Kansas City journal. [volume] (Kansas City, Mo.) 1897-1928, 1897-12-19
FIRST CHRISTMAS TREES
CATSNILL wOODSMAN STARTED A
BIG INDUSTRY.
Friends ut Him-He Perse-
vcred and His Spruce SnpiinGS
Sold Like Hot Cakes to
New Workers..

1t is now about forty-six years since thi,
pretty custom OF indoor decoration with
holiday creencry led 70 the business OF sup
plying the trade with greens. And it WAS
in the Catskills that the industry began.
The New York Press says Mark carr. Il
jolly Old w0Odsman. who then lived among
the foothills back of Catskill village. first
conceived the idea Of cutting and shipping
Christmas trees 10 the New York market.
His woodland ncishbors tried to laugh
him down. But Mark had heard and read
Of the great Christmas celebrations in the
biz city. how houses ard churches were
trimmed with fir trees and everSreens. and
1t occurred to him that the shapsly young
spruce trees that clothed the mountains on
every side OF his rude forest home might
he delivered in the big city at Il profit.
The trees were abundant. he wanted to
Ciedr the land anyway. and he s,tw AT once
t.it the cutting and transportation would
The work could be done al Il season when
he had little els" 20 do. and he wondered
Why the idea had never struck him be
II" got little encouragement from his
WE. She looked upon the scheme with
Gisi:tvor. and said il was another OF those
wild projects that Mark could not keep
out OF his head She felt some mlsgiyine5
as TO the probable Effects Of such a trip
husband.
iut the boys. inheri;iug a hit Of the ia
/ lI'1 = EtSti4lc anu adventurous nature.
were Just old enough to he Interested in his
plans. and they went TO work under his
guidance with a viii. These Young trees
would never produce timber of any value.
and they might be turned into some money
In this way. they argued.
through the deep snow OF an early. old
fashioned winter, Mark Carr and his two
sens Went out into the woods and cut two
sicighlOads of Christmas trees. The process
OF tying the branches close together to save
SPEC and prevent mutilatiOn Was not then
| thought of, but they ynked UP the oxen and
drew the trees to the river: at CatskilI
Point; and the father took them to the NE
tropolis.
at Greenwich and Eesey street Tor an old
| fashioned silver dollar. There the woods
man displayed his mountain novelties. and
IL was the first booth for the sale Of Christ
mas trees ever established in New York
He disposed of his entire stock in a few
hours at prices which seemed to him sNor-
bitant. People gathered about his place
| eagerly. attracted by the fresh ana heauti-
ful green trees and their forest odor. Mark
said he could have sold the hull darns9
mountain of spruce there in less than n
week and made his fortune right on the
srot.
Ne remained in town a day or two to
and then went home highly el1tcd over his
great success. The precise nature of his re-
ception by his wife is not included in the
supply Of Christmas gifts and some cash.
The following year Mark was there on
green's. which he had now learned to sell
at still higher prices than before.
From that time to this The business has
grown with surprising rapidity. and trees
are now sold by the hundred thousand.
coming in by tine carload and steamboat
lCad from various mountain sections.
Twenty years ago part of 18th" annual sup
pIv began to come from Maine. and now
peThapS half Of il comes from that region.
Over I million trees have already been con-
tracted for in that state by regular dealers;
Nearly as many more are being procured
in the CatskillS. and most of them are al
ready awaiting shipment.