davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The Coolidge examiner., 1938-12-22
A Newspaper Classic. :"

Around Christmas time, the
next year after this editorial ap-
peared in the Sun, that newspa-
per began receiving requests
from it's readers: "Please reprint
the editorial called Is There a
Santa CLAUSE Each year there
after it received the same re-
quest and each year the editorial
was reprinted in the columns of
the Sun.
More than that, it was reprint
ed in other newspapers which
also received the same request
annually. 1t became a "News-
paper Classic" which has been
reproduced thousands of times
during the 40 years that have
elapsed since it first appeared,
and it has been translated into
many foreign languages-even
the Chinese!
Next to Clement C. Moore's
poem, ga Visit From st. Mich
olas" (also called "The Night Be-
fore Christmas this editorial is
probably the best known bit of
writing associated with Christmas
ever produced in America and it
seems destined, like Santa Claus.
to ''live forever.
The Coolidge examiner., 1938-12-22
Lovely Doilies Con Be
Crocheted in q Jiffy

Don't be lacking doilies when
you can make such lovely ones as
these in little time in strands of
string. The three sizes lend them
selves to luncheon and buffet sets
and to doilies. Pattern IT'S con-
tains directions for making dol
lies; illustrations of them and of
stitches; materials required; pho
tograph of dolly.
Send Is cents in coins for this
pattern to The Sewing Circle,
Needlecraft Dept, 80 Eighth Ave-
nue., New York, N. Y.
The Coolidge examiner., 1938-12-22
UnfaithfuIness

The lines of suffering on almost
every human countenance have
been deepened, if not traced
there, by unfaithfulness to con-
science, by departures from duty.
To do wrong is the surest way to
bring suffering Those sins which
are followed by no palpable pain
are yet terribly avenged, even in
this life. They abridge our ca
pacity of happiness, impair our
relish for innocent pleasure, and
increase our sensibility to suffer-
ing. They spoil us of the armor
of pure conscience and of trust
in God, without which we are vul-
nerable by all the changes of life.
Thus, to do wrong is to inf1ict the
surest injury on our own peace.
No enemy can do us equal
harm with what we do ourselves
whenever or however we violate
any normal or religious obliga-
tion.-Channing.
The Coolidge examiner., 1938-12-22

Vermont who was always un-
happy at Christmas time because
she had been born on December
25 and thus was Cheated out of
a birthday party like the other
children have" Although he and
his wife tried to compensate for
this by giving her more than the
usual number of Christmas pres
ents, Annie continued to mourn
over her lack of a real birth
day"
Thereupon Stevenson sat down
and wrote out the following re-
markable document:
"T, Robert Louis Stevenson.
Advocate of the Scots Bar, au-
thor of the Master of Ballantrae,
and Moral Emblems, stuck civil
engineer, sole owner and pat
entee of the Palace of Plantation
known as Vallima, in the Island
of Upolu, Samoa, a British sub
ject, being in sound mind, and
pretty well, thank you, in body:
''In consideration that Miss An
ME H. Ide, daughter of H. c..
Ide, in the Town of Saint Johns
bury, in the County of Caledonia,
In the State of Vermont, United
States of America, was born. out
of reason, upon Christmas Day,
and is therefore out of all Justice
denied in consolation and profit
of a proper birthday:
"And considering that l, the
said Robert Louis Stevenson,
have attained the age when, O.,
we never mention it, and that 1
have now no further use for a
birthday of any description:
\ 1'And in consideration that I
anave met H. c. Ide, father of the
said Annie H. Ide, and found him
about as white a land commits
'sioner as l require,
"Have transferred, and do
hereby transfer, to the said Annie
iH. lde all and whole my rights
and privileges in the thirteenth
day of November, formerly my
birthday, now hereby and hence
forth, the birthday of the said
Annie H. Ide, to have, to hold,
exercise and enjoy the same in
her customary manner, by the
sporting of fine raiment, eating
of rich meats and receipt of gifts,
compliments and copies of verse,
according to the manner of our
ancestors:
S'And / direct the said Annie
H. Ide to add to the said name
lof Annie H. fde the name of Lou
sisa-at least in private-and
The Coolidge examiner., 1938-12-22

