Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1902-12-25
BOOTS PREFERRED.
Mr.. James Z. Feeney Recalls the Let
tiers Sent to Santa Claus.

''You wish me to relate a Christmas
story? Why, with pleasure said Mr..
James L. Feeney, ex-president Of Bookbnd-
ers' Local Union. No. 4.
1.-THE one Christmas OF my younger days
which 1 can remember most wildly came
along when I was about six or seven years
old-the time Of life when Santa Claus tor
ments the brain the year around. As call
to mind the incidents attending that cher
ished Yuletide. fancy I can see the faces
OF my dear mother and father rise before
me and smile as they used to do when
was at that tender age. was like all chill
dren and wrote q letter to dear old Santa
Claus a month before Christmas. asking
that he bring me pair Of rubber boots, a
soldiers uniform and outfit. train of iron
cars. an entire fire department. with jump
ing horses and little firemen, specifying that
l would much rather have the boots than
anything else. think I wrote about two
letters day to Santa Claus until Christmas
eve. when 1 sat down and wrote a final
communication. telling him of the many
things desired. but which had neglected
to mention in my previous epistles.
Il was up that Christmas morning long
before Old Sol arose. searching for my ex-
pected gifts I found the rubber boots first
of all. and, II remember correctly, they
were lined with red flannel and had a little
pair Of knit slippers in them. Early in the
day my mother allowed me to put them on.
l plowed around in the heavy snow which
had fallen until was completely exhausted
and compelled to go to bed. I slept with
my boots on, for would permit no one to
remove them.
while 1 am relating incidents in refer
ence to Yuetide 1 think 1t no more than
proper to speak OF my Christmas experiences
of a later date. and from labor standpoint.
Away back in the year 1885, when the
Knights OF Labor organization was at its
height as a national labor body, I partici-
pated in organizing large book bindery in
New York city. AS 1t was at the close Of
the year and the establishment had been SO
thoroughly organized, I, with my fellow
workers. considered it an opportune time to
inaugurate new wage scale. The firm
had been exceedingly prosperous during the
year, and, after a few conferences with
the officials. the demands of the newly
formed organization were promptly acceded
to. The pay day before that Christmas
every employee of the establishment received
an advance in wages Of from 10 to Is per
cent. I not only thoroughly enjoyed that
Yuletide. but all who were concerned and
benefited by the accomplishment were high
ly elated.
Another very pleasing incident which
brought joy to a large number Of the local
unionists occurred about Christmas time In
the year 1S9S-a Christmas I shall never
forget. few days before that holiday I
received communication from Senator
Lodge, then chairman Of the Senate COM
mittee on printing, in which 1t was stated
that the bill introduced in the Senate au-
thorizing the restoration OF pay requested
by the bookbinders, printers and pressmen
Of the government printing Office would be-
come a law before the close OF that session
Of Congress. The reason that all concerned
in the bill were so highly gratified by this
information was that for twenty-five years
the unions concerned had resorted to every
honorable means In fighting the reduction
of from "a to So. 20 per day. Senator Lodges
prophecy came true, as in the following
February the bill was agreed to by both
houses of Congress"