Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1910-12-25

w !: !: =: :: :: !: !: 6:
6NC NdEA or business affairs
u w 4" often of the
rkEE,l<{A most commonplace
M - kind. 1t is not al
Mn ways the Christ
mas in the out-of-
the-way place that sticks in the memory;
nany men whose duties have carried
them into strange corners of the globe
confess to having found their most mem
orable Christmas under very prosaic- con-
ditions OF as the result of circumstances
that have developed right at home
This is a collection of Christmas remi-
niscences that have been gathered
rom prominent American men within the
asst two weeks. The approach of the
christmas season has stirred old mem
Dries; and in the midst of business duties
a number of well known Americans have
paused long enough to tell of the Christ
mas or the holiday incident that fingers
most prominently in their memories.
!: (;
Vice President Sherman found his pleas
ATTEST Christmas in a big hotel in Hot
Springs, Ark, when he received an I'M
Expected gift. John E Wilkie, chief of
The secret service of the United States,
travis his pleasantest Christmas memory
rom the gift and letter of a reformed
-ounterfeiter. Senator Knute Nelson of
Minnesota best remembers the Norwegian
iriStmas in the backwoods of Wiscon--
al, when no work was done on the farm
thirteen days
senator LATE Young of Iowa, who
as appointed to succeed the late Sena-
or Dolliver, has had two Christmases of
cry different character. which stand
out in his mind as the most memorable
of his life. One of them found him i'll a
lose walled room in hospital, suffering
from rheumatism, and thinking that he
would trade all earthly possessions for
the ability to join the boy going by in
the street with skates over his shoulder
That Christmas was my pieasantest,
says Senator Young. ''for L found my
self suddenly remembered by all my
friends: flooded with baskets and boxes
and tubs of flowers. and reminded III
VERY conceivable way that my friends
I'd determined that an otherwise blue
1ristmas should be bright one.
.'Eut for real interest the Christmas oc-
lion that ! best remember occurred In
country schoolhouse, where fond par
It's and friends had prepared q Christ
as tree and festival for the children OF
ne surrounding district. The tree was
o be the great event of the evening: but
Incidental to it, the youngsters were to
e given a little something solid in the
way of speeches and mature advice.
Il
II was invited to make one OF the
s5eeches. On the way out / framed up
many cheerful and important things that
would say. The schoolhouse was a de-
.htful sight when j got there; the tree
vas loaded with Christmas knicknacks
nd mysterious packages peeked out from
very branch.
ii loaded Christmas tree and make
speech TO the children who are waiting
or something can imagine how j feit.
they didn't want advice, and they didn't
nts from that tree, and indicated that
! was keeping them back. Their mouths
watered for the candy and oranges piled
up at its base.
My speech lasted about three minutes:
lust long enough for me to discover that
every eye was on the tree and every
Young mind was sincerely wishing me out
IF the way. No audience / ever address
d was SO glad to have me finish when
santa Claus took my place there was a
wild howl of approval, and 1 am frank to
say | had no i'll feelings for my audience
when / climbed into my sleigh and drove
off,"
sneaker Cannon found himself one
Christmas unable to manage the affairs
Of his own household. He had determined
TO spend Christmas in washington 1here
was a press of business during the hoh-
lay recess of Congress and he saw no
CHANGE to make the journey out to his
home i'm Danvilie, ILL.,
So word was sent for the rest of the
family to come to Washington. most
important member of this family, which
Vas &c be suddenly transplanted for its
Christmas celebration, was the Speaker
little granddaughter, then about SIX years
old. She received the news with distinct
disapproval. On behalf of herself, she
shar
the following terms be transmitted 10
Grandpa Cannon" in Washington:
Santa Claus knows our chimney here,
but he don't know anything about Wash
inSton chimneys. Grandpa Cannon
house there hasn't got good chimneys.
and even if it had, Santa Claus would
never know where TO find me-
The Speaker considered the matter, and
decided that his granddaughter argu-
Irents were unanswerable. Business was
not so pressing. after all. as TO make IL
Impossible for him 10 join Santa Claus
at home.
IF the mountain won't come to Moham-
med, Mohammed Will have to go to the
mountain" he said, and Grandpa Can
non thereupon loaded bag with Christ
mas gifts and went to Danviiie-
Vice President Sherman's happiest
Santa Claus in q big hotel at Hot Springs.
Arx., reached up into a Christmas tree
HAT had been erected in the hotel par
iDrs and handed him d real. sure-enough
present with his name on il.
My son and I had gone TO Hot Springs
Tor a vacation at Christmas time, when he
~ouid secure a short leave from his col
iege work." says the Vice President.
There were few people in the hotel, and
confess that the two of US contemplated
q very gloomy Christmas season.
We took Indifferent interest in the
hristmas festivities that had been ar
dnEed by the hotel mana cement and
ave only casual attention 10 the rigging
> OF the Christmas tree and the prep
ration of the evenings program. 1t was
pleasure TO have some sort of entertain
.uent, but We did not suppose any one
q: thin 1900 miles had any immediate in
terest in us.
The Santa Claus person began to hand
the presents down from the tree and call
OF the names of the lucky ones. I sup
posed each present had been put on the
tree by some friend of the recipient. and
was watching the proceeding in an en-
:ireiy impersonal way when Santa Claus
suddenly looked around, held out a pack
age and called:
James S. Sherman.
1T took me some time to realize that
vas il, and much longer TO recover