Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1916-12-23
SANTA CLAUS EvI. ISIS
AN ARMY or ASSISTANTS
Old Fellow Finds Work Getting
a Little Heavy and Calls
IN Youngsters

AT THE NORTH POLE (vin wireless,.
| Dec 2a.--it was pitch dark when the eor-
respondent got hare 70 500 santa CLAUS
this year. and he had 70 ring tho slsiefi
/ BELLS ~ the main entrances ~ Santas hfR
silver barn long time beforc anybody
side called out.
"IisIlo ,herci why don't you turn On
Where are thcyr tho rsportor caroA
Why said santa with chuckia. as he
rolled back ono of the big. black marble
doors and stepped out they're WHARF the
northern lights ought % be, IN thla Rnid ana
silver box faatcned 10 tho North Pole over
mere Sc saying he switched them on. ana.
say, weren't they beanties
Maybe you've seon th6 northern liehtst
great, slowing shafts of purple and crimson
and white, all laced and woven with fhs
sotteat huea and tlnts You ever raw
was BIZ worn out setting ready FOR
the trip" said Santa az he turned around
and shook hands, "and I was Just gostIng
little nap Won't you sit DOWN. we
walled over 10 n big frosted anow bench
In front OF the barn.
Things were n lot different from what thsr
were when the reporter was up here last
year Tho gigantic Biiver barn with the
hundred reindeer. the heavy sets of apun-
Eold harnesa and tho Christmas sleigh thae
q regiment OF soldiers could walk around In
were there And the mountains OF toyn
and dolls and alods and all kinds OF prns-
ents were scattered around thu North Pole
hs TAR as you could nee Ia all directions
The reporter knew that pretty coon the
hundreds of little Santa Claus children
each ono looking like a Tom Thumb edition
ot santa himself, would come roliing and
tunbling out OF the barn and 20 rcuttllns
right labels ON each one.
All that wnH here last year. This year
thero was something more All around tha
big silver barn therO were hundreds of
little barns and every ono OF them buiit
OF hammered Eoid and green marble And
In each ono OF them was lIttIe polished
steel sleigh and nifty teams OF baby roin-
deer
Il sec what you're looking att said santa
Claus, and suppose you're wondering
what the iden ia" OF course the reporter
woa wondering, 20 Santa explained.
I've boon trying 10 do too much all by
myself. The world Is growing 80 fast,
there ere 80 many more little hoya and
girls and Grown-ups thhn thorc used to
be- and am getting so old that had
TO get somebody to help me or else give
up trying to get all around 20 everybody
In one night.
II was talking 10 Mara about Il thu
other day, and he offered TO build me q
giant aeroplnne and "A Zeppelin and a
motortruck for land work and a submarine
built.
Mars was very kind about Il. ana III
appreciated his offer but I'm an old-faah-l
ioned dufrer In way and didn't like to
give up tho sleigh and reindeer 30 I just
put up these little barns and filled them
with sleighs ana baby reindeer and tho
children are going TO help me tomorrow
night"
but, Santa Claus" said the reporter,
do you mean that you won't get around
to all the places yoursoif7''
"oh no, don't mean that" said Santa
quickly I'm 70 every place just as usualt
hut tho youngsters win do all the heavy
work Their Blelghs win carry most of
the packages. I'll walt on all thb roofs and
the young chaps will nooot up and down
the chmneys with the glftan
just then the northern lights went out
and II was day, There wna an awful com-
motion In the big barn, and all OF n sudden
the aiding doora rolled back and out
tho little Santa Clauses whoop-
Ing and yelling and tumbling over one
another
We'll" saLd Santa Claus jumping up.
you can easily see I've got my hands fun
now"
And tho reporter, realizing that Santa
ana the little fellows erowdlng round him
'acod hard days work. shook hands with
santa. Hald good-by TO the hopping slgip-
llng little santRa and hurried away.