charge her to use my said birth
day with moderation and human
ity, ct tanquam bona fila fami-
liae, the said birthday not being
as young as it once was, and hav-
ing carried me in a very salts
factory manner since l can re-
member.
And in case the said Annie
H. Ide shall neglect or contra
vene either of the above condi-
tions, l hereby revoke the dona-
tion and transfer my rights in the
said birthday to the President of
the United States of America for
the time being.
"In witness whereof l have
hereto set my hand and seal in
the year of grace eighteen hun
dred and ninety-one.
ROBERT LOUIS STEVENSON"
After having this document
witnessed by his friends, Lloyd
Osbourne and Harold Watts, Ste
venson gave it to Ide who sent it
with a letter of explanation to
his wife. On the morning of De-
cember 25, 1891, little Annie Ide
walked slowly into the room
where a Christmas tree was
laden with presents for her and
her sister. AS usual, she was
brooding over her "lost birth
day" But her mood soon changed
when her mother handed her the
deed of gift" which was hang
ing on the tree and explained its
meaning to her. Thanks to the
famous Robert Louis Stevenson
she now had a birthday of her
very own" and its celebration
would not be overshadowed by
the celebration of Christmas.
Little Annie Immediately wrote
letter of thanks to Stevenson
and sent with it photographs and
drawings of herself. In acknowl-
edging her letter Stevenson ex-
planned to her how her new
birthday would work. He wrote:
'You are thus become month
and twelve days younger than
you were, but will go on growing
older for the future in the reg
ular and human manner from one
thirteenth of November to the
next. The effect on me is more
doubtful; l may, as you suggest,
live forever, might, on the other
hand, come to pieces like the one
horse shay at a moments notice;
doubtless the step is risky, but l
do not in the least regret that
The Coolidge examiner., 1938-12-22

only accommodation the boat afoded-was COM
glide They had barely the
when storm blew Dark shadows began rising the
There 10 Haitian for
then that Charley discovered only
shoes The was now knocking the little sailing
craft around with all the opic cyclone. scared?"
his cabin The odor of damned near killed me- It was craving
with bedbugs reaches and alive with and When awok
morning really sick from sleeping there but it
a stirring The captain
Charley awoke The ship had been
blown miles off the steering out of
commission The depending entirely the wind If
they waited long enough would eventually blow them to Bara
THAT whole day. SAYS Charley 81 sat staring at the natives
md theysa ooking me- o
the turned hot in the opc heat Toward evening
holding conference felt trouble
The blacks getting hungry and they'd take out
Charley going that night? He knew
another night the filthy uy cabin
and made another bargain The captain
stood the night watch the wheel and ne agreed TO wan over a
The Natives Become More Restless
But you lashed a railing. All night
long Charley lay awake listening to the snoes OF the natives
him thinking the comforts of home The next day
% G @ nd @ % %ner % natives e more and more
clothes with cOveOus looks that be-
and nOent and apparent And still there was
would blow them into Barahona
night nights wakeuness Charley
asleep woke suddenly by sheer
instinct In the dim light of tropc moon he saw two dark hguae
creeping along the deck toward wo husky blacks
OPEN" he says eff they
had known alive today But their ignorance
gave me anO opportunity guns"
Charley the natives taking their
whipped and fired twice
In an instant two men we're whole ship
upoar swarmng toward him. Inc captain
he built the style OF
Harry prime with hand threw
hen with the aid OF revolver ano
his powerful physique. furious mob at bay
Captain Threatens to Sink the Ship.
held inquiry announced that
threatened to the ship
any attempts his lie Calm restored
meantime four solid days
and nights we had nothing to eat and little to drink 49, boot w
sighted andbu when they tied the boat up
pounds-au that
was left of the solid flesh he had
carried when got waterfront of Santo Do
mingo City.
The Coolidge examiner., 1938-12-22
Meaning of Word Beccaficos

The word beccaficos literally
means ig-picker and is applied
to a small, sparrowlike bird found
in Cyprus. They arrive from Syria
in enormous focks to gorge on
figs and become so fat they can
scarcely fly. Their plump bodies
are salted and spiced and made into
an excellent pickle by rare recipe
handed down from the Crusaders.
In the process of picking, the bones
are softened and the whole bird is
eaten.
The Coolidge examiner., 1938-12-22

the little American girl. She sat
beside him at the end of the ma
tive dais and received many fine
gifts.
The next year the event was
repeated and there was a dinner
party in the evening besides. The
famous author enjoyed the occa-
sion as much as did the little
girl. But that was their last dual
celebration for Stevenson died on
December 3, 1894 Annie Ide,
however, continued to carry out
faithfully the conditions of the
birthday deed "by the sporting
of fine raiment, eating of rich
meats and receipt of gifts"
Even after she became a wom-
an and married w. Bourke Cock
ran, famous New York political
leader and congressman, she con-
The Coolidge examiner., 1938-12-22
Wise and Otherwise

