Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1924-12-10

AT least one student at Colby COL
iege Is to enjoy his Christmas vacation
THIS year through a novel and some-
what interesting idea which he formu-
lated and has carried out. The student
IS theodore K. Hodgkins. a member of
the senior class at Colby, and the idea
Is selling Christmas trees which he cut
and shipped himself to his market.
several weeks ago the Colby senior
devised the scheme of finding some
Christmas trees in the vicinity of Wa
terville which he could cut and ship to
Philadelphia, selling them in the Qua
ker City and provide funds with which
to pay his expenses to the an1ual con-
vention of his fraternity, which is to
be held in the old Pennsylvania city
the end of the present month.
After carefully locking over the sur
rounding country Hodgkins found a
place In the town Of Vassalboro where
there was an abundance of trees Just
suitable for the purposes. The land
where these trees were 1ocatd was
fairly near to the railroad and conse-
quently 1t would not be a difficult task
to get the trees packed on a car and
shipped.
About two weeks ago Hodgkins with
the help Of two OF his younger broth
ers who are in college this year.
George +. Hodgkins go and Augustus
M. Hodgkins. went to Vassalboro and
began to cut these trees which the ell
der Hodskins had mades ARRANGEMENTS
to buy from the owner of the land.
Finding that they had considerable
task on their hands they hired num-
her of other students to assist them in
their lahors. Tn the course of week
moro than 500 trees had been cut and
were then transported to the siding at
the Vassalboro station by sleighs and
piled there to await the arrival of
fiat freight car.
Last week the Maine Central Rail-
road set off car such as Ilodgkins
desired and Immediately this was load
cd to capacity and shipped. The col
lege students worked for two entire
DAYS before their work was finished
and the car read to leave Fassalboro
At this point Hodgkins found out
from the state forestry department
that the city OF Philadelphia was in
the so-called quarantine district
against the pine blister and his trees
would have to be thoroughly examined
by experts before they could be ship
ned. This meant that there would ne
n long delay In unloading and inspect
ing each trees and the market for the
trees would he nearly over by the time
they reached their destination. find-
ing that Boston was not quarantined
against the blister. Hodgkins at once
decided to ship his carload to Boston.
Hodgkins left Waterville the end or
last week for Boston and is now en-
gagged I'm selling his trees, which ar
rived there shortly after the CoIby
senior did. Hodgkins has about 15oo
trees and should he manage to sell his
complete load in Boston it will mean
quite a little clearance with which 10
nav his expenses to fhiladelphia 10
attend the convention of the Aipha
Tau omega fraternity, of which he Is
a member.
This is not the first venture the Col
nv student has undertaken. He. with
the aid of Ralph D. McLeary "a es-
tablished the Colby White Muie. .he
comic publication. and set it on a frm
ro,,rdat ton before IL was turned over
To the student body to operate