The Eureka sentinel. [volume] (Eureka, Nev.) 1902-current, 1912-12-14

Avalanche of chiIdren's Letters
AIDES TO Annual Burden of the
Postoffice Department - How
st. Nicholas Obtained a Per-
manent Place In the Worlds
Calendar

@ANTA CLAUS. the most popular
person in the whole wide world.
j. Just about ready 0 10 start
out on his annual pilgrimage 10
-ladden the hearts Of many millions OF
children. He announces that he has
.arefully inspected the toys that have
been made In his factories at the north
ole and that he Is sure there viii be
Rough 10 20 around. This year has
cen a tryin. one for the merry old
fellow. for he has had to have a whole
lst OF things made that had
cen thought Of before. But with all
tic new toys Santa steadfastly re-
fuses to go back on such old time
7avorite~ a~ ~ied~. dolls. drums and
rattIes for haby's stockings. He i NJ
10 date. hut has an old fashioned
streak in him too.
christmas comes but once a year.
md when ii omc il brings good
eheer." That is the motto Of Santa
claus. and they say that If II should
happen thar by any chance a boy or
FRI has been left Off his list ii almost
spoils his JOY owe h happiness that
re has distributed when he finally gets
tack 10 the frozen north with his
empty sleigh.
Children didn't use to write letters TO
Santa Claus. They just depended upon
II that he wouldn't forget them, and he
hardly ever did. If he did it was really
not his fault any more than II is today.
LETTERS TO SANTA
But since boys and girls have been
writing him letters the p~ostotiice de-
partInenfs IN this country and abroad
have had their burdens greatly %increas-
ed IN fact. I be quite candid about it.
they would prefer that the children Of
today should discontinue the practice.
and Santa Claus himself has assured Us
that II they win do 50 he viii remember
them just the same. even though he is
denied the pleasure of reading and
answering such dear little notes a
these:
Dear Santa Claus-Don't come down the
chimney. come in the door. ! will leave Il
unlocked. The room IS nice and warm
and bright. and bring me a bracelet and
a piano. / will learn to play on II. Please
write and let me know your number.
Have you any children? Love to Mrs.
Santa.
NY Dear Santa Claus-I am a little girl.
My name is Ethel. / obey my dear NAM
ma and papa and always try TO be a good
girl. and now. dear Santa. please bring me
q cupboard for my nice dishes you brought
me last Christmas: also a little candy and
nuts and a Christmas tree. So don't for
get TO come down the chimney.
When children began writing letters
20 Santa Claus their communications
were objects of great interest. An in
teresting story is told of the first Santa
Claus letter sent through the st. Louis
~postofice. 1t was a great curiosity
and everybody in the office had to look
at 1t. Being addressed to Santa Claus
one Of his representatives. who hap
pened to be working in the st. Louis
postofice during the Christmas rush,
opened the letter. The writer was a
little girl who wanted a doll.
While convinced that Santa Claus
would grant her wish. the postofnce
employees were so interested In her
communication that somebody suggest
ed taking up a collection. restricting
each donation to 10 cents. About $40
was collected. and the proposer OF the
scheme appointed a committee to see
that the doll and a lot of other pres
ents were duly delivered
The newspapers heard of the story
and made much of IT.. The following
Christmas Santa Claus mail AT h st.
Louis p~ostofice attained formidable
proportions.
GIFTS THAT GO ASTRAY
An evil which causes endless trouble
10 the p~ostofice authorities is the ne
elect Of the majority Of persons send
ing matter through the mails to put