Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1893-12-25
Secretary turn to his endless tasks the
visions OF Christmas were-ied.
svcRrrARy MOTIONS BUCK SAW.

J.. Sterling Morton, Secretary OF Ag-
ricultmre, passed his boyhood's days In
Monroe, Mich. He was born in Jetfer-
son county, New York, April %, 1882,
and was one Of 4 small family. As q
youth he was noted for his jolly spirits,
and you may rest assured his Christ
masses were merry ones. When he was
still a lad he was sent TO Albion College.
"We had the usual old-time Christ
mas said Mr.. Morton to me, at 2
o'clock one morning at his ofice-for
he is a very early riser and a had worker
lin which there Is a memory OF good
dinners, the Christmas tree, the stock
ings, aud fun for the children"
"Do you recall any boyhood pres
ents?"
Let me see-yes, 1 do" said the Sec
rotary, with a smile. IL remember one
Christmas that my father came to me
and handed me a buck-saw."
"a b~uck-saw?"
"Yes, a buck.saw; be said, Sterling,
this means a dollar a cord tor
you AS he repeated these telling
words, he looked significantly toward
the pile or cord wood in the back YARD.
That Christmas is made memorable TO
me, you may rest assured"
''What sort OF a town was Albion at
that timer"
at was a great milling place; the old
stone mill stands yet; but never spent
! my ChriStmases there; l went TO my
fathers home in Monroe. Monroe is an
old French settlement on the Kaislh
River. The people were a frugal,
thrifty class, and, like most FRENCH
enjoyed a frolic greatly. The Catholics
1 recall, made much Of Christmas;
The French people of my boyhood USED
TO have fun on the ice at Christ
mas. They had small. stunted cana
| dian ponies, something like a mus
tang, and sitting behind those would
dash up and down the grand marshes
in high glee, shouting, yelling n
urging on their rat-liks horses, while
all the population looked or In won
der. Another memory OF my ooyhood
| C~hristmases is the turkey hunts,ln the
woods. Michigan was famous in those
days for the extraordinary number OF
her wild turkeys and her wild pigeons
but it was the turkeys that we gener-
ally went after on the frosty holiday
mornings. That was great sport l as
sure you. l was at Albion four aud the
Michigan university three years, which
broke very much into my home life;
but l shall always recall as a green
spot in my memory my early Christ
masses" q,
"Were there any favorite boyhood
cishes which you had then, but miss
now?"
"Where there?-let me see," unused
the Secretary; "well, yes, we generally
had some fine venisonl'
BIssELL is RETIcENT.
Wilson Shannon Bissell, Postmaster
General, was born in Oneida county,
and passed his boYhood In Buffalo,
whittier at the age Of six years he re-
moved with his fathers family. l call
ed on Mr.. Blssell half a dozen times be-
fore l could get an audience, such was
the stress Of his ordinary business al
fairs, in connection with his Postofhce
portfolio.
'There is really little to say about my
~boyhood's Christmas" said Mr.. Bissel,
when, finally, the matter was brought
before MIN. 81 was a boy in Buffalo,
and, as one of a ~good-sized family, en-
tered heartily into the joys and delights
OF the holiday season. remember n a
we used to get up on Christmas morn
ing to find our presents on the table. l
recall that once l received a iutei our
presents were usually modest ones, and
none OF them would be considered
especially noteworthy" -.
You went TO frolics with the boysP'
Yes; we had the usual fun Of the
Northern Christmas, such as skating
and coasting; all the boys Of the neigh
borhood joined in the sports"
Were there any special festivities in
your family?"
Nothing, aside from the Christmas
dinner, which, l presume, was common
to the time. No, we had no readings,
by my parents; / don't see how l can
say more"
mas?"
EYES," said the gentleman, with an
earnest voice, 81 always went TO church
on Christmas with my mother"
HoKE SMITH HAD HIGH inks.
Hoke Smith, Secretary of the In
terror, was born about th%irty-nine years
ago. in North Carolina. His father
came from New Hampshire, and was
an honorable at Bowdoin College fifty
years ago. He then removed 10 Baiti-
more. where in the midst of his studies,
his eyeSight giving out, on the advice
of his physician he took n sea voy-
age. Finally, returning, be became
the head Of the German Reform Col
lege, at Chapel Hill, North Car
ollna, where young Hoke remained Till
he was thirteen years old; after that,
Hoke went to Lincolntown, North
Carolina; seventeen years OF age found
him in Georgia, where be began life as
a principal In a girls high school. Hoke
Smith is a descendant Of Michael Hoks,
of York, Pa, from whom he gets the
name about which so much has oeen
said. On his mothers side he is des-
cended from Judges Williams and Ben
ton, of the Supreme Court Of North
Carolina. There have always been
Judges, lawyers and professors in the
Smith family. A fine picture OF Mr..
Smiths father graces the reception
room of his beautiful Washington house.
These facts concerning Mr.. Smith are
given because they are new, and be-
canse they will assist In understandings
what class Of people he early associated
with.
81 recall my Christmas with pleas.
ure." said Mr.. Smith to me, 10 hi.
library, land / may say, to begin With.
that they are among the fondest recol.
lections Of my youth. Ny friends an.
companions at that time were the son,
and daughters Of the college.
''Our Christmases were prolonged
into one u~Gceasing round OF pleasure
- l,-s.- v.HfoG go JananT