required. '.i. In those cases in which such information is required the amount of business the previous year upon which amount license shall be ass essed, and In eases where the business has not been carried on the previ ous year, then th^ amount of business expected to be carried on during 'he current year, and upon said amount the License snail be assessed. Section 2 R. The City Clark shall thereupon assess the proper License Tax as provided for in this ordinance, and upon being paid said assessment, as herein required, shall issue the proper license. Section 2 C. For any business, oc cupation or profession not enumerated in the foregoing section, tin- license shall be ilxed by the city council. SeeHon 3. That all license issued under and by Vlrture Of this ordi nance shall be non-transferable and] except license for a day, week or month, shall terminate and end on I the 31st lav of December of the year in which they were issued, but may be revoked at any time by the city council of Laurens of said nty for satisfactory cause. Except license Is sued for a day. week or month, annu al rates shall be charged for all li cense . issued between .lany. 1st. and Mine 30th. of each year. Three .fourths annual r?te shall be charged for al' license Issued between July 1st. and Sept, 30th. of each year, and half rate shall be charged for all license Is sued between Oct. 1st and Dec. ;iist. of each year. Section I Any person or persons, firm or corporation carrying ?.n or arosecuMet? any business or running any establishment named in the pre reeding lections of the Ordinance, vjthout first :.a Ir.g taken out a li cense r.hefefor shall h ? fined, (except In cases where penalties are imposed' ths snr.-. or" One Hollar or be Impris oned hi the cirv :?! on or county .ii.il rv or r.oiirdy mi gang the term <~tt one day, for each ?nd every day *neh business is fni i d on wlthoiP ?lieh license in addition to the license fax Such penalties not to exceed thirty dollars fine or thirty days Im prison men f.. Section ". Any person, firm or lOvporaHou making any false or Vaudn mi return wheri a return is 11 red-, mall upon conviction, be fined noi less ih.in Twenty Dollars iiprisoned not ?- - than thirty lie discretion of the mayor i lecturing i '? wll i be per rf the city IUI? it" same b.' ob do'.' ordlnaiici mediately, and ??! I oi I :' ititle i . y the Clly Coun cil of L.ni; -n. of the City of Lau len... rhi-; loth daj of December. In the year of our Lord One Thousand Sine Fl ndred and Ten. and in the On ? Hundred und Thirty-fifth year of the overclgnty and independence fit the United ::t..t-s of America C. M, ?ARB, TV). H PET ER RON, Mayor, Clerk of City Council. JOVER 65 YEARS' EXPERIENCE Trt/voe Mamks Desiqns CopvniGHTs Ac. Anfrtun -orallng n -IfClftl in?l <1p.,ri|.il?ii ?,?. 0H<-klT MOOMnlri nur (i|>Iii|(iii frou -.ln-ih.r , ,, iiiTotitlon ik rri'hnlil-(, lO'iiiniiin ('(inn.Ir? ??lit froo. Ii|,|m| riucnry f?r nini u,* iinli , ,., tpt^ti notlct, without oiinreo. In tho Scientific American. I ... .., ^ 111 . ? ._,._ A li?nd<fimi??f pi rulnllon i.f nn- r... l-.ur ni<,-iilm, ||. it nr. in i ?Miiuii. Term-,, fn ? r,>l.| bjruil in.w?,t,.?i,.r. in...., i, ?7n< o, 034 y si . WmIiIiiIu," i?. - HOW TO OWN THE OLIVER TYPEWRITER FOR 17C A DAY. You don't have to draw on yuuc Hank Account when you pay on ti) ? Penny Plan. You need not disturb your Dollars Keep them at work earning Interest! We offer our newest model, the Oliver Typewriter No. 5?fresh from the factory?for SeventAi Gent . i Day. The plan Is printed Iii ^'black ni I white" on the Application HI mil below. Simply (ill out the blank, atl t the small first payment, send It in and Oil comes the OIHer! No tedious wait! No red tape No long-drawn-out correspondence You quickly own your Oliver oil scarcely notice the outlay. You nan have the use of your machine wlitbi pennies are "paying the freight.' You will never have a better Chane? to test the power of pennies. The Oliver is ever) where! It's the universal typewriter. R-> < off real work with the ease end speed demanded by this mlle-a-mluutn ??;?? Wherever you tut n? In Husiu -s 0;iloes, great or small -In the qiiw of the Home in the roar of the Kail road and Telegraph service?in Mi seething maelstrom of mode<e Newspnperdom?In countless kinds >' service - it's the sturdy, stream >n>i Oliver that's making the wheels i , 'round." Tr}e OLIVET* Typewriter The Standard Visible Writer You need your Oliver now. It's y.? i < almost for the asking. The bigg hund.ed dollars worth In America for.Seventeen Cents n, Day! St ml along the Application HI m ( with a small first payment of $r. an evidence of good faith. Your check is good?or send d ? poutoflice or express money order IIIi: Ol.IVhit TYPEWRITER CO The Oliver Typewriter Hldg. Chicago. Illinois. \PPI.M AT10N ?LANK. The Oliver Typewriter Co. Gentlemen:?I accept your oft ? L of tbe latest model No. .*? Oliv Standard Typewriter for Seventeen Cents a Day. Enclose please tin! $<!.'. as evidence of good faith. agree save 17 cents a day an I Lrcmit The balance, $85, in month fly Installments, Title to remain In your name until the mnchlu ? Is full> paid for. ?Name Address . Town.State References. Laurens Drug Co., Laurens, S C DR. CLIFTON JONES Dentist Office in Simmons Huildlivg Phone: OfTieo No. hc,; Residence 21 ? Simpson, Cooper & Bab*:. Attorneys at Law. Will practice in all State CotifM prompt attention given to all business When you feel rz:::r, vous, tirocl, worried or despondent it 1- \ Jttire sign you need MOTT'S NF.RVERI.N:. PILLS. 'I hey renew the normal vigor 11 hl Q Id'' Worth living. Iin smr, and ask f. Mott's Norvcrine Pills ! ;/;,;,*' :" "m I : VMS MFC, CO., IV.,,. . Clov.Und, Ohio Lfttin l)H Drug Co., Laurens. S. C,