University of South Carolina Libraries
PAGE 8—SECTION C THE NEWBERRY SUN, NEWBERRY, SOUTH CAROLINA THURSDAY, DEC. 22, 1960 I * * 1 $ A A A * Santa is here, bringing good cheer from all of us to each of you . . . and extending our sincere wishes that this will be the Merriest Christmas you have ever known. T. ROY SUMMER, Inc. The Young Man's Shop Florence, Bettie, Be+sy and Roy Summer John Derrick Biliy Summer Jim Cook Wyman Shealy if y V * V w 5? it it if if it it it it it it it it it it it if it 5? it it it it it y y s i y g % y g y y y y g y y it y y y y y y y y y y y y y & y v y y y ! y y y ! ^ i y i tw ! y i y ; y ! 5? i y 1 y | i TREE SAFETY TIPS Because Christinas trees are potential fire hazards, here are a few tips that will help prevent a fire in your home: 1. Keep your tree outdoors until you are ready to put it up. 2. Wait until just before Christmas to put up your tree. 3. Place tree so it does not block doorways. 4. Place tree away from radiators am. '‘aters, and cer tainly away from fireplaces. 5. Stand tree in water to r^ tard drying. 6. Use fireproof decorations of glass and metal. 7. Carefully check your Christmas lights and discard sets with frayed wiring. Don’t use lighted candles. 8. Don’t leave tree lights burning when away from home. 9. Inspect tree often to see if lights are drying out needles. If they have, change the posi tion of the lights. 10. Take the tree down when the needles start falling. Observance Was Once Against Law At one time it was illegal to observe Christmas in this country. In 1659 the Massachusetts Bay Colony’s general court passed the following resolution: “Whosoever shall be found observing any such day as Christmas or the like, either by forebearing labo*» feast ing, or any other way, as a fes tival, shall be fined five shillings.” It is believed that the first “legal” observance in this coun try was in 1687 when Governor Andros conducted services in Bos ton’s towm hall. However, it was not until 1856 that the Massa chusetts State Legislature passed laws making Christmas a legal holiday. THE STATE BUILDING 1117 BOYCE STREET OFFICERS Ralph B. Baker, President J. Dave Caldwell, Vice-President Pinckney N. Abrams, Secy-Treas. Mrs. Doris S. Setzler, Asst. Secy-Treas. Mrs. Aliene A. Reeves, Teller Mrs. Vivian B. Bishop, Teller & LOAN ASSOC’N NEWBERRY, S. C. DIRECTORS Pinckney N. Abrams Ralph B. Baker J. Dave Caldwell Louis C. Floyd R. Aubrey Harley Thomas H. Pope Let thristmas Be Also A Day Thanksgiving Day is, of course ike traditional day of fe.isting 5. h:e United States ami givin* t’venks for a bountiful harvest. J u the best time to find America! 1 rs'ing on native foods. Sipre Christmas follows Thanks giving Day so quickly, manv c the foods that have become a par of the ’Thanksgiving tradition not grace our festive boards durin, the Christmas holiday. The menu for the first Thanks giving probably included deer turkey, wild geese and ducks lobsters, eels, clams, oysters am fish; dried gooseberries, straw' berries, plums and cherries; white and red wine made from w’ild grapes; biscuits and bread of English wheat; parched and roasted com; hoe cakes and ash cakes, and Indian pudding made of com meal and molasses boiled in a bag. Traditional It was an impressive feast and many of these foods are now tra ditional items to be found on many Christmas tables throughout the country. The turkey on present-day ta bles is a domesticated variety of the native wild turkey. Though thoroughly American, the bird acquired a name indicating a foreign origin. This happened be cause the gobbler was once mis takenly identified with the guinea cock, a bird imported from Af rica. Growing turkeys today is a big but sometimes exasperating busi ness. Producers report the gob blers are stf aoil-witted that they will starve with food in front of them, gulp dowm water until they fall over in a water-logged fit, or stampede themselves silly at a sneeze. Pumpkin Pie Pumpkins, nutritious and min eral-rich, generally end up in pumpkin oie. Since pre-Columbian times, Indians have planted pump kins among corn and rated them high as a food source. Other native foods include po tatoes, corn, lima beans, toma toes, sweet potatoes, squash and garden peppers. Broken Organ Led To Hymn 'Silent Night' The