Historical Newspapers of South Carolina

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THE NEWBERRY SUN Friday, December 26, 1947 Christmas The silent skies are full of speech For who hath ears to hear; The winds are whispering each to each. The moon Is calling to the beach, And stars their sacred wisdom teach Of Faith, and Love, and Fear. But once the sky its silence broke And song o’erflowed the earth. The midnight air with glory shook . And Angels mortal language spoke. When God our human nature took In Christ the Saviour’s birth. And Christmas once is Christmas still; The gates through -which He came. And forest wild and murmuring rill And fruitful field and breezy hill And all that else the wide world fill Are vocal with His Name. Shall we not listen while they sing This latest Christmas morn. And music hear in everything, And faithful lives in tribute bring To the great song which greets the King Who comes when Christ is born? —Phillips Brooks We are told that the fir tree goes back to Eve, but it was not \intil the time of Martin Lu ther that the ever green was used as an indoor decora tion in celebration of Christmas. It is said that Lu ther one Christmas Eve wandered through the woods and became enam oured with the won der of the night. He cut a small snow-laden fir tree, and set it up in his home for his children. He il luminated it with candles to rep resent the stars. It was not until 1604 that, In Strass- burg, the first Christmas tree ap peared in literature. 'J e-ne & l OMI* SMITH MOTOR CO. I heard the bells on Christmas Day Their old, familiar carols play. And wild and sweet The words repeat Of peace on earth, good-will to men! And thought how, as the day had come. The belfries of all Christendom Had rolled along The unbroken song Of peace on earth, good • will to men! Till, ringing, singing on its way. The world revolved from night to day, A voice, a chime, A chant sublime Of peace on earth, good-will to menl Then from each black, accursed mouth The cannon thun dered In the - South, And with the sound The carols drowned Of peace on earth, good-will to menl It was as if an earthquake rent The hearth-stones of a continent. And made forlorn The households born Of peace on earth, good-will to men: And in despair I bowed my head; “There is no peace on earth,” I said “For hate is strong. And mocks the song Of peace on earth, good-will tt men!” Then pealed the bells more loud am deep; “God is not dead nor doth b sleep! The wrong shal fail, The right pr« vail, With peace on earth, good-will t men!” Santa Claus is the American ver sion of St. Nicholas, the beard ed Saint of Europe who, on Christ mas Eve, carried a basket of gifts for good children, and a bunch of birch rods for the naughty ones. St. Nicholas was transformed into Santa Claus by the Dutch settlers In New Amsterdam, and he be came the fat, jolly, rosy-cheeked old fellow he ia today. C^htUtmai ZJreei OfW«n 9 J<in<L F ROM forests and woodlots of the United States a torrent of green rolls into the cities during pre-holi day weeks as farmers and forest ers market their annual crop of Christmas trees. The twinkling tree which adds holiday cheer to practically every home in the nation is one of Amer ica's most invariable domestic hab its. As a result, it has brought the Christmas tree business into the realm of “big business.” Some 14 million evergreens are required an nually. Their retail value has soared into the quarter billion dollar vicin ity, the 1946 returns being esti mated at 28 million dollars. Cash returns from the sale of Christmas trees represent only a small fraction of their value to American agriculture. Thousands of farmers are using the lowly ever green to anchor sand lands to pro tect the shifting soil from further erosion. With eccception of the prairie lands, virtually every state in the union produces Christmas trees, at least for local consumption. In the West, Colorado and Mon tana are the heavy exporters while in the East, the New England states compete with Canadian growers for the American markets. Inland, the heart of the Christmas tree country centers on upper Michigan, north ern Wisconsin and Minnesota. ^ The things you have wished for and never % received—may they be yours during the next twelve months May the Christmas Season be one of happiness, usefulness and a full measure of health and prosperity. «/ OF THE SEASON * \ Newberry Insurance & Realty Co. E. B. Purcell, President Keitt Purcell, Ass’t. Manager Mrs. Eva Janies Wherry Mrs. Troxelle H. Senn Mrs. Sara B. Franklin Mr. Ben P. Stewart Farmers Ice & Fuel Company :