The Sedalia weekly bazoo. [volume] (Sedalia, Mo.) 187?-1904, 1878-02-26
GREEN RIDGE, Feb. q, 1873

GREEN RIDGE, Feb. q, 1873.
Editor Basoo:
DEAR SIR-Have your young readers
ever requested you to start polar exPedi-
ton to discover the abode, or even the post
Office address, Of the venerable Santa Claus!
The within correspondence may throw some
light on the subject, and show how some
stockings are filled on Christmas eve.
Yours truly,
BIsNARK.
The above letter refers to curious and
interesting incident that resulted from q
child's abiding faith in that mythical old
benevolence-Santa Claus. The facts ere
these: Cora Wilkenon, bright little girl
living in Green Ridge, about twelve miles
south Of here. upon being informed that
Santa Claus lived At the North Pole. some
time before Christmas resolved to write to
him. Accordingly she penned her letter.
put it in an envelope, sealed it, and ad-
dressed it AZ follows:
SANTA CLAUS. ESQ.
NORTH POLE"
The following are the contents OF her
letter:
GREEN RIDGE.
Dear Santa Caw:
Iwant large Doll, with blue eyes, and
II DO ~sH<{u 70
and . pair of gloves. Nov, dear Santa
Claus, please don't forget any OF the poor
little children this time. Goodbye.
| From Cora E. WILKkRsOS.
She then tipped over to the village post
Office and slyly deposited her missive in the
letter box. When the postmaster made up
the mail, he saw the letter, and suspected it
was child's work. For joke he put a
stamp on it and sent II in the northern mail.
The letter was forwarded. from one point to
another, northward, until it at last reached
the jumping of place. way up in the
frigid regions Of great Lake Superior
where it was deposited in the post Office Of
Eagle Harbor, Michigan. Here . merchant,
who is postmaster, took little Cora's letter
out, and wrote following reply:
EAGLE HARBoR, MICH, Dec. 81, 1877.
Dear Cora Z. WikeTson
Your letter to Santa Claus has found its
way here. Santa Claus has left the country.
You do not give your address. Please write
again and give me the Eame of your town,
county and State, and l will tell you all
about Lake Superior, and will send you
some nice copper specimens Goodbye. .
Yours truly,
JOHN VERHOvEN, p. NJ.
of course, little Cora and her parents
we're greatly surprised at the receipt Of the
above, but it vas answered ~ requested,
and in due time the following reply and
box prepaid came in return:
EAGLE HARBoR, Mich, Jan. 18th.
Mss Cora E. WIkerson, Green Ridge. No.
Yours of the 9Th came duly to hand.
With this mail you will get Lake Superior
conner and silver specimens and some of
our precious stones, such a. We put on Jew
elry. I have numbered them 10 that you
may know them. These specimens are all
in their rude and nugget state, Just a.
they are taken from the mines. Package
No. l il copper and silver, and was taken
about 1900 feet under the ground. Pack
age No. 2, an amethyst, Is a very precious
stone, "a It il taken from the mine. Pack
age No. 3 are agstes, As they are found on
the beach Of the lake The other that II
not marked is copper, n it comes from the
ground and is very plentiful. Some Of
the mine, are from 1000 to 5000 feet deep
in the ground or rocks, and about 800 men
work in the mines day and night.
I wish you were here would show Won
ali about mining. Silver is not so plenti-
full, occasional little masses OF silver are
found.
Lake Superior is the largest lake in the
world, q very hilly country surrounding il,
and almost ~ cold ~ at the North Pole
We have six months winter and have from
5 10 6 feet of snow. | wish you were here
and have sleigh ride, think you would
enjoy It, and your Ma and Pa would think
you . little Lapland girl we're they to see
you in Lake Superior dress. which Is we'll
wrapped up in buffalo robe and coat il il
yery different here from what il is where
you live.
have told you about all know. Hope
that you will get the specimens all right.
Be a good girl and when get more pretty
specimens / will send you some; will al
ways be glad 70 hear from you. As have
not much to do now or in the winter time,
I like to hear from warmer countries. As
soon as You get the specimens write and let
me know, and tell me all about the country
where you live. So, good bye:
Yours truly,
Tou>- Vroro,.c.,
P.S. Write soon.
The receipt Of these gifts were acknowl- |
edged, and little Cora replied with another
letter to her new found friend, who respond |
ed a. follows:
EAGLE HARBoR, MICH, Feb. 9TH, 1873.
Der Miss Cora:
Yours OF the 3Oth ult. came duly to hand. |
In reply must say that I was glad to hear |
from you, and that you got those specimens |
all right. send some more specimens with |
this mail. Some iron ore. as it il found |
here, and some precious stones these large
ones are agates. just vet them . little with 4
your tongue on the broken side. you sill see |
they are very pretty, and are generally cut |
and set in costly jewelry. Those smaller \
one are called coasterlites, and are also IN |
jevelry.
I wish you was here and could zee the /
mining and machinery used here. Again,
I wish could 60 through your part of the /
and zee all the nice farming done |
there. We have no farms here; We cannot /
grow apples, peaches or piui,s, or anything
belonging to the farm. Every thing We eat |
We have to get BY way of steam boat about
one thousand miles from here. You ought
to be here in the fall of the year and see all |
the produce that lands here to last "a over
winter. During the winter wehave'nt much
to do, and when it Is very cold We sit By our
6res, reading and telling stores whenever
We have any nice days We have sleigh
ride or 60 somewhere on . visit. In the
summer we are very busy, mining, packing
and shipping minerals, such - copper, sill
v~e an6 ipnn