The Western news. [volume] (Libby, Mont.) 1933-current, 1933-12-14

~. ~ W -
BY ELMO SCOTT WATSON
HEN you read the title of this article,
IL did you exclam, "Afen who helped
-Nl make Christmas-why, what does that
EyTNa mean7 There was only one man who
l4 ia made Christmas and he was born near
Nas7dY ly 1000 years ago."
dlNe True If 1t had not been for the
viii birth Of Jesus Christ, there would be
NM no occasion for celebrating December
dsl Is as Christmas day. And II that cee-
IN bration had been kept to Its original
form, there would be occasion for
writing an article such this.
But the fact Is that there has grown up around
the celebration OF Christmas great variety of
customs traditions and practices which we now
regard as essential parts OF that observance even
though they may have departed from Its original
meaning. Some of these have had such gradual
evolution that 1t would be impossible to ascribe
them definitely to any one person. But there are
others which we can trace directly to one or
more Observation-Disclosures the theme of men who
helped make Christmas" what 1t is now In this
article
Certainly Santa Claus seems to be an essen
tial part of the Christmas celebration. Speak OF
him and there rises to mind picture OF plump,
elf-like little man who radIates laughter and
good cheer. Why should he be that sort OF per-
son instead OF the stern, gaunt, rather formid-
able figure solemn and majestic In trailing robes,
carrying In one hand basket OF presents ana
In the other birch rod, as awful warning to
naughty children, such as he was when he WAS
known as snterkass, the Bishop-Saint Mich
olas, by the first Dutch settlers In this country
The answer to that question Is the names OF
three writers-James K. paulding, Washington
Irving and DR. Clement G. Moore-and an I'M
known American artist 1t was Washington lrv-
ing who, In his "Knickerbockers History OF New
York. In 1900 wrote the first description OF the
new type OF Santa Claus and made Sinterklass,
or St Nicholas. the patron saint of the Dutch
colonists OF New Amsterdam, the archetype or
all Of those jovial, many breeched, long pipe
smoking burghers.
The next writer to paint a word portrait OF
Santa Claus was Irving's friend and collaboration,
James Kirke Pauding, who In his Book OF ST
Nicholas" first published In 1927 said Santa
Claus was "as gallant little Dutchman as ever
smoked his way through the world, pipe fore
most"
But It remained for DR. Clement Clark Moore
In his poem, "a Visit from ST. Nicholas" to give
a more definite word portrait Of St. Nicholas and
pretty definitely establish In the mind OF the
public what Santa Claus looked like.
Ing for his description is not known but there
Is curious parallelism In some OF his words
and some OF theirs, although Moore, himself, 40
years later said that "a portly, rubicund Dutch
man living In the neighborhood of his fathers
country seat Chelsea" near New York city sug-
regted to him the idea of making st. Nicholas the
hero OF his Christmas piece for his children.
Then In 1880 a book called 1.-THE Poets OF
America" edited by John Reese, was published.
1T contained Moores poem and the illustration
for that was picture of Santa Claus. (Repro-
duced above.) Who the painter or the engraver
was Is unknown but 1t is believed that this was
the first time picture of Santa Claus was ever
printed. Thus It was washington Irving, James
K. Paulding Clement 9. Moore and the unknown
illustrator OF Keeses "Poets OF America" helped
make Christmas by giving us our present idea
of the patron saint of the holiday.
What would Christmas be without Christmas
hymns and Christmas carols7 And what song
has been more often sung on Christmas Eve or
Ia more beloved than "Silent Night, holy Night"7
1t was on December "a of the year 1918 that Jo-
SET Mohr, assistant pastor OF the newly estab
lished st. Nicholas parish church In the little
village OF Oberndorf, near Salzburg, Austria
handed to Franz Gruber schoolmaster OF Arms
dorf. who was organst for the church. poem
with the request that he write for It a suitable
melody arranged for two solo voices, chorus and
guitar accompaniment-the reason for the lat
ter being that the organ In the little church had
broken down.
So Franz Gruber sat down at his grandfather's
desk Immediately, wrote simple melody for the
poem and that night on Christmas Eve, In st.
Nicholas parish church for the first time
sung "Stllle Nacht HeilIge Nacht-"
To the fact that the little organ In Oberndorf
had broken down Is due the widespread popu-
larity Of the hymn The organ builder, Karl Man.
racher Of Fugen In Zlllertal had been sent for to
make the necessary repairs. He heard the air
and hummed 1t In his native country, where 1t
became very popular In short time and soon
spread all over the world.
Thus 1t was too that Josef Mohr and FRANK