davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
Cameron County press. [volume] (Emporium, Cameron County, Pa.) 1866-1922, 1907-12-05
Miss
ACI&9l9T 9T6n@I1In'
Christmas.
Miss
BY Mrs. MOSES P. HANDY.

n 7ISS ACKERMANN opened her
INM eyes to the sunshine with Il
NVll startled feeling of having
oversight herself, then closed
hem again at the SOUND of the chimes
rom the church around the corner,
ior it was Christmas day, the one day,
barring Sundays, in the year which
She could really and truly call her own.
She was that overworked individual,
popular dressmaker. going out by the
lay, and she sometimes wished. with
e. =. Roe's old doctor, that people
would send for somebody else some
lines and let her rest. on the last
Fourth of July she had been i'll the
country sewing for dear life in order
to finish a belated bridal rousseau,
and on Thanksgiving she had worked
until dark to accommodate a customer
who wished to outshine her sisters-in-
law at family gathering at the house
Of her husbands father, but on Christ
mas day not even the most exacting
customer could ask her services.
And yet-was she glad 1t was Christ
mas? The associations which cluster
around the season make it q sorrowful
one to those who have nothing left Of
lome excepting its memories, and, saw
ing for one brother Miss Ackermann
was alone in the world.
Really, Miss Ackermann told herself,
she had no business to be low spirited; !;
she was very fortunate person; think
how many people were starving for
ack of work, and all that, she conclud-
cd vaguely as she finished her break
fast The tea. which she made in her
room, heating the water on a small gas
stove. was excellent. She was finicky
Cameron County press. [volume] (Emporium, Cameron County, Pa.) 1866-1922, 1907-12-05
THE NEWSBOYS' PIE.
1t Took Man Who Looked Like Bing
ham to Find 1t.


Tramp! Tramp! Tramp Two hun
dred and fifty pairs of little feet keep
ing step, are marching to dinner in the
New York newsboys' lodging house.
Five hundred pairs more are restlessly
awaiting their turn upstairs In prison,
hospital and almshouse the great
city is host and gives of her plenty.
Here an unknown friend has spread a
generous repast for the waits who all
the rest of the days shift for them
selves as best they can-turkey, cof
fee and pie, with vegetables to fill in
AS the file of eagle eyed youngsters
passes down the long tables there are
swift movements of grimy hands, and
shirt waists bulge, ragged coats sag
at the pockets. Hardly is the file seat
ed when the plaint rises: Il amt got
no pie! 1t got swiped on met Seven
despoiled ones hold up their hands.
The superintendent laughs-it is
Christmas eve. He taps one tentative
ly on the bulging shirt. what have
you here, my lad?"
"Me pie" responds he, with an limo
cent look. II was scarf it would get
stole"
A little fellow who has been eying
one of the visitors attentively takes his
knife out of his mouth and points it at
him with conviction.
II know YOU" he pipes. You're Il
p'lice commissioner. | seen yer picture
in the papers. You're Bingham!"
The clatter of knives and forks
ceases suddenly. Seven pies creep
stealthily over the edge of the table
and are replaced on as many plates.
The visitors laugh. 1t was a case of
mistaken identity.-Century
Cameron County press. [volume] (Emporium, Cameron County, Pa.) 1866-1922, 1907-12-05
IN THE DAYS or '64.

