Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1898-12-17

4 'fHNhhsfNH NNN ANlAN "NNlNA HNNNNh
Ing To the little housewives VIII,
have been busy making theii
plans for the usual Christmas greens
but such II fact Yet for all o.,
PAGAN origin. the Christmas tree con.
tinuca Ia popular favor The cxten,
~ this ever Increasing popularity may
BE- Judged by the fact that last Christ.
mas time through the commission
houses ~ New York city alone passed
100000 trees. only small proportion
% these trees. ~ course. was for New
York city ITSELF most Of this large sun.
ply being distributed throughout tho
eastern states. Nor was all Of this stu
pcnduus number " trees used Tor hang
INK presents On. many " them being
cut mp later for decorative purp0a i
the decoration OF a church alone takes
hundreds " these trees, and that IL "A
very poverty stricken home which has
not at least n touch or two Of evergreen
at Chrlstmastldc.
Nowadays the gathering and prcpar.
INK ~ Christmas greens form very
lucrative occupation for many n worker
all the way frum Maine to Fiorlda. IL
II not generally known that the Christ.
mas green man begins operations 40
early In the season as September. hut
such IA the fact. This class OF work
hrlnFH Christmas money 20 many
households where tho resources would
otherwise be- deplorably limited. a fow
years ago Il was possible Tor tho mer.
chant In cvcrEfccna 10 secure all the
trees he desired within radius OF 100
miles " New York city. this city hay.
Ing always been the distributing point
FOR the Erecnery trade. The New Eng
land farmer used To be happy enough
To have the tree Rathcrcrs clear his
scrub land for him. but now he usually
charges those tree gnthorcrr - per hun
drcd for all the trees they take from
his farm and Insists on their cutting all |
standing brush. clean and clear, In. |
stead OF selecting. AZ was once done, |
only the most perfect growtha.
Today the finest Christmas trees come |
from Maine. They nrc brought to New |
York tied In bundles. 700 bundles going |
10 q car and sometimes 100 carloads to |
train.
goodly supply ~ pine comes also
from New Hampshire. and some stlll
comes from up on the HUDSON. one ~ |
The chief ccnters for dressed Christmas
greens. however, II New Jersey. For
many yearn that section ~ the state
which Hos between Keyport and James
hurE' Just south of the Rarltnn river.
has been territory devoted 10 this
trade. Here the raw material that liz
gathered from all tho states along the
Atlantic coast II worked up into deco
rutlve designs. such NJ wrentha and ov.
crgrecn ropes. This work begins In Sop.
tcmber at the time when the halanm H.
gathered ana before II has time 10 get
too dry. II In stacked around the sheds
ana ouihouacn In which the work NJ
making" Christmas grccncry Is ear
riod on.
This work II very conrcnlni oc-
cupatlun. u h a sort 81 community
Industry. carried ON chiefly hy clusters
ot families, although some 81 the mer-
1hnnta employ outside hands" gather
ing lhem mp from the towns In tho
leiFhbofhood. Most ~ the holp consists
" women ana well grown children. The
lerlnning ~ operations II always well
'pmed BY the genial country people. not
MY because ~ the revenue II brings 10
ne family Golfers. hut also on account
" It's social features Their busy little
Workshop seem very much like "a New
england sewing circle. the workers sit.
Ing around In conversation. exchanging
W the gossip ~ the countrywide.
As n goneral rule these women are
'hld by the piece. getting or cents
oxen FOR wrraths and % cents a dozen
nr IN" larger pieces. such nH anchors
ma croasca. Some OF the women make
n much ~ $3.50 day al this work.
nee week, when She Work " al liz
eight an imnromptu dance ~ held In
me- NJ the larger workshops. the young
Hherinen nnd hoatmon OF tho nelgh-
orhood being invited TO take part In
IN mcrrymaking.
u " for making the Christmas IRON.
ig' that most OF the greens are used.
immense quantities being demanded for
hurch decoration alone one large
lew York departmental store last year
laced an order for four miles OF II. an
which was used IN tho decoration u
h. biz store. This roping ls usually
'ck.
liut pine ana hemlock and b,i.op,
re- not the only things necessary flr
hratmns decorations Holy ana mis-.
etoe aud laurel are sim essential Ia
while the various club
lnfHen ~ florldn, everlasting. b.ttsr-
Ne"t ana Jersey cape flowers srrm TO
= growing In popular favor.
MlHtletpe' of course, n supposed To
'mc from merry old England but tho
'ot II that very little is Imported from
int country,
IN the old days IN ENGLAND II was n
me honnrcd custom Tor tho housomald
aah Tor holly from tho mHnHarvunt.
nd with this holly she would drcnrnte
'r masters hall. n tho mans,rvaut
'clncd or In any way neglected 10 rro. -,
.dn her with the holly h war the
aids Nulctide privilege 10 appropriate
pnlr of hla august brrechea ana nail
p ihr Famc In some place where they
QUA De displayed 10 the cold blasts
the December wind, usually on the
il"post leading 10 the highway. This.
lturaly. caused the poor manaerypnt
ueh embarrassment and In future
.nra served To iog his memory regard.