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SECTION B—PAGE TWO THE NEWBERRY SUN, NEWBERRY, SOUTH CAROLINA THURSDAY, DECEMBER 24, 1959 X May the Star of Bethlehem shir.e on you during this holy season and bring you peace and happiness . B. C. MOORE AND SONS BUY FROM MOORE AND SAVE MORE' v £ .13*^8^**'' i l i * * IS 1 s s s 1 i you throughout the coming year... LOMINICK’S DRUG STORE “Orte of Newberry’s Good Drug Stores” Main Street Newberry, S. C. WMKkMiMiMlkWkMiWkWalKWMiMaiMaWMiMiMiMtMaiMtiaiMtM W. H. DAVIS & SON, Inc. l^l 3fc wllAl*T r V' S NEW AND USED FURNITURE 5^ & X » » 5f S? &? S? 5? Ss? ¥ y Si? s? '$> & 5? S? I if s? s? s» !? S' § s# S' s# jSi A ^5 s A A s i GOOD WILL TOWARD MEN | NICHOLS STUDIO | NEWBERRY, S. C. £ £ 2 S' A. if if if if if if if it if if » 5? it y y y y y y y y y y y y y y y y y y y y $ y y y y y y § s Joy to our friends, Peace to our Nation, Good Will to all. LOCAL FINANCE COMPANY 1008 Main Street Phone 697 Newberry, South Carolina Two Men Gave ’Silent Night' To the World The words of that famous carol, “Silent Night, Holy Night,” will ring this Christmas in many dif ferent corners of the earth. In the mountain town of Oberndorf, Aus tria, however, they will probably ring clearer and more distinctly. For it was here, some 141 years ago, that the carol was sung for the first time. The background story of this famous song begins on a sad note, for that night of December 23, 1881, Father Joseph Mohr, the parish priest, and his friend Franz Xavier Gruber, schoolmaster and church organist, had made a de pressing discovery: that mice had eaten away the bellows of the church organ, and there would I»e no music for Christmas services. Storm Lifts As the two men were making their way through the wind and snow-swept streets of the village, it is said, the storm suddenly lifted and suddenly all was serene. Fa ther Mohr looked up to the snowy peaks and clear skies and mut tered to himself, “Silent Night, Holy Night. All is calm, all is bright.” Immediately Gruber repeated the words, and both men were struck with the same idea—the beginnirg of a Christmas caroL The two hurried on to the school master’s house and there, for the rest of night, worked diligently on a melody and suitable verses. Re membering that there would be no organ music, they kept the melody simple, one that could be played easily on a guitar. Holiday Music There was music that Christ mas in Oberndorf, after all, for Father Mohr and Franz Gruber led the villagers in the first pub lic singing of what has become perhaps the best-loved of all Christmas Carols. The organ that wouldn’t play also figured in the popularization of the Oberndorf carol. The song became traditional in the Obern dorf region, but in the year 1830 when an organ builder came to fix the organ he heard the song, me morized it, and carried it across the mountains—and to the world. One year after the organ build er memorized the song and car ried it with him from town to town and village to village, the carol was included in presentation of a musical festival in Leipzig, Ger many. Great orchestras and great singers “discovered” the song and in the ensuing years it has become a part of our Christmas heritage. Father Mohr never lived to see the greatness the song would achieve. He died in 1848 and his parishoners tad to pay for the burial of the poor, but dedicated priest. Gruber, the schoolmaster, lived 15 years longer, but also died poor and obscure, perhaps—per haps not—aware that the world would always be thankful for “Silent Night, Holy Night.” T HE Christmas season is a mag ical time of year. Children make impossible wishes, and the dreams they dream delight even the angels. My sister Kathy, at the age of seven, was possessed of ore such dream. She credited it to her ‘Christmas Star.’ I was twelve at the time, and looked upon Santa Claus and such things with the tolerant eye of an adult. “Do you know what I dreamed last night, mommy?" asked Kath' this particular Christmas Eve. My mother looked up from the dressing she was making. “That you were a princess in a far-off castle?” she asked. “Oh mother! I dreamed THAT last summer. Last night I dream ed that Santa Claus came to visit me, and he brought a lot of fridhds with him, and each of his friends had a present for me, and—” “Oh brother, has this kid got the ‘gimmees’,” I cut in. "You’d think she was the only one on Santa Claus’ list ” “Shut up! Make him shut up mommy. If I ask my Christmas Star it will happen—just like ir M f? IF ir ip deservina of Hi h pssi it TOl ow m l|l)l ( x T I I I I I i hi K K K ! i P 1 , WHITAKER FLOOR COVERINGS 1011 CALDWELL STREET NEWBERRY, S. C. “Goody! goody!” cried Kathy. She scooted for the stairs. e&Aon A Numerous indeed ^are the hearts to which Christmas brings a season of peace. But it is into those hearts where overflowing goodness continually goes out to others that Christmas brings a full measure ... and a sharing of the i joy they experience at all seasons of the year. May you be among those who enjoy Christmas the year round ... for the spirit of Christmas is a part of our lives now and ever. renting# TOM M. FELLERS Sheriff BURKE M. WISE Clerk of Court RALPH B. BLACK Auditor J. RAY DAWKINS Treasurer E. MAXCY STONE Probate Judge GEORGE R. SUMMER Coroner JAMES D. BROWN Supt. of Education S. W. SHEALY Supervisor CARMAN BOUKNiGHT Commissioner Dist. 1 L. ROSS GEORGE Commissioner Dist. 2 BEN F. DAWKINS Magistrate Dist. 2 R. AUBREY HARLEY Senator JESSE FRANK HAWKINS Representative T. WILLIAM HUNTER Representative