The Last Christmas OF The Southern
Confederacy.
eve had some memorable Christmas
day in the south during the war;"
said Mrs Zebulon i. Vance wife of
the late United States senator from
North Carolina. That of 1861 was
different from any that had preceded
it because we were in arms against the
Federal government, and many of the
male guests at southern homes that
day wore Confederate uniforms Much
of the talk at the Christmas dinner
table was of sieges and battles and
marches, but we were all full of hope
and confidence.
"Christmas. 1862, found us but poor.
ly prepared to celebrate it. Our sup
plies were few, and Confederate money
was at a heavy discount. Then came
the bitter year of 1868, with the fall of
Vicksburg and the defeat at Gettys-
burg. With sad faces, harmoniZing
well with their dresses of coarse black
stuff, the women of the south devoted
themselves to picking lint and spinning
and weaving for husbands, fathers.
brothers and sweethearts in the field.
christmas, 1S64-the last Christmas
of the war-dawned, and what a
gloomy festival it was for the people
of the south, OF manufactured prod
ucts we had practically none. Our
hairpins were made of long black
thorns, with a ball of sealing wax on
the end We had made into dresses
every scrap of available material,
while our feet were incased in home
made cloth shoes. The slaves, having
heard of de Emancipation proclama-
ton knew that they We're free and
had all scattered away. Desolation
seemed to reign over everything OF
all the Christmas days | have known
that last Christmas in the south in
wartime is the one of all others that |
am most certain never to forget
Pittsburg Dispatch.
Cameron County press. [volume] (Emporium, Cameron County, Pa.) 1866-1922, 1907-12-05
II SAW WHAT HAD NEVER SEEN BEFORE
GROWING CHRISTMAS TREE"

berry tree. The ladies of the house
came out about o'clock and deco
rated the tree, with the assistance of
some of the men. Even the men re
quired stepladders to reach the top
most boughs. First, the ladies gave
them some artificial icicles. which they
hung on the branches in great profu-
sion. AS the sun was shining brightly
by this time, it gave the icicles Il very
glittering appearance, and the wind
commencing to blow, shook them gen.
tly, making the illusion more perfect
Then long bright ribbons of many col.
ors We're suspended from the topmost
limbs and fruit and candies tied on
with ribbons of the same color-or.
anges with orange ribbon, apples with
red ribbon, lines with green ribbon
etc. Small toys were suspended from
the tree; large ones were at the base,
1t presented very gorgeous spectacle
and the sight of the happy children
that surrounded it made one wish tC
be child again to enjoy it to the ut
termost. But the best was yet to come
''In the front yard were the presents
lulcllutu LOT the grown people, anu
each man received one. One was n fine
surrey. Five were each given fifty and
seventy-fve dollar saddles. Several
married men got handsome metal bed
steads. with springs and mattresses.
Twenty or thirty fine hats, costing
81 apiece, were distributed and many
other articles, all the best of their
kind. l saw young man who re.
ceived an all leather suit case. This
last item may seem strange on ranch
but there are many polished gentle.
men among the employees who would
consider suit cases very necessary
should they have occasion to visit the
city.
"All this while music was to be
heard from band stationed on the
front porch, where many of the visit.
ors were seated. After the Santa Claus
of the Christmas tree had retired and
the presents to the grownups had been
distributed all repaired to the porch
and front yard to see again the glce.
ful children and the tree, and surely ii
was thing of beauty and, with its
fruits and flowers, looked as though il
had been transplanted from fairyland.
THE people that came from Il dis.
tance departed before nightfall, but
those that lived near by remained for
an evening of music and good cheer
and thus ended a happy Christmas
day"
Cameron County press. [volume] (Emporium, Cameron County, Pa.) 1866-1922, 1907-12-05
QUEER CHRISTMAS PRESENTS.
Some of the Things Found by tn,
British Dead Lettor Office.