A rumor is often very skimpy,
but it soon gets round all the
same.
It's not much of a brag when
a man tells another he has for
gotten more than he has ever
known.
Courtship makes man
spoon, but marriage makes
him fork out.
Work is the secret of success,
says the millionaire. Yes, but
you've got to get other people
to do it for you.
Have you heard of the absent
minded gangster who held his
machine-gun on his lap and
fired his secretary.
The Coolidge examiner., 1938-12-22
Tusks Shipped to London

Elephant tusks from the African
and Indian jungles are shipped to
London, says Pearson's London
Weekly. Here an age-old trade, the
cutting and selling of ivory to buy
ers from all over the world. goes on
unchanged, much as it has for
years. It takes 1000 elephants to
provide the market with ivory for
one year. Few elephants are killed
for their tusks. Most of the ivory is
collected by natives from dead ele-
plants found in the jungles.
The Coolidge examiner., 1938-12-22
BY ELMO SCOTT WATSON

FORTY SEVEN years
X ago Henry Clay Ide, a
L Vermont lawyer who had
held various public offices in
the Green Mountain state,
was appointed American
commissioner in the Samoan
islands, then held jointly by
the United States, Great
Britain and Germany. 1t
was not a very important
appointment but it became
the first link in a chain of
circumstances which resulted
in one of the most unusual
NfChristmas gifts" in all his
tory.
Ide's wife and two daugh-
fers did not accompany him
when he went to Samoa but
remained in their Vermont
home. Among the residents
of Samoa Ide found famous
writer who had become a
voluntary exile there for the
benefit of his health. This
was Robert Louis Stevenson,
author of Treasure Island"
kidnapped" and a number of
other books which have be-
come English classics.
Ide and Stevenson became
warm friends. During a CONVEX
Sation one day about the coming
Christmas holidays the American
told the Englishman that he had
q little daughter, Annie, back in
The Coolidge examiner., 1938-12-22

is THERE A SANTA CLAUS?
We take pleasure in answering
at once and thus prominently the
communication below, expressing
at the same time our great graft
fication that its faithful author is
numbered among the friends of
the Sun:
Dear Editor-I am eight
years old. Some Of my little
friends say there is no Santa
Claus.
Papa says: 'If you see it in
the Sun it's So"
Please tell me the truth;
els there a Santa CLAUSE"
Virginia O'Hanlon.
Virginia, your little friends are
wrong. They have been affected
by the skepticism of a skeptical
age. They think that nothing can
be which is not comprehensive
by their little minds. All minds,
Virginia, whether they be mems
or little children's, are little. In
this great universe of ours man
is a mere insect, an ant, in his
intellect, as compared with the
boundless world about him, as
measured by the intelligence ca
pable of grasping the whole of
truth and knowledge.
Yes, Virginia, there is a 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. 1t
would be as drear as if there
were no Virginias. There would
be no child-like faith then, no
poetry, no romance to make toll
cradle this existence. We should
have no enjoyment, except in
sense and sight. The eternal light
with which childhood fills the
world would be extinguished.
Not believe in Santa Claus?
You might as well not believe in
fairies! You might get your papa
to hire men to watch in all the
chimneys on Christmas Eve to
catch Santa Claus, but even if
they did not see Santa Claus COM
ing down, what would that prove?
Nobody sees Santa Claus, but that
is no sign that there is no Santa
Claus. The most real things in
the world are those that neither
children nor men can see. Did
you ever see fairies dancing on
the lawn? Of course not, but
that's no proof that they are not
there. Nobody can conceive or
imagine all the wonders there are
unseen and unseeable in the
world.
You may tear apart the baby's
rattle and see what makes the
noise inside, but there is a veil
covering the unseen world which
not the strongest man, nor even
the united strength of all the
strongest men that ever lived,
could tear apart. Only faith, fan
cy, poetry, love, romance, can
push aside that curtain and view
and picture the supernal beauty
and glory beyond Is it all real?
All, Virginia, in all this world
there is nothing else real and
abiding.
No Santa Claus? Thank God!
he lives forever. A thousand
years from now, Virginia, nay,
ten times ten thousand years
from now he will continue to
make glad the heart of childhood.
The Coolidge examiner., 1938-12-22

Six years after the little girl
in Vermont had been made
happy by Robert Louis Steven
son, who "willed" her his birth
day, another little girl in New
York city was also made happy
by writer, but in a different
way.
One day in September. 1897,
there came to the office of
the New York Sun this letter:
The Coolidge examiner., 1938-12-22

which enables me to sign my
self your revered and delighted
name-father."
Two years later Mrs. Ide took
her two daughters to Samoa to
join their father. They arrived
on November II and were met
by Ide and Stevenson. The next
day, being little Annie's "new
birthday" she was a guest at a
huge feast which the natives had
arranged for Stevenson in honor
of his birthday which he, un-
known to them, had "willed" to
The Coolidge examiner., 1938-12-22
Famous Writer Gave Mos+ Unusual
Christmas Gif+' in All History

