Republican news item. [volume] (Laport, Pa.) 1896-19??, 1898-01-06
EGbildPe ems Column

were carried into the hall, the windows
OF which had previously been closely
curtained, so that no prying eyes
could peep inside and discover the
secret. Two weeks before Christmas
six of the prettiest little girls in
school, all of about the same size,
were chosen for some mysterious pur-
pose, and they were at once enveloped
in the general cloak of secrecy.
Christmas eve arrived bright and
crisp and cold. Att o'clock the doors
OF the town hall were opened and
crowd of boys and girls, who had been
waiting outside for an hour or more,
surged in and filled the front seats.
But as yet there was little to be seen
for big curtain covered ths entire
front of the hall, shutting out all view
OF the stage. The members of the
committee bustled about mysteriously,
ran in with covered bundles, and out
again, shadows fitted across the cur.
tain, and there were occasional
smothered bursts of laughter, at which
all of the younger children would
stand on their tip-toes and fairly
shrek with anticipation. But there
was one sound that was wholly unex-
plainable and which set every one tc
guessing and wondering. It was a
slight squeaking noise which no one
had ever heard before in connection
with Christmas celebration.
Before 8 o'clock every seat in the
house was filed and large number
of men and boys were standing around
the stove and lined up close to the
wall. There was only moments
delay, and then from somewhere be.
hind the curtain came the voices
of the six little girls singing Christ.
mas carol. Just rs they reached the
last verse the curtain began to rise
slowly and their voices were drowned
out in wild burst of applause. In
deed, the audience was on its feet with
craning necks and eager eyes trying
to take in every detail of the brilliant
display.
ga wheel, a WHEEL" cried little
Susie Jenkins, her shrill voice sound
ing above the roar of applause.
And wheel it was-a Ferris wheel
which any one would have recognized
| in an instant. 1t occupied the very
centre of the big stage, and it was
slowly turning round and round. The
cars were loaded full of gifts with
| dolls for conductors. There was
candy and crockery, toys jack-knives,
skates, new red mittens, caps, books,
and almost everything else you could
think of. Every car was blazing with
light from several wax candles, and
the rim of the wheel, the supports and
the spokes were festooned with strings
of popcorn and twined with ribbons
and evergreen. Besides that the stage
was beautifully decorated.
But another surprise was in store.
Up from behind the wheel stepped
Jack Frost, Santa Claus son, dressed
in natty knee breeches and coat, and
wearing a powdered wig of the style
of the last century. Every one re-
cognized him at once as Captain
Conklin's nephew, who was one of
the brightest boys in the Carberry
school. 1t was some time before he
could speak owing to the cheering,
and then he told the audience that
this new Ferris wheel was invented in
Santa Claus workshop, and that Santa
Claus had placed the gifts in the cars.
After that there were a number of
songs and recitations, during all of
which the wonderful wheel turned
round and round. and he doll con-
ductors leaned out of the windows to
see that the machinery was in good
working order. OF course the exer-
cises were very interesting, but 1 am
sorry to say that they were frequently
interrupted by ''ohs" and "ahs," and
many other whispered exclamations
from the front rows.
At last Jack Frost arose and ordered
the wheel to stop. The six little girls
bounded forward and the distribution
of the presents began, and continued
until the great wheel was empty, and
every one in the hall was happy.
Do you wonder that the folks o1
Carberry are going to have the same
kind of celebration this year?
The Ferris wheel was easily made
by three of the boys of Carberry
They took two old carriage wheels anG
cut away parts of the spokes, and
|
running through the hubs. The cars
were made of large pasteboard shoe
boxes obtained from one of the stores
These boxes were about thirty inches
long by ten inches high by fourteen
inches wide. Doors and windows
were cut in them, and they were sus
pended to the wheels so that they
would turn easily on their pivots
The wheels were then supported by
light framework of wood and pro
vided with crank at the back side
This completed the framework. L
was fun for the committee to NEE
night after night and decorate tn,
wheel with colored paper pasted OF
the boxes, and with evergreens ani
popcorn strings. Candles were fitted
everywhere there was room for chem
and then the cars were filed up will