Some of the Things Found by the
British Dead -ettor Office.
During the days preceding Christ
mas about 100000 parcais are handled
every twepty-four hours by British
postolIice officials, or approximately
1,IJO,00O for the entire ten days during
which the rush lasts.
The contents of many Of the parcels
are, to say the least, somewhat curl
Gus, says the Pictorial Magazine. \
hamper of live leeches. for instance
seems strange sort of Christmas
gift. SO does an artificial leg. Yet
both of these We're among the parcels
treated last Christmas. Another long
coffin shaped box excited suspicion on
account of the Odor emanating there
from. On opening it, however, nothing
more dreadful was found than young
alligator in dormant condition. An
other evil smelling hamper was found
to contain no fewer than 300 dead
mice, while yet third inclosed a de-
funct puppy consigned for postmortem
purposes to an eminent surgeon.
Christmas presents of live animals
are constantly being sent through the
post Notwithstanding the fact that the
practice is strictly prohibited. Pigeons,
rabbits, white mice, rats, ferrets, silk
worms, lizards, snakes, guinea pigs
and even on one occasion Il pet lamb
have all been dealt with at some pc
riod or other.
No longer ago than last Christmas
eve box was intercepted containing
80 live frogs and a short time before
twelve healthy young adders We're dis
covered in an innocent looking hamper
which was supposed to contain poultry.
Some of the Enclosures are decidedly
sarcastic. OF this class was a two foot
long cane bearing the Endorsement: a
Christmas present for Johnny. For
outward application only. To be well
rubbed in"
Cameron County press. [volume] (Emporium, Cameron County, Pa.) 1866-1922, 1907-12-05
What Grandpa
Knows.
q ONE folks say at Red Riding Hood

q ONE folks say at Red Riding Hood
~ She didn't live at all nor go
Down where tn wolf was in at wood
But erampa says at it is so!
An some folks say at GoIdiocks
Don't meet tn bears an run away,
A-bumpin' into trees an rocks,
But srampa's seen her many day.
My grampa takes me on his knee
An tells me all bout Puss in Boots
An bout tn fairies you can't see
For their in-vis-their funny suits.
An he knows where the beanstaIk is
AT Jack tn Giant Killer climb
To get at gold an things O. his,
Cause erampa's seen it many a time
An Cinderella, too, my pa
lst laugh an say at he don't know,
But grampa-w'y, my srampa saw
Her slip at slipper on her toe!
An Simple Smon-woud you think
He never was like some folks say?
But erampa only laugh an wink,
Cause he has seen him many a day.
Cameron County press. [volume] (Emporium, Cameron County, Pa.) 1866-1922, 1907-12-05
Strange Christmas Superstition.

In north Germany a person must not
spin during the twelve nights of Christ
mas lest he or she should walk after
death, nor after sunset on Saturday,
for then mice will eat the work. If it
is desired to have money and luck all
the year round, one must not fail to
eat herrings on New Years day, nor If
you wish to be lucky must you rock an
empty cradle or spill salt wantonly or
cross knives or point at the stars. If
a dirty cloth is left ON the table over
Christmas night it will make the an.
gels weep, if you point upward to the
rainbow it will make the angels feet
bleed, and if you talk of cabbages
while looking at the moon you will
hurt the feelings of the man in it-Tit.
Bits.
Cameron County press. [volume] (Emporium, Cameron County, Pa.) 1866-1922, 1907-12-05
KING HEROD's ROOSTER.
The Legend of ST. Stephen, First of
the Noble Army of Martyrs.

thS INoblS TNIUnJ VI mdTIyTS'
Ever since that first Christmas eve
the cock has crowed all night long on
the anniversary to keep away evil
spirits, for the cock is a holy bird and
a knowing one. There is Il pleasant
tale of him and st. Stephen, the first
martyr, whose day is Dec. %, close by
his dear Lords.
st. Stephen was King Herod's stew
ard, 1t seems, who served him in the
kitchen and at table. One night as he
was bringing in the boar's head for his
masters dinner he saw the star shin
ing over Bethlehem. Immediately he
set down the huge platter and ex.
claimed:
mo longer, Herod, will l be thy serv-
ant, for greater King than thou is
born
what aileth thee?' cried the king
wrathfully "DO you lack meat or
drink that you would desert my serv-
ice for another's?'
Nay" answered Stephen; 81 lack
neither meat nor drink, but the Child
that is born this night is greater than
all of us, and him only will L serve"
That is as true" quoth Herod, smit-
ing the table with his fist, "as that this
roast cock on the platter shall crow be-
fore u.s."
Hardly We're the words out of his
mouth when the cock stretched his
neck and crowed Justify, "Christus ma
tus est!' At this proof that Stephens
words were true Herod was so angry
that he made his soldiers take Stephen
outside the walls of Jerusalem and
stone him to death. And this is the
reason why unto this day ST. Stephen
is the patron of stonecutters.-Abbi
Farwell Brown in Lippincott's Maya
zine
Cameron County press. [volume] (Emporium, Cameron County, Pa.) 1866-1922, 1907-12-05
CAUSE eRAMPA's SEEN IT MANY TIME

