New Britain herald., 1922-12-23

The spirit of progress permeates the | life of the generation. One man starts an experiment today and day after | tomorrow 1t is an old story. Today
 we see great visions of the future which seem in the distance like hay dreams-tomorrow they are estab- lished facts and the next day they are out of date.
 During the Civil War the Merrimac and the Monitor were the sensations
 of the age. Today man floats in steel covered palace, dances on the bottom of the ocean and those who value their lives lightly have even changed cars" while flying through the air When a great man once said he had perfected box-like instrument of many wires and, "contraptions," through which a man could speak a distance farther than the loudcst known noise could travel, people shook their heads and said, Alas, he's gone." A few weeks ago a noted scientists sent message without the aid of communicating wires to the Hawaiian Islands and had reply in Q nearby city in less than five minutes. TO the scientist, the inventor and the mechanical engineer nothing is im- possible.
 Those of us who are not so young as we used.to be, when we were kid- dies would write our annual letters to Santa Claus and put them in the stove, or, if in New England, probably in the old fashioned fire place, and watch the smoke carry the message up the chimney and off to the North Pole, where Santa Claus would load up our gifts on his sleigh. harness his eight reindeer and drive to our chimney, down which he came, in q manner we never could understand. with his pack.
 But children grow up. As we grew older we sent our letters to Santa Claus by way of the United States post office, duly addressed to Kris Kringle, St. Nicholas or Santa Claus. he answers to all three titles, and ad- dressed them to Fairyland or the North Pole, both being in the same place. And again the Christmas saint responds in a strange and mysterious manner, sometimes even coming through the keyhole, although how a fat man could get in through that lit- tie keyhole, we never knew.
 But big children grow into men and women. Sadly, 'tis true, we lost the cherished dreams of childhood. Modern education made skeptics of us and we grew away from our youthful ideals.
 Though we realize now as we have reached mature years, we did not know as we first felt our pinfeathers of Knowledge begin to sprout, that Santa Claus actually does live and will continue to live, enshrined in the hearts of innocent children until Time shall know them no more"
 There are laws to punish the mur- derers, and thieves, but there is no law too strict, no punishment too se- were for that man or woman who would. deliberately destroy the faith of the little child in a real and living Santa Claus. who after all. represents, just as truly as does the Christ child Himself, the actual spirit of Christ mas.
 And so, modern achievement recog- nizes that Santa Claus is one to be reckoned with. He must be taken in- to consideration. And modern en- gineering, coupled to 20th century science, has gone far towards making things easier for the children's be- loved friend.
 No more does he rely on his fa- nous reindeers. No more is the Ned automobile which succeeded them familiar sight on the streets of Toy land, Fairyland or the North Pole Today Santa takes order by long dis tance telephone, replies to his cores pondents by radio, and does his deliv- ering by airplane.
 Last evening, talking from his crowded, workshop, Santa Claus ex- tended the seasons greetings by wire less telephone to many of his juvenile friends. He was assisted by radio station KDKA, at the Westinghouse plant, Pittsburgh,
 There may not be Santa Claus As real persons go,
 But quite awhile one ought to pause Ere telling children so.
 For he who says there is none such In spirit or in truth)
 Lies every single bit as much To sweet and trustful youth.
 As he who says Kris Kringle lives And moves amon Jus here He lives in every heart that gives A gift with love- my dear
 Many years ago a little girl wrote to the New York Sun: "Is there Santa Claus?" Francis Pharcellus Church answered her letter in an edi- torial which is Christmas gem and which shines ever brighter with the flight of time:
 "Yes, Virginia, there is Santa Claus. He exists as/ certainly as love and generosity and devotion exist. And you know that they abound and give to your life its highest beauty and joy. Alas! How dreary would be the world if there were no Santa Claus. It would be as dreary as if there were no Virginias. There would be no childish faith then, no poetry, no romance to make tolerable this cx- istence. Nobody sees Santa Claus.