The daily star-mirror. (Moscow, Idaho) 1911-1939, 1915-12-27
MUNICIPAL TREE
A HUGE SUCCESS
BIG CROWD TURNED OUT TO WIT
NESS THE PAGEANT DEPICTING
EPISODES ATTENDING THE
FIRST CHRISTMAS
Reverently Attentive to Impressive
Ceremony and Enthusiastic in the
Less Serious Christmas Festiv.
tiles That Followed

Although a sharp wind from the
north that penetrated to the very
marrow blew without cessation all
Friday afternoon and evening, the
enthusiasm and good nature of the
huge crowd gathered to witness the
impressive exercises around the muni-
cipal tree was unchecked. People
were oblivious to cold and to weari-
ness and watched with reverent at
tention the dramatic unfolding of the
story of the first Christmas eve; and
sung, and the serious episode was
past, hilarity and jollity prevailed.
The kiddies swarmed around the gor-
geous Sanity and his First Aid and re-
ceived their gifts of candy; old folks
stood back and laughed to see the
children scramble and wished each
other Merry Christmas with right
good will and cheer. 1t was great
celebration 1t made every person
who passed or who caught glimpse
of the beautiful tree with it's hundreds
of colored lights exclaim with joy
over the great sight and feel that a
municipal Christmas was worth while
and had something in it of happiness
for every soul in town.
AS was the case last year, follow
ing the announcement that there
would be a municipal tree, Main
street became on Christmas eve
very busy thoroughfare. Hundreds OF
persons, attracted by the news, found
their way down down early in the al
ternoon and did some final shopping
while they were waiting for the pro-
gram to begin. Evory store in towr
was packed to its capacity with hur
ried shoppers, and when the trumpet
call came from the civic center, they
all streamed out to the square at
Third and Main.
Under the able direction of Mayor
Gibson, who threw himself heart and
soul into the performance of all the
duties incident to the mayors office
in any civic celebration, the labor in
cident to the erecting and recorating
of the stage was successfully and
promptly carried out, the mayor even
sending to his own barns for the num-
erous bundles of hay whose green and
gold tones made such an effective roof
ing for the stable that sheltered Mary
and Joseph and the f1ocks.
To Mr. Eugene H. Storer is due the
entire credit of presenting the first
outdoor pageant Moscow has ever
witnessed and of doing that most diff /
ficult of all things producing rellg-
ious piece so effectively and impress
sively in the open that the crowd paid /
close and reverent attention.
The episodes which were dramatized
included the prohphecy of the coming
of the Lord, the journey OF the Wise
Men with their gifts, and pilgrimage
of the Shepherds to honor the BaDe,
and the appearance of the angel.
Mrs. Max W. OIlHltH, III q ioi Si'
appropriate costume loaned by the
Ursuline nuns, was an exquisite PIC
ture as she sat by the manger, i'm
personating the Virgin Mary. Donald
Nankervis was Joseph; Oscar john
son. Raymond Pittinger, and Fenner
Buffham were the shepherds; Morton
Tuyaas. Paul Wenger, and Donald
David were the three wise men, Mr..
Luyaas spoke the lines as the wise
men approached the manger. Miss
Bernadine Adair, as the Angel, de- j
claimed her lines extremely well and
looked very beautiful as the heavenly
angel. Mr. Howard T. Lewis, as John
the Baptist, gave a most impressive !,
rendering of the announcement made ,
by the prophet. Mr.. Lewis has +
splendid voice and much of the solemn
effect of the pageant was due to the
feryor and force with which he spoke, I
his words reaching even the outermost 7
edge of the throng. I
Mr.. Clarence Johnson, as the Mar S
rator whose function it was to weayeI
together the episodes of the storyy was
4 very handsome figure; and his fne
and splendid elocutlon
added a tone of real nobility to the 7
entire presentation.
Aided by Miss Kendrick and Mr.. t
Carey, Mr. Storer directed the sing
ne Of a group of carols interspersed a