CAUSE GRAMPAs SEEN IT MANY TIME.
AT AIferd Brown, at lives mex door
To US, don't like him, 'uhcause
He say at he don't think no moro
AT there can be a Santa Claus,
But srampa whisper in my ear
AT Santa will find me all right,
Cause he has seen his sleigh an deer
An pack O. pIaythinss many a night.
My grampa knew Boy Blue an all
Tn children at live in th' shoe.
When Humpty Dumpty had at fall
Hos standin' close as me an you!
An he say st to don't buhlieve
TIL folks at say there amt no chime
o. reindeer bells on Christmas eve,
Cause he has heard 'en many a time.
Chicago Tribune.
Cameron County press. [volume] (Emporium, Cameron County, Pa.) 1866-1922, 1907-12-05
From the Yuletide Cynic.

Thank heaven, it isn't only the aris-
tocrat who can have Il family tree at
Christmas.
Be Christmas white or Christmas green
It's all the same to you
If Christmas finds you all serene
And doesn't make you blue.
1t doesn't take magician to trans
form small boy into II turkey gob-
bier.
When Santa Claus comes down the
chimney he chases many man up the
spout.
It's the vanity of the sex that
prompts the female turkey to wonder
how she is going to be dressed for the
Christmas dinner.
Cameron County press. [volume] (Emporium, Cameron County, Pa.) 1866-1922, 1907-12-05
The Queens Christmas Card"

Queen Alexandra has not given up
her interest in behalf of the unemploy
ed. Last Christmas she sanctioned a
unique plan to raise more funds for
them. This was in the shape of the
issue of n Christmas book, consisting
of poems, stories, sketches, drawings
and music, which was entitled THE
Queens Christmas Card" Algernon
Charles Swinburne. Alfred Austin, the
poet laureate; Thomas Hardy, Marie
Corelli, Hall Caine, George Meredith.
Arthur Wing Pinero, Sir Laurence
AlmaTadema. Edwin A. Abbey, VIII
liam Holman Hunt, Sir Edward John
Poynter and Sir Edward Elgar are
among the host of those who contrib
uted. The production of the book was
practically gratuitous. 1t sold for
half crown, and the proceeds were
devoted to the queens unemployed
fund.
Cameron County press. [volume] (Emporium, Cameron County, Pa.) 1866-1922, 1907-12-05
An English Superstition.

The most popular superstition In
many parts of England is that every
remnant of Christmas decoration must
be removed before Candlemas day
Should Il sprig of holly or other ever
green be left in any house one of its
occupants will die within the year.
Cameron County press. [volume] (Emporium, Cameron County, Pa.) 1866-1922, 1907-12-05
Where Bells Ring Underground.

Near Raleigh, in Nottinghamshire
England, there is valley said to have
been caused by an earthquake several
hundreds of years ago, and it is now
usual on Christmas morning for old
men and women to tell their children
and young friends to go to the valley,
stoop down and hear the bells ringing
merrily in the ruins of the church un.
der the ground-Tit-Bits
Cameron County press. [volume] (Emporium, Cameron County, Pa.) 1866-1922, 1907-12-05
In Saxon Times.

In Norman and Saxon times an OK
was always roasted whole over the
Yule log at Christmas.
Cameron County press. [volume] (Emporium, Cameron County, Pa.) 1866-1922, 1907-12-05
Christmas ON
7 TaGJ'S RaracTh.

