The Ely miner. [volume] (Ely, Minn.) 1895-1986, 1933-12-15

rerested that he himself selected the picture
which he wished used.
The success of the venture was overwhelming.
The first printing of 100000 seals was inn
mediately increased to 100000 and over 5OOO,-
600 were Sold Since that time the Christmas
seal sale in Denmark has brought In enough
money to erect large numbers of sanitaria and
convalescent homes for tubercular patients Hol-
boell, the modest postal assistant, became post
master at Charlotten Fund, near Copenhagen,
and Danish cross of Knighthoed was his badge
of honor. He died of heart trouble in his sixty
second year on February 3d. 1927.
In 1909 the idea reached America and when
Jacob Riis, a native of Denmark who had be-
come an American, saw the queer little stamp
on mail arriving from his homeland he immedi-
ately sent letter of inquiry to Denmark. The
reply was personal one from Mr.. Holboell, who
explained in detail the method of procedure
Through an American woman, Miss Emily Bis
sell, the idea was presented to the American
Red Cross, which, after several years of sue
cessful sales, turned the project over to the
American National Anti Tuberculosis association,
which has since had charge of it.
So Enar Holboell the Dane, Jacob Riis, the
Danish-American, and Miss Emily Bissell, the
American, helped make" Christmas.
If William Eustis, secretary of war in 1909,
hadn't turned down the suggestion of President
Madison that Joel Roberts Poinsett be appointed
quarter-master general of the army, we might
never have had those brilliant crimson flowers
which we know as poinsettas as part of our
Christmas decoration Here's why:
Joel Roberts Poinsett was native of South
Carolina, who studied medicine for time at Ed
inburgh university and later graduated in mill
tary science and mathematics at Woolwicb
academy. Ill health necesstated long period
of travel in Europe and Asia, after which he re-
turned to America and requested President Mad
ison to furnish him with military employment.
Madison made the suggestion of the quarter
master-generalship but Eustis objected. So Mad
ison offered Poinsett mission to South America
for the purpose of establishing friendly rela-
lions with the people there and investigating the
prospects of their struggle for independence from
Spain.
This led to his becoming something of an au-
thority on Latin-American relations to his ap-
pointment to a special mission to Mexico In 1922
and his appointment as the first United States
minister to that country in 1925. While holding
that position he first beheld the exotic beauty
of brilliant red flower native to that country
When Poinsett returned to his home In South
Carolina in 1929 he brought with him some of
the seeds of the plant and just hundred years
ago, in 1888, he sold some of the plants which he
had grown In his dollhouse to Robert Buist of
Philadelphia. BUST named the flower 'Euphor-
bia ponsettia" and although the scientific name
has since become "Euphorbia pulcherrima" the
name poinsettia, honoring the man who brought
It to this country, has stuck and it hae become
one of our chief floral decorations at Christmas
time.
Poinsett later became secretary of war In Van
Buren's cabinet, after which he retired from pub
lie life. In the cemetery of the town of States
burg, s. c.. is a simple marble tablet which
bears this inscription Sacred to the memory OF
Joel R. Poinsett. who departed this life on the
twelfth of December, 1851. in the seventy-third
year of his life. A pure patriot an honest man.
and good Christian"
To this might be added He helped make
Christmas"
q by Western Newspaper Union