Willmar tribune. [volume] (Willmar, Minn.) 1895-1931, 1898-12-21
A COSTLY CHRISTMAS
The Way John HaIt0n Brought snow
and Ice In Midsummer " Gather
for His DauEhter.

John H1lton was an Australian
squatter with problem to solve. It's
solution worried him exceedingly for
some weeks. but, being fortunately for
him millionaire in the pound sterling
sense Of the word. solve it he ultimate
ly did, to the satisfaction OF his seven
year-old daughter Alice. at least. And
she. after all, was the principal party to
be considered.
We have heard how. as the mountain
refused to come to Nohammed. that old
humbug, pretending to have received
sudden inspiration, mounted his sa-
cred camel and went to the mountain
John HaIton did better than No
manned; he brought England to Bal
larat and compelled Santa Claus to visit
Alice q the simmering antipodes. He
surrounded her for the one day of De-
cemher %, 1877, with mistletoe and holly
and ivy; he showed her furry Of
genuine SHOW, he enabled her to slide
en- the ice. and in fine to do al manner
Of Christmas things, just as she had
done in her native Devonshire the pre-
ceding Christmas Of 1876. When it is
remembered that Christmas in Ballarat
is one OF the midsummer days. and that
the mercury in the thermometer
stands at 100 in the shade. it will be ad
mitIed that the achievement is one
worthy at all events OF brief sketch.
Alice vas a beautiful motherIess
child, with blue eyes and golden hair.
Il true descendant OF the Celtic Cymri.
and her father fairly adored her. One
day, it was in October, the mail from
England brought d mum Der OF coIored
prints to Craig-Devon. and amongst
them picture Of Santa Claus. by Raul
bach
oh papa" cried Alice. ct so glad
Christmas is coming. Grandma told
me I should see Santa Claus and his
reindeer when I was old enough not to
be scared, and Tn old enough now.
Amt l. papa? ~
Henceforth Alice talked Of little but
Christmas and Santa CLAUS not think
ing and not knowing that the heat OF a.
Ballarat December Is would melt the
poor old soul and his reindeer into five
grease spots in half day.
"Where is the use IN possessing mil
Eons," John Hadton asked himself one
day, after such short Christmas dia-
Iogue, II they do not enable fellow
to Introduce d small taste of winter
into BaIlarat when fellows baby
wants it,"
That sama evening John Halton
cahlei Prof McCulIoch, Of Aberdeen
college, to send him cargo Of ever
green's from the north of Scotland, re-
gardless of expense, and to send them
via the Suez canal He telegraphed at
the same time to James b Muir, OF Tar
anal1i, New Zealand to forward him
go tons OF SHOW from Mount Tonga
rairi, In the Waikato country, and the
next day he ordered the plant and ma
chinery from Sydney, New South Wales,
necessary for the manufacture os ice
according to the hFgienic process
4 Ee made arrangements, In fact, to
have fence constructed around the
| crag within which, for one day at least,
winter would reign supreme With
this end IN view he imported 500 labor
err and mechanics from various points,
who we're snnn busy building sheds. ex
eavatiing cellars, planting trees, Great
/ ing pools for sliding purposes, ami da-
ing other things to get the place ready
TO assume a wintry aspect at the proper
time. Meanwhile the acknowledgements
hotter aud hotter each day
! J Alice's stockings were hung up
Christmas eve. She said her PRAYERS
and WAS just about to- jnnf, into bed
when. she felt the atmosphere growing
/ paIpahIY cooler: She ram to- the WIN
| dow and, sure enough, snowfa heswere
coming down-as, indeed we'll they
might. seeing that four Of her, ffat5er's
| i:1ihh uH employees were mdustiuusiY