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PAGE 6-B—THE BULLETIN, December 26, 1959 ROME NATIVITY SCENE First Christmas Tree in U. S. Was Decorated 125 Years Ago This marble bas-relief of the Nativity is located in the Basilica of Saint Mary Major in Rome where the relics of the crib in which Christ was laid are kept. The relics, five pieces of wood, are exposed for veneration on Christmas Eve. For the rest of the year they are kept n a valuable reliquary. WILLIAMS METAL CRAFTS Ornamental Iron, Residential, Commercial, Industrial, Rail ings, Columns, Burglar Guards 2004 Moreland Ave., S. E. MA. 7-3043 — Atlanta. Ga. CRENSHAW BICYCLE SHOP Authorized Huffy Healer New—Rebuilt—Repairs—Supplies “Pick-up and Delivery’’ ’57 Hemphill Ave., N.W. TR. 6-1774 Atlanta, Ga. SEASONS GREETINGS MEREDITH’S 737 BROAD STREET AUGUSTA, GA. PICTURE FRAMING RETAIL SWHOUSAU SPECIAL iSTS!. CUSTOM FRAMING •fXPIRT WORKMANSHIP-PROMPT JEKVICt • REASONABLE PRICES cimwnMiM •MIRRORS 'M CUT OVAL MATS \ ' ~ i 36 ALABAMA ST., S.W.s; By Father Placid Jordan, O.S.B. America’s Christmas tree will be 125 years old this year, The credit for having it in troduced to this country goes to two German immigrants, Freid- rich Knorr, a teacher, and his friend Konstantin Hering, a physician, both of Philadelphia. Remembering the traditional German “Tannenbaum”, when the time approached for their first Christmas in the United States they decided to start the custom in their newly adopted homeland and ventured forth into the woods of neighboring New Jersey to find a suitable fir-tree. The chronicles of those days relate that it was quite a sen sation when they actually turn ed up with their giant spruce, carrying it through the streets of Philadelphia, to their home. A year later a family also of German stock, by the name of Krausnick whose home was in Cincinnati, followed suit. The family chronicle of the Kraus- nicks says that they, too, had a regular decorated Christmas tree in 1835. MIXED REACTIONS But the man who really made the Christmas tree an American institution was a poor tailor by the name of August Irmgard of Weltzer, Germany who came to join his brother Fred in Wooster, Ohio in 1847. He not only cut the tree on the out skirts of the town, but also dec orated it with trinkets he him self cut out of various-colored paper, and had a golden star made out of shining metal to be displayed on top. The tree made such an im pression on the good people of Wooster that the following year at Christmas time, almost all RADIO TV SERVICE CEITER G. W. JOHNSON, Mgr. Service All Makes TV Sets. Home and. Automobile Radios, Intercommunication Systems and Public Address Systems, Two Way Radio Telephone Systems 525 — 13TH STREET DIAL PA. 4-4754 AUGUSTA, GA. AIKEN MACON £0 IT TKt RICHT WAY Complete Pest Control • Termite Control • Water- Proofing • Rat Stoppage •Fog Service • Color Crete Fumigating • Repairs AUGUSTA, GA. Section A (jecctincjA FRANK GOLDBERG CO. LADIES' OUTFITTERS 724 Broad Street Augusta, Georgia ELLIOTT SONS Section i ^jreetingA SLUSKY’S BUILDERS’ SUPPLIES, INC. 1009 BROAD ST. PHONE PA. 2-4477 AUGUSTA, GA. hllei’rij C^hriitmai W. E. RAINES CO. INCORPORATED Building Specialties and Supplies 10 - 12 - 14 SEVENTH STREET DIAL PA. 2-5553 AUGUSTA, GA. 1/fjaxwJl SrotlierA Surniti are 933 BROAD STREET AUGUSTA, GEORGIA scheme and set up Christmas trees in their homes. Not much later a Pastor of the Lutheran community of Cleveland, Ohio, the Reverend Henry C. Schwan attempted to apply the custom to his church, setting up two trees next to his altar for Christmas services, both with burning candles. However, he was almost thrown out