1921 Robert Louis Stevenson Bequeathed His November 3 Birthday Little Girl
England Who Was Unhappy Had
Thus Was Ched Our Of Birthday Party Like All the Other Children Have
NpaerU
The Coolidge examiner., 1938-12-22

Sweet Sleep
The sleep of a laboring man is
sWeet.-Old Testament.
The Coolidge examiner., 1938-12-22

Thereupon Francis P. Church,
an editorial writer, wrote re-
ply which was printed as an edi-
tOrial in the Sun on September
81, 1897. 1t said:
is THERE A SANTA CLAUS?
The Coolidge examiner., 1938-12-22

g Western Newspaper Union.
Imperial Valley press., 1938-08-11
A Conservative

mas Deel Marked Dy CoIlSeI 'dliS
He voted against the court organi-
zation bill, the wage hour bill, and
the government reorganization bill,
but approved the lending-spending
program.
While serving as governor OF
Georgia. Talmadge was often call
ed a demagogue by his enemies.
He became a bitter enemy of Roose-
velt and the New Deal during that
time. and one of his political publi-
cations prominently displayed
picture OF Mrs. Roosevelt conversing
with a Negro publicist.
However, the real fireworks OF
this climactic day in the torrid
Georgia primary campaign was
scheduled for GAINESVILLE this af-
ternoon when Mr. Roosevelt speaks
at a celebration commemorating
rural identification project.
Mr.. Roosevelt spoke here for
economic conditions in the south.
particularly as they bear on edu-
cation. He said that during the
depression tie south had been fore
saking its sectionalism, had been
building a new school OF thought,
Imperial Valley press., 1938-08-11

WANT-ADS Cover and Discover
a series of wonderful bargins try
POST PRESS want ADS
Imperial Valley press., 1938-08-11
Probers Study
Discrimination
CHARGES in IVA

KNOXVILLE Tenn. Aug. Il.
CUP) Congressional investigators
of the Tennessee Valley authority
studied Sen. George L. Berry's mar
bic claims today after hearing
charges that IVA Disseminated
against a worker because he drank
from a dipper and against another
who married the wrong girl
Rep. Charles Volverton, Repub-
ican member of the committee,
said that several IVA employees had
complained TO him they had lost
their jobs for petty reasons
"A former construction worker
told me-" Wolverton said, that he
was fired for drinking out OF a
dipper instead of a paper cup"
Another IVA employe didn't
marry a particular girl and when
he came back from his honeymoon
he found his desk moved out in
the hall.
Imperial Valley press., 1938-08-11

and simultaneously 10 tne lIallan
embassy in London, that operation
of the Anglo-Italian pact was pre-
dicated upon withdrawal of Italian
aid to Nationalist Spain.
Sir Noel Charles, British charge
d d'affaires at Rome, informed Count
Galeazzo Ciano, Italian foreign
minister. that if allegations of
continued Italian intervention were
true. it would affect not only nom
intervention arrangements, but An
Italian relations generally.
Britain also called Italy's atten-
ton to the difficult position in
which the French government was
placed by Italy's anegeo nelp to
Generalissimo Francisco Franco.
According to British official in
formation France has kept her
PyreneeS frontier closed to arms
and other traffic to Loyalist Spain
as a contribution to the non-inter-
vention plan.
Opposition elements in France
have been clamoring for reopen
ing of the frontier because of the
alleged failure of Italy TO COM
ply with the agreement anL cease
all aid to Spain.
Italy was further told that oper-
Imperial Valley press., 1938-08-11
Caraway Holds
Safe Lead in
Arkansas Vote

LITTLE ROCK, Ark, Aug. II.
CUP) - Hattie w. CaraWay, the
only woman ever to be elected to
the u. S. senate, today led her
nearest opponent in the Demo-
cratic primary by more than 5000
votes and appeared assured of re-
nomination.
Rep. John L. Mcclellan, who
5aid he might ask for a recount OF
votes in some counties. refused to
concede the nomination.
Returns from 2079 of the states
2135 precincts gave:
Caraway 140,3l7.
Mcclellan i32,l53.
J. Rosser Venable 1858.
In the gubernatorial race, Gov.
Carl E. Bailey, seeking renomina-
ton, had safe majority over for
mer Pulaski county Judge R. A.
Cook. Bailey had l4l,628; Cook
1896; and the third candidate,
Walter S. McNutt, had 3147.
SUNSHINE Ok RAIN. Want-Ad
Results Repeat hga," and Ara'"
Imperial Valley press., 1938-08-11