Rev. Josef Mohr was a priest of implicit faith and ch'kl- like trust in the goodness ol man. He had a close friend, Franr Gru ber, who was versed in music and dabbled now and k'.en in compo sition. Between them they eo'epos ad the world's most simple and beau tiful Christmas song—“Silent Night, Foly Night.” The song is sung in practically all civilized tongues. Yet, little or no thoughts, are given to the poet and composer and the little town and country in which they worked and lived, Europe was at peace on Christ mas eve, 1818. The Napoleonic wars were over and there was much happiness in the little town of Oberndorf, Austria There was one minor note of sadness. The organ in the little church had finally given out and there would be no music for the traditional midnight mass. But the people of Oberndorf did not know that Mohr had written a poem and given it to his organ ist Gruber. In a few hours during th" afternoon and evening of De cember 23, 1818, Gruber set the words to music. Accompanied And strange as it may seem, Gruber used a guitar to provide the musical accompaniment. Thus was born the song that is universally loved and which has made Mohr and Gruber immortal. Mohr died as vicar on Decem ber 4, 1848, in Wagrein, Salzburg. He was greatly loved and respect ed, but so poor that the town iiad to pay the funeral expenses. Franz Gruber fared a little bet ter, but according to our stand ards both author and composer were as poor as the shepherds on the fields near Bethlehem. The church of St. Nicola at Oberndorf no longer stands. A simple memorial chapel has been built there and is a shrine re ceiving pilgrims from all parts of the world. Perfumes Perfumes are almost as tra ditional as holly and mistletoe. Early pagans burned fragrant woods and spices as offearings to the gods; priests used perfumes in religious rites; at their corona tion kings and emperors were an- nointed with fragrant oils; the Wise Men brought gifts of frank incense and myrrh to the Holy Infant. Today, perfumes rank high on milady’s “want” list. Holly History Holly is an ancient plant, but its use as a holiday decoration probably cams down to us from England, where it was held to be the most sacred of all green dec orations. The red berries signi fied the blood of Jesus and a holly wreath in the window marked a house as a Christian dwelling. Save That Card Out of the many, many cards that most of us receive each Christmas, there are always one or two so beautiful or prized that we desire to preserve them. This can easily be done by mounting them on good matting paper and then applying a thin coat of fresh, white shellac. NOVEL GIFTS You can design and create novel gift wrappings with soapsuds. Make a simulated snow that will stick to your wrappings by pour ing two or three cups of pack aged soap or detergent and a small quantity of water into a mixing bowl. Mix them thorough ly with a hand or electric beater until the suds have a working consistency of stiff meringue. Put your ‘snow’ in a pastry tube and you’re ready to go. Use your ‘snow’ to write greet ings on packages. You can also make all kinds of fancy designs, just as easily as it is done on birthday cakes. COLUMBIA MAN IS SURVIVED BY NEWBERRIAN William Perry Gordon, 61, re tired textile employee of Colum bia, died Wednesday morning in the Baptist hospital, Columbia. He was born in Fairfield county, a son of Mrs. Hennie McCaw and the late William Smith Gordon. He lived in Columbia most of his life and was a member of the First Assembly of God church. Survivors include a brother, W. S. Gordon of Newbery. Mrs. F. J. Reddick spent Mon day with her son, W. Ernest Mer chant and family in Sumter. Mr. Merchant drove his mother back to Newberry Monday afternoon, and remained to spend the night. VISITORS FROM MISSISSIPPI Mr. and Mrs. S. B. Churchwell of Leakesville, Miss, arrived in Newberry Wednesday to spend two weeks with Mrs. Churchwell’s sisters, Mrs. Myrtle D. Schum- pert and Miss Sudie Dennis, and her niece, Mrs. Claudia Hinson. WITH THE SICK His many friends will be sorry to learn that J. H. (Bill) Smith is seriously ill. He is at his home on College street. F riends of Mrs. H. /L. (Gran ny) Parr were sorry tfl' learn of her illness. She is at hei‘ home on Main street.