Omaha daily bee., 1897-12-19
MAhING A GREEN CHRISTMAS
Wuoisrfal E1pkssioa q ths Trs5s Il
Halliday eresasry.
An AMY OF wosptOPls ESPlOND
over s2.cco.cco spent In Christma.
Trees HcIly and Nistietoe in the
Jntted Statcs-Nhcre the
Greens Ccsue From.

=" Is CA-sstz-ts roins cat e. ttssian- Wen.
hardly. Il ny business j. eny in5icIisaa q TIE
estimation n uhich il Is bed ]; uds tht
Christmas tree deEler vAa spoke ana WAne
re iasea he vss su5-ezin:eadins humber q
ruer uho we're e. wa-k rsaovlns sh4qely
yaurg h-s from ,he Itsls cats;lns steamer t-t
F5iI1E then Alour TIE Pier. Pew psrsaas
hare any idea @: ;ht proportscas to uh5eh ihe
i-a5e il, Christmas green bes grown &c THIS
country continued the dealer. 1t las a.
letst 6ouele3 Wiihin The cas-; :sW years ana
this season We sxpesi 20 keen up the inorelse-
Masi folks never think about the business end
oi the Christmas tree trade suppose. be
yrnd ns;ltiaE tbat s1nAn-siEea forest springs
Up 4 ce4zsiu sections Q. ihe si;y every Decsua-
her ana disIppca-s rs Qusekly As ]; eones
But ne dealer who has - compress his whole
seasons bssiaess iuto ,eW weeks begins rs
husilirE in the middle o. the sunner. The
gathering o. the siaes begins IL Se7se-nser
ans goes steadily o. from that uzae uaal
within 4 week ur two u December IS
There's 8 eos3 6eIl more eonps;itaa DoF
than there was when frs started nc The
husluess ouzen years ara. Thea Te cogl3
rst about all The trees We wanted within 100
miles az NsU York, ana Il Vas The same i1
Battn. FhtlE 5slvhia aai al the efs:tra c.;i,s
NaU q Eo.d shHre o! ou- Christmas eresas-y
GENES from northern New England. Aa5.
whereas .ae farmer uke5 10 hs delighted Z.
have rs slrar Il his ground for hin. uaU le
charges from 81 20 s. ger 100 lnd insists
upon ou- taking everything clean. Instead q
st5t,;lnr sAe mast perfect growth, as We -uce
dl5. Il bringing .ht bulky stuff from such z
distance taa. The rus: o. transportation Is Son-
siderable. S;ill. uIe cHu bay Christmas
Tree uow IL about TIE F1ice i would have
brought zen yco-s aga, and the EroWth IN the
volu-e ul the i1ade makes or pco1:s about
TIE SINE toa.
Tie gathering ana making" Of Christmas
green's forms the cAic5 cc-PEtiGn 0! many
worker traz Maine u Florida dpricE The
autumn and early winter, and brings CArlSt-
mas monty 10 many COUNTY, hH0sShall
where Ihs resources are few ana the cTpaI-
irn5iies fer ex::s earnings far between. Tbs
ehlgi center q the trade IN Chrlst1o2s
Ersens. hoWever. IS snd hRs besu Tor many
wears IN New Jersey. II The section of TIT
safe iha; lies between ksyP5-s and James
barE y1s1 south Of tie R&rliEn river Her;
lhe material :hat is gEthere4 from al along
the Atlanta c1sst is worked NJ into wreath
and rur;-c Eld decorative designs O! ever
pEtiern- The Christmas trees themselves q
coarse 20 directly 70 market from the ulaci
where they are cl-- 4 Few % them are %
tanned trorn this same section, hui musl o
thin cane from por;hern New York an.
New England
GIRLS AND WOMEN 10 THE WORK
Among The Jersey pines the preparations
for Christmas beEia in late September Whe-
the haissl IS gathered. before Il gels 10,
dry and stared in great stacks around tat
sheds and long low ouihouses in which tbs
EuTk OF making Christmas greens Il
carried on. II is community indusIr.
carried % hy groups Of families for Iht
Inost part though some OF the largest deAler'
employ help" from the towns for fifteen c
twenty miles around The work is mosll,
carried on by women and Young folks and j
eagerly Welcomed by even the well-to-d
country families not only on account Of II
EnCuey i h-incs. but because Of lis sociR
SIDE. for ali the gossip ot the COUNTRYSIDE j
zone over Al these gatherings and the room
In which the workers sat buzz with ColversA
tin like meeting OF New England SEWN.
circle.
The gathering Of material begins in sarpes
wish TIE coming Of November and pArtie
az ren are out all day cutting trim youn
hElsAns pines and frs. gathering groa2
pine cape 3oEers. holly. ana in lac; ever
kind o! plant O. shrub that is made avail2hl
for use either by its rich g-eenery OF l.
bright oolors Other wo-kmtn are bus
saving out and making into forms TIE lAt
ans light timber oD which the greens &:
mounted Half 8 million feet OF lunbi
are g.ed for this purpose every season.
tie time big supply Of these requisites
accumulated me material which f2s 10
brought from distance begins TO ArriTt
Princess pine, which is used in immenS
quantities. usually comes BY oosi from Msi-
and New Hampshire laurel and holly 3,
shipped oy train from the south.
With the arrival OF these supplies II
work Of making Is ready 10 begin II
tWigs md small branches which are use
fal The wreLihs Bad similar decorations Z,
s;rippei OF and piled in heaps beside ga;
worker On the other side are the franz
and by The defi use Of scissors cord and vi
the women tura cut The finished pieces a.
astonishing rA;e. They are paid ,! tie plec
trom 10 cents per dozen ,
ing the usual rate for wreath
while from 20 10 q csais per dozen
paie for large pieces. such as anchor
crosses. ships and other Ino-e elsboCA1e q
signs. TIE fastest hands can make half
gross Of the ferge pieces IN DAY, or gro
G. plain wrsElhs 50 that The earnings ran
from 7e cents 10 $50. The very skiIlf
Ho-kinsE 5lsn. who make sbs most sisbora
designs and these requiring an artistic eos
bin= ;ion q. different materials, ere paid al
stsl higher rate. While wages gco5 q
The work is hard. there is plenty o. fun I
the workers TOD. On one or two nights
every week the floor o. the workshop is Us