Shepherdstown register. [volume] (Shepherdstown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1849-1955, 1904-12-22
SINGING RIVERS CHRISTMAS.

Thro all our days!
SINGING RIVERS CHRISTMAS.
Ma'am Hickey's account of the
Christmas tree at Singing River is SO
much more interesting than any ac-
count I could give of it, that l think
it best to let her tell about it in her
own way.
"You zee, Big Dan an Joe Burke
got back all right the middle of the
afternoon the day before Christmas
They looked like pair o pack ped
dlerl, an they were about tagged out,
for they had had a hard time of it
pullin' up over the mountain trails in
snowstorm. Joe said he didn't
think he could have dragged himself
another mile for love nor money. He
had two big turkeys on his back be-
sides a great lot of other things.
"Well, the men in the camp had
been busy, too They had cut a big
pine an set it up in the hall over the
postoffice, an the way they had dec
rated the hall with evergreen was
beautiful. You couldn't see an inch
of the ugly bare logs nor Of the bare
rafters. They set to an scrubbed the
floor an washed the windSrs, an
strung up lot o red, white and blue
buntin l happened to have in the
house, an l tell you the little old hall
did look scrumptious. KEEP the
children in the kitchen with me,
where l was maxim pies an cake an
doughnuts most O. the time. l give
EN- dough to muss with, an let EN-
escape the cake dishes, an tried to
keep EN- interested all the time, SO
they wouldn't ask about their pa.
"When Big Dan an Joe got back,
the other man had great time riggin
up the tree. We was afeerd they
wouldn't be able to buy Christmas
tree candles in Crystal City; but, my
land they got about ten dozen of
EN-, an no end of tinsel an shiny
balls an things to hang on the tree,
an lot O. little flags to stick in among
the evergreen decorations. We had
no end o common taller candles on
hand, an the men were perfectly
reckless with 'em. I reckon they put
as many as 200 Of 'em up around the
room. An what did they do but 60
an rig Big Dan up as Sanity Claus !
They wrapped him up in big bear
skin, busted -four on his long, bushy
whiskers to whiten EN-, an they put
a big fur cap on his head, and he did
look for all the world like Sanity his
own self. Yes; an be had a string
o sleigh bells they got at the stage
Office stable:; an them boys ackshully
cut hole in the roof so Sanity Claus
could come down through it La, if
you want things carried through re-
gardless, you let lot of Rocky Noun
tain boys take it in hand. They
won't stop atnothin'. l reckon they'd
listed off the hull roofit it had been
necessary to make the appearance Of
Sanity true 10 life. Such fun as the
boys had over it all An Of all the
capers they cut up Seemed like they
were all boys once more Ne an Ann
Dickey an Mary Ann Morris were
the only women in the camp, an We
had our hands full gettin' up the
Christmas supper We intended hayin'
after the tree. Mind you, there WASH t
child in camp but just them two
pore little orphans, an all that fuss
was on their account. If you think
rough miner boys cant have the kind
est o hearts, you Just remember that
Every man seemed to be tryin' to
outdo the others in doin' somethin for
them little folks.
"Well, l Jest wisht you could have
seen them children when the time
come for EN- to go up to the hall an
see their tree Little Freddy he give
a yell o JOY that most split our ears,
an he jest stood an clapPed his hands,
while his sister KEEP sayin': How
lovely it is ! Oh. isn't it beautiful ?
Then Freddy he screeches out: oh,
there's my choochOO engine GOody !
An how little Elsie's eyes did shine
when she saw no less than three dolls
on the tree for herself There was
enough stuff on that tree for 4 hull
Sunday school, for the men had been
that reckless in sendin' to Crystal
City for things.
"Then l wisht you could have seen
those children when Big Dan come in
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