"a group principally recruited from
younger men and women who un-
derstood that the economy of the
south was vitally and ineXorably
linked with that of the nation
and that the national good was
dependent equally or the improve
ment of the welfare of the south.
They began asking searching ques-
tions: Why is our pay-in other
words our earning capacity - so
low? Why are our roads so bad?
Why is our sanitation and medical
care so neglected? Why are our
teachers so inadequately paid? Why
are our local school buildings and
equipment so antiquated? =.
States conditions
1T may not be polite, but 1t IS
good American idealism to recog-
nize. to state boldly, that in 1882.
the conditions of human life in
Georgia and in other states of the
lower south were as a whole at
the bottom of the national scale.
Pointing out that the federal
government could not carry the
load of improvement alone, he said
that the best way the national
government could assist the pro-
cess was Ito tackle national aspects
of economic problems-to eliminate
determinations between one Fart
of the country and another
raise purchasing power and there
by create wealth in those sections
where it is far too loW-to save
the waste and erosion of our ma
tional resources, to encourage each
section to become financially IN
dependent, TO take the lead in
establishing social security-and at
the same time to explain to the
people in every part that constant
progressive action is better than
following either those who want
to slow up or those who promise
they will hand you the moon on
a silver platter a week after they
are elected"
Imperial Valley press., 1938-08-11

on SeIl. "dlNCl l. SASN'
vative. anti-New Deal Democrat,
Camps opponent in the party pri-
mary Sept. s. whom Mr.. Roosevelt
seeks to purge" but there was one
reference in his appeal for a re-
formation of the South's economic
structure. which was understood
bv the audience as a back-handed
slap at George and former Gov
ernor Eugene Talmadge, who also
seeks Georges seat and who is
a much more bitter anti-New Deal
er than he.
Receives Degree
After receiving the honorary de-
gree of doctor of laws in a campus
ceremony in which Gov. E. D. Riv-
ers presented the parchment, Mr..
Roosevelt completed his address,
with these remarks:
q. constant progressive action
is better than following either
those who want to slow up or those
who promise they will hand you
the moon on a silver platter a
week after they are elected.
AT hear;, Georgia shows devo-
ton to the principles of democracy.
1t has occasional lapSeS, but 1t
really does not believe either in
demogoguery or feudalism dressed
up in democratic clothes. You OF
the university are greatly respon-
sible for the present and the fu-
ture. Well are you doing your part
From today onward I share proud
" and more fully in that part"
Since Mr.. Roosevelt announced
in a fireside speech that he in
tended to take par: in various
primaries to eliminate yes, but
men from congress, George had
been reported a candidate for the
purge. Mr.. Roosevelt confirmed
this yesterday by stating flatly
that he hoped Camp would be
the next senator from Georgia
Therefore, his audience this morn
ing was keyed to interpret his
remarks. Some of his auditors felt
that his reference to those who
want to slow up" and TO feudalism
was intended for George, and his
reference to 1.-The moon on silver
platter" and to demagoguery was
intended for Talmadge.
Imperial Valley press., 1938-08-11
Hoover Comments
On Pope S Defeat
In Idaho Primary

RENO, New. Aug. Il. CUP)-For-
mer President Herbert Hoover to-
day viewed the defeat of Sen.
James P. Pope for the Democratic
senatorial nomination in Idaho as
a guarantee that we will not have
a rubber stamp congress after this
falls elections.
Returning from a Montana vaca-
ton, Hoover made his observation
as he stopped here briefly enroute
to his home at Palo Alto, Calf.
Wherever The people have been
called upon to decide, from 80
to so per cent of the Democrats
have voted against a rubber stamp
congress" he said.
The former president was "a
years old yesterday.
Imperial Valley press., 1938-08-11
Copper Company
To Reopen Again

RAY, Ariz. Aug. IL CUP) The
Ray mipes division of the Nevada
Consolidated Copper Company,
subsidiary of Kennecott Copper
Company, which CLOSED June 16 to
curtail copper production, will re-
open next Tuesday, CT. w. Thomas,
superintendent, said today.
Thomas said preparations were
already under way here for the
reopening which will mean resump-
ton of work at the company's huge
concentration at Hayden, Ariz.. and
unemployment of between 600 and
700 men Immediately.