The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1928-12-24
Times Change
Old SinterkIaSS Remains
Jolly, Generous Despite
PubIiC'S Idea.
BY PAUL FREDRIX
United Press staff Correspondent

ACNRLAAbA AN~"t ~ CAA%"NA = ANcof
NEW YORK, Dec. 24.-Sinter-
~ klaSs, who first came to New
York as tall, gaunt horseman in
bishops robes early one December
three centuries ago, paid his an
nuai return visit today.
He parked his reindeer, looked
around. and found the city no
more changed than he was.
Sinterklass paused before New
York's municipal Christmas tree
huge, electrically lighted and
bidding strangers be merry-in
crowded skyscraper-girdled Times
square.
On every street corner he saw
a counterpart of himSelf-rotund,
smiling, white -whiskered men in
red caps, white-trimmed red coats,
red breeches and boots. They
were taking Christmas collections.
SinterklaSS scratched his head
reflectively. Things aren't what
they used to be-" he unused.
=
THEN the venerable gentleman
l. told his Story-a straight for
ward narrative of good nature i'm
posed upon. toy-bringing visits
shifted about on the calendar, his
personal appearance and even his
name altered 10 suit the whimS of
others. and finally, of these new
tangled reindeer and Christmas
trees" that Sinterklass never has
gotten used to.
You've guessed, of course, that
SinterklaSS is none other than
Santa Claus, known from one end
of the country to the other.
But 1t was as SinterklasS, or
st. Nicholas, that he first came
to New York.
Dutch children in what was then
called New Amsterdam had gath
cred in a circle in the freight,
just as their fathers and mothers
had done on previous st. Nicholas
ewes in old Holland.
While they were singing their
st. Nicholas song, Sinterklass rode
upon his horse. knocked at the
door, entered in his clerical robes
and talked to each child about his
past behavior.
When he departed there was
shower of sugar plums and the
children ran to put their wooden
SHOES in the chimney corner. That
night SinterklasS rode over the
housetopS and left presents to all
good boys and girls.
n
THIS was his annual prac-
l. tice for two centuries among
Dutch residents here.
Meantime, the English and
American rulers who took over
the city and called it New York
had decided that st. Nicholas day
wasn't worth a general holiday.
So at the start of the last CEN
tury the Dutch children asked
him to transfer his activities to
another old Dutch holiday, New
Years eve, so that they could have
all the next day to enjoy their
toys with their parents.
SinterklasS did so.
BY this time the children had
grown overfamiliar. They had
pulled off his bishops cloak and
made him wear knee breecheS
and a broad-brinmed colonial
hat. They fed MIN some of the
candy he brought, so that he
grew rather fat. They got him
to let his whiskers grow.
They also started hanging up
their stockings to be filled with
toys, because the shoes wouldn't
hold enough.
Sinterklass wasn't exactly GER
tain today as to when they
changed his name to Santa Claus,
gave him modern dress and took
his horse away from him.
BY this time everybody in the
country had heard of him and
wanted his visits. Anyway they
gave him reindeer team. and
told him he must come on Christ
mas eve instead of New Years
eve.