~ ECRETARY or WAR TAFT is
~ part owner Of one of the largest
~ ranches in Texas, the Coleman.
Fulton ranch, so called. 175OOC
acre farm eleven miles from Corpus
Christi on the San Antonio and Aran.
sas Pass railroad. one hundred men
are always and $50 men sometimes
employed on it,
81 was so fortunate as to have the
pleasure of seeing n unique Christmas
tree on this ranch" writes Mary Elise
Muncey in the St Louis Globe Demo.
crat. christmas morning, though
warm, was foggy, and a slow rain fell,
but by II O'Clock the sun came out
and the people at the ranch house be.
gan to make their preparations. Ever
since early morning the employees
from the different farms had been com
ing in. All kinds of vehicles were
pressed into service. Some came on
horseback and some on foot. There
were many children.
II saw what | had never seen be
fore, growing Christmas tree. just
In front of the house was Il large mul.
Cameron County press. [volume] (Emporium, Cameron County, Pa.) 1866-1922, 1907-12-05

n PISS ACKERAIANN opened her
hMl eyes to the sunshine with Il
UNJ( startled feeling of having
II. A.
The daily morning journal and courier., 1907-05-23
GRAYS' FIELD DAY. CURTISS HIGH MAN.
Forty-eight Qualify in An nual Shoot at the East
 Haven Range.

The New Haven Grays held their annual field day yesterday at East Ha- ven range, the ideal weather drawing out nearly the whole company. The company assembled at the armory at 6.45 a. m. and at o'clock left on a special car for the East Haven church They returned about 5:45.
 Ex-Captain E. o. Grauener of the Grays, now inspector of small arms practice under Col. Geddes, supervised the shooting and forty-eight of the members of the company qualified. A sharp breeze blowing diagonally across the field made the work more critical and made necessary range finding at a finer point, and the figuring out of the windage.
 The Grays found it very chilly on the East Haven plain In the morning, but toward noon it warmed up and shooting in the afternoon was very comfortable.
 The scores made by the shooters were uniformly good. Private Curtiss was high man with 23, Private Harrison second with 22, and Private Somerset high man with 20. They will receive the first three of the five medals. The winners of the other two have not been decided upon yet.
The daily morning journal and courier., 1907-05-23

''The Small Parks of Chicago"-By the Superintendent, MT. J. Frank Foster. Relation of Play to Education'-By Dr. Elmer Ellsworth Brown, Com missioner of Education.
 Evening Session. Public Recreation and Social Moral ity"-By Jane Adams of Hull House, Chicago.
 Play for Adolescents"-B pr. C..
 Stanley Hall, president of Clark Uni versity.
 After the reading of each paper, twenty minutes or half an hour will be given to discussion. The papers pre- sented will be bound in a volume and sent to all members of the Playground Association,
 The officers of the association are: Theodore Roosevelt, honorary pres ident; Luther Halsey Guluck, presi- dent; Jacob Riis, honorary vice-presi- dent; Henry B. F. Mcfarland, first vice president; Henry $. Curtiss, sec retary and assistant treasurer; Jane Addams, second president; Joseph Lee, third vice-president; Felix War; bury, chairman finance committee; Seth Thayer Stewart, chairman execu- tive committee.
The daily morning journal and courier., 1907-05-23
FAIR HAVEN NEWS.


