The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1897-12-19
flAKIfG A GREEN CHRISTMAS.
The Wonderful Expansion Of the Trade in Greenery.

rs Christmas going out of fashion, I
Well, hardly, if my business is any in !
dication of the estimation in which it
is held" It was the Christmas tree
dealer who spoke, and while he talked |
he was experimenting number of
men who were at work removing
shapely young frs from the little
coasting steamer and piling them along
the pier "Eew persons have any idea
OF the proportions to which the trade
in Christmas greens has grown in this
country" continued the dealer. 1T has
at least doubled within the past few
years, and this seGson we expect to
keep up the increase. Most folks never
think about the business end of the
Christmas tree trade, l suppose, be-
yond noticing that a srhall-sized forest
springs up in certain sections OF the
city every December and disappears as
quickly as it comes. But the dealer,
who has to compress his whole season
business into q few weeks, begins his
hustling in the middle of the summer
The gathering of the stock begins in
I September and goes steadily on from
that time until within d week or two
OF Dec. %.
There's a good deal more competi-
/ ton now than there was when l first
started in the business a dozen years
/ ago. Then we could get about all the
! trees we wanted within a hundred
miles Of New York, and it was the
same in Boston, Philadelphia and all
! the eastern cities. Now good share
of our Christmas greenery comes from
northern New England, and whereas
the farmer used to be delighted to
have US clear off his ground for him,
now he charges US from 81 to 81 per
hundred. and insists upon our taxing
everything clean, instead OF selectlhg
the most perfect growth, as we once
did. In bringing the bulky stuff from
such a distance, too, the cost of trans
portation is considerable. Still, one
can buy a Christmas tree now for
about the price it would have brought
ten years ago. and the growth In tne
volume of trade makes our profits
about the same, too.
The gathering and making o.
r Christmas greens forms the chief oc-
. cupation of many a worker from MAINS
to Florida during the autumn and early
winter and brings Christmas money te
many country household where the
resources are few and the opportuni-
} ties for extra earnings far between
The chief center of the trade in Christ
mas greens, however, is and has beer
for many years, in New Jersey, in the
section of the state that lies between
, Keyport and JameSburg, just south Of
the Raritan river Here the nlateria
} that is gathered from all along the
: Atlantic coast is worked up int
: wreaths and roping and decorating
signs of every pattern. The CHRIST
, mas trees themselves, of course, 81
.directly to market from the place
where they are cut. a few of then
are obtained from this same section
but most of them come from northern
2 New York and New England.
GIRLS AND WOMEN DO TIKI
WORK.
= Among the Jersey pines the prepare
2 lions for Christmas begin in late Sep
= TENDER when the balsam is gathered
5 before it gets too dry, and stored il
great sacks around the sheds and lon;
= low outhouses in which the work o
, making Christmas greens is carrIe'
t on It is a community industry car
ried on by groups of families for tn
t most part though some Of the largeS
S dealers employ help" from the town
4 for Is or 20 miles around. The wor
n is mostly carried on by women an
d young folks and is eagerly welcome
o by even the weil-to-do country fam
lilies, not only on account OF the none
Il It brings, but because of its social SIDE
n for all the gossip of the countryside
: gone over at these gatherings and TIA
s rooms in which the workers sit buz
y with conversation like meeting Of
New England sewing circle.
: The gathering Of material begins L
earnest with the coming of Novembe
: ard parties of men are out all DAY cut
e ting trim young balsams, pines an
frs, gathering ground pine, cape flow
n ers holly, and in fact every kind c
e-I,r n faf iS made 9W9Il3 Dl
d for use either by it's rich greenery c
it's bright colors. Other wOrkmen al
d busy saving out and making into form
the lath and light timber on Whic
II the greens are mounted. Half q mi
= lion feet of lumber are used for tn
j. purpose every season. By the time
bic supply OF these requisites is az
it cumulated the material which has
lie be brought from a distance begins
Is arrive. Princess pine, which is use
Dr. in immense quantities usually come
v. by boat from Maine and New Ham,
Z, shire: laurel and holly are shipped
IS train from the south.
v With the arrival of these supplies Il
W work of making is ready to begi
= The twigs are small branches whiC
10 are used for the wreaths and simili
e decorations are stripped off and pile
n in heaps beside each worker On Il
other side are the frames and by Il
o. deft use of scissors. cord and wire Il
IL women turn out the finished pieces
nd an astonishing rate. They are paid
g the piece, from to cents per doz
To being the usual rate for wreaths, VIII
~ from 90 to % cents per dozen is pa
al for large pieces, such as anchor
~ crosses, ships and other more elabora
-. designs. The fastest hands can ma
~ half gross of the plain wreaths in
~ day, or a gross of plain wreaths so til
- The earnings range from rs cents
a. s150 The very skillful workingme
:. who make the most elaborate desig
and those requiring an artistic conf
- nation of different materials, are pa
~ at a still higher rate. While wages q
'i9 GOOD and the work is hard, there
ee plenty of fun for the workers, too.
ga one or two nights of every week
Oh floor of the workshop is usually clear
mp and an impromptu dance is held,
&c. which all the young fishermen a
Ter boatmen Of the neighborhood gather
We; make merry.
Ied FIFTEEN THOUSAND YARDS.
ed While good deal of material is us
oil in wreaths and stars and other