The Bluffton news. [volume] (Bluffton, Ohio) 1875-current, 1946-12-24
Early Dutch Settlers
Transform S. Claus
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his parents, that his inheritance
made him a wealthy man. With all
the poverty in the world surrounding
him, he was distressed and decided
to secretly dispose of all his money.
Immediately after this decision he
chanced to hear neighbor who had
three daughters of marriageable age,
but they could not wed because it
was the custom of the time to en-
dow each girl with dowry before
marriage, and because the father
was too poor to comply "a marriage
could not be arranged.
One night Nicholas tossed a bag
of gold in the poor mans window,
and soon after the eldest daughter
was wed. A second bag of gold
caused the middle aged daughters
wedding. Upon depositing the third
bag of gold, Nicholas was caught by
a grateful father who promised not
to tell that Nicholas was the giver,
and this secret he kept until after
Nicholas death.
Bishop Nicholas, an uncle of
young Nicholas, encouraged his
nephew to take trip to the Holy
Land. Tales of miracles wrought at
sea during this voyage include bring
ing a sailor who died, because of an
accident, back to life; quelling a
storm, and causing storm that
drove the ship off its course, and
caused the ship to land at a port
other than the one the captain of
the ship had selected. This action
was necessary because Nicholas had
learned that the captain had plan
ned to sell him into slavery.
He returned to his home city of
Myra in Asia Minor just as the
Archbishop died, and the bishops
were balloting to choose a successor.
After many ballots decision could
not be reached, and it was decided
the choice should be made by God
rather than man.
After retiring that night, the eld-
est bishop, had vision which told
him that the first man who entered
the Cathedral in the morning by the
name of Nicholas should be chosen
Archbishop. Thus it was that Mich
olas became an Archbishop.
Archbishop Nicholas fought for
his people verbally against the then
mighty Roman empire. His refusal
to worship the statues of the emper-
ors caused him dungeon imprison-
ment. He died in the middle of the
fourth century and his fame in
creased thereafter tremendously.
At the beginning of the Eleventh
Century, Vladimir of Russia came to
be baptised at Constantinople, and
heard the wondrous stories of St.
Nicholas. He was so impressed he
made him Patron Saint of all Rus
sia. From there his name and deeds
spread through all of Europe and
Northern Asia. 1t is said that more
churches in Europe are named for
him than for Jesus.
Since St. Nicholas life was devot-
ed to giving, a custom of giving in
| reverence for his death gained mo-
mentum and, therefore, December
9th, the day of his death, became the
day in Europe for giving presents.
The Dutch settlers who landed in
New York, and who settled in Penn
sylvania called him Santa Nikalaus
which the children shortened to
Santa Klaus. Since Father Knicker-
booker was very popular in this sec
tion Santa Klaus was transformed
from thin st. Nicholas to a jolly,
robust Santa Klaus not unlike
Father Knickerbocker.
The widely read 1910 writings of
Washington Irving had much to do
with establishing st. Nicholas or
Santa Klaus as the robust, jolly,
fun loving gift-giving individual we
all know today.
Another important step was made
by these settlers in transferring the
date of gift giving from the death
| of st. Nicholas to Christ's birthday.
About twelve years after Wash
ington Irving's writings, DR.. Clement
Moore, an admirer of Washington
Irving, and professor of divinity
at a theological seminary in New
York, was telling his young daugh-
ter about st. Nicholas on Christmas
Eve, and he recited to her the fa-
nous poem he composed which we
know as the ever-loved "Twas the