Putnam patriot., 1917-12-14
PATRIOTS" CHRIST
 MAS NUMBER
Advertisers Generous in Use of Printers
 Ink Stores We'll Stocked For Holiday Trade There Will Be Holiday Cheer Under The
 Dark Clouds of War

greetings This IS the PATRIOT s annual Christmas number Notwith- standing we are living under the darkened skies of a horrible war. and Peace on earth, good will tow ard men" has a meaning apparently forgotten, while men fly at each other s throats and glory in the dim ming eye of the maimed and dying foe, yet we are the people of the times and in doing our duty to the country Of our birth we shall do 1t with cheerfulness and experience what joy we may. while others suffer, bleed, and perish.
 It is Christmas time The season made holy by the birth of the Savior. It is ft-giving time, emblernatic of the offerings bestowed upon the Christ Child who lay in the manager in Beth- lehem. While it is the country $ duty to fight for humanity it needs may pause at this time of year and observe the spirit of the greatest holiday in the christian world
 The people of Putnam can hardly realize the horrors that are under mining the old World We feel se cure in our city, our homes and our individual lives. True, there are activities pertaining to the war to be seer on all sides We are directly effected by seeing many of our young men leave the city and return for short space ill our country s fighting uniform. We realize that some of these young men may never cone home. yet we go about our daily tasks and pursue our lives along the usual course with only a doubt as to where t may be leading us in the months to come. And those who are engaged ia the real activities would have it SO. They would not have Us sit and grieve and moan at what might happen They will enjoy the same holiday spirit on the firing line or in camp that we shall enjoy at home and the season will bring it's good cheer and glad tidingS as heretofore except for the dark cloud overhead
 
 lr Putnam, preparations for the. holidays have been made. Already the holiday spirit pervades the atmos phere. The shops and stores have taken on their holiday aspect, and the counters. shelves and show cases creak with the weight of the mer- chandise gathered for the holiday trade
 Tue merchants are prepared for the anrnsh of the holiday crowd. They have been making preparations for over halt year Our storekeepers are capable and ready to supply tie wants of Christmas buyers. There IS no need of going elsewhere to do the Christmas shopping Goods may be horoht right here at home in as large variety and at prices probably less than in the large department stores ot the larger cities. This, coupled with the opportunity to exchange goods II desired makes "home" shopping more economic than shopping out of town
 rh;s Christmas number of the PATRIOT carries many columns oi ,d,,s-+ising The merchants, in va ,a5 lines here tell their stories through the medium of printers ink. Tha, is all that advertising is-it is telling the story of what the mer- chan; has. He cannot call on the ind, viduai. so he tells the story m nr;nted form that all people in the territory from which he draws trade
 r ,ead That is why, at this sea son of the year. when the Shris'nnas buvers are puzzling themselves over
 .,, ,o buv the merchants increase their space and make their slof'eS ,onger They have special rnercnan- d;se for the occasion aud therefore have special stories to tell anc 'he .4a-;es are well worth the reading.
 The Christmas number is printed = days ahead. It IS kept m the home for ready reference ne adVei .;.a,rerts are full of Interest and the ,,,r well knows that the rler- chants of Putnam are reliao-e story
 -,,. Their statements may oe sepended upon. There is no chance ,f heinz swindled or having merchan- s:. ,ost in transit if trading IS done
 hare stores. We ask the readers of the-PArRIor's Christmas number
 ,oot over the advertisements in its .,,,mus and read therein the inter -st.ug shopping news of the season.
 We extend holiday greetings to our many readers and wish them al
 KERRY CHRISTMAS.