 A few weeks ago good rents were scarce in Fair Haven. Since the plant of the National Wire corporation clos ed, many families have moved away and there are number of tenements for rent in that vicinity. Now is the time for people to get good tenement for a reasonable rent It is not prob able that these houses will remain yac- ant long, for 1t is the general opinion that the steel works will not be closed indefinitely and when they start up again, the houses in the vicinity which have not been rented will find plenty of tenents.
 T. C. w. Jefferson, who has resided with his family at Short Beach all win ter, said last evening that about sixty families remained at the shore all last Der of cottagers who decided to live at the shore all the year round. There are about 157 cottages at Short Beach and while no new houses have been built the past season, several cottages have been improved. MT. Jefferson says that the summer residents are coming to the shore later than usual owing to the cool weather. although a number of families have arrived. MT. Jefferson is the secretary and treasurer of the Short Beach Improvement as- soeiation, this being his twelfth year in office. He was one of the earlier cot tage owners at the Beach.
 There was quite a frost yesterday morning in this .neighborhood, but as the vegetation is so late, it is not be- lieved that the damage was serious.
 The w. c. T. U held a penny social at their rooms at 1T Grand avenue last evening.
 The old chapel of Pilgrim church has at last reached its new foundations in Lenox street. As it was impossible to swing the building around in the avail able space, what was the rear of the chapel now fronts the street. The structure will be altered into a two family house by its owner John Thompson.
 On Tuesday, many teams were driven in from the country and put up at the Fair Haven stables to give the owners opportunity to attend the Wild West show. Several hundred from Fair Ha- ven were attendants in the big tent
 Printed notices containing the sug- gestion and requests from the superin- tendent of streets about cars in keep ing the streets free from waste pa pers and other refuse, were delivered around this part of the city yesterday.
 Mrs. John Parker has returned from stay of several weeks visiting rela- tives in California. On the return she visited sister-in-law in Wisconsin,
 Mrs. Edward C. Rowe, president of the Home Mission society of Pilgrim church, Mrs. c. E. Bray, Mrs Willett H. Kellogg and Mrs. W. E. Granniss, attended the home mission meeting in Middletown yesterday.
The daily morning journal and courier., 1907-05-23

to the front in '61 and on through those terrible years. They were the farmers boy, the clerks in the store, blacksmith's sons, carpenters sons, men who could do anything on the bat tie field or on the march which had to be done.
 All the great battles of this nation have revolved about the central ques- ton of liberty. It is a wonderful thing that in the divine plan of things there is always something hostile to fight. There is in us that "call of the wild" the wolf instinct that we now find in the Black hand, in the Kidnapping of the Marvin boy in the recent train Wrecks, even in our government affairs that is always against the bst things in our civilization. And it is against this that we are bound always to fight We must stand for the right of a man to be a man under all circumstances in this country. America, says En- erson, lis another word for opportuni- ty" and it is opportunity which we must give to all boys and girls in this country. We know little of the cost of our civilization. It has been bought with rivers of blood from Abraham down to our day"
 Rev. Dr. Watson l.. Phillips was the next speaker. He opened with a tri- bute to the retiring department com mander, Virgil F. McNeil. He spoke especially of the phase of the Grand Army in the nation and of the value of the common man in the affairs of flov- ernment. The safety of the nation, he declared, Ifs not in our officials, in our government, in our theory of lib- erty but in the men, the common peo- pie, who are ready always to do the
 thing that is needed to be done and as only Americans can do it."
 Willis B. Isbell, popularly known as the ''parson," recited one of James Whitcomb Rileys poems, Jim" and
The daily morning journal and courier., 1907-05-23
OBITUARY NOTES.
Mrs. Emily Hovey, Wife of Rufus c

Mrs. Emily HOyey, Wife of Rufus c.
 Many friends will mourn the death of Mrs. Emily Hovey, wife of Rufus E. Hine. She died suddenly of heart dis ease at her home, 76 Gregory street, yesterday morning at 9:30 o'clock in her flfty-ninth year. She was an at tendant of Christ church. She leaves to mourn her death besides her hus- band the following children: W. B. Osborn, of Hartford; W. E. Gordon, New York; A, T. Ryons, Bridgeport, and F. H. filling, H. B. Kennedy and Helen Hine, all of New Haven; Lucine Hine, New York, and Harold Hine, New Haven.
 The funeral services will take place from her late residence Friday after noon at 2:9O o'clock. Interment in North Haven.