Gloucester County Democrat. (Woodbury, N.J.) 1878-1932, 1907-12-26


lifted hat and formally acknowledged
the words of greeting, after which the
two shook hands and other command
ing officers arrived for the farewell re-
ception To all the president spoke the
cordial and familiar words, "Goodby,
and good luck!' and expressed his
pride in the feet and the sailors.
The Mayf1ower led the four mile pro-
cession of fighting vessels from Hamp-
ton Roads to the Horseshoe Bend of
the Chesapeake. flying at its masthead
the blue eagle crested presidential flag
and there turned aside and came TO
anchor while the white clad ships
passed in review and out to sea, their
guns roaring, bands playing and sail
ors singing The feet carries 14,000
officers and men and 35,000,0O0 pounds
of explosives. The first stop will be
Trinidad, where the torpedo feet,
which started in advance, already
awaits the coming of the battleships.
Prior to the departure Admiral Evans
had given to the press in writing a
farewell message to the people of the
United States, conveying his apprecia-
ton of the interest shown in the fleets
movements and referring to the trip
as great practice cruise to visit our
friends and supporters on the Pacific
coast" In closing he gave some hint
about possible diversion to the far
east by saying that if the commander
in chief should decide to send them
ION mission of peace and good will
to the nations of the other hemisphere
the same interest would follow them
there. Later a wireless message said
the admiral had made known orders
to return via Suez.
Letters to Santa Claus.
The postmaster general has made
public his annual proclamation con-
corning Santa Claus. In past years
letters directed to Santa Claus have
been sent to the dead letter Office and
wherever practicable returned to the
senders. He now directs that these
letters may be turned over by any re-
ceiying postmaster to any regularly
organized charity society in the city
or town of address to be used exclu-
sively for philanthropic purposes. The
terms Of the order confne these di-
rections strictly to letters addressed
to Santa Claus, as it is found that the
name Kriss Kringle appears in various
city directories.
A 10000 Ton HattIeship Begun.
At the yards of the Fore River Ship
building company, Quincy, Mass, Dec.
16 was laid the keel of what is planned
to be the largest battleship yet added
to the United States navy, the North
Dakota, of 10000 tons displacement.
1t is expected that within a month
there will be 1000 men at work on
the vessel, and it will be completed In
three years.
100000 Christmas Trees Year.
In discussing the effect on the for
ests of the country by the use of
Christmas trees, of which it is estimat-
ed that 100000 are used each year,
Clifford Pinchot, United States forest
er, says that the effect is infinitesimal
compared with the destruction caused
by forest fires and wasteful lumber
ing. If planted four feet apart these
trees would be grown on less than
1,4o0 acres. He says that trees suit
able for Christmas trees do not grow
in the old forests. where reproduction
is most important, but in the open,
sad there is no more reason for an
outcry against using land to grow
Christmas trees than TO grow flowers.
According to Mr. Pinchot the center
Of the Christmas tree industry lies in
the big cities Of the east. New Ks
city and the New England states
sumo 800 600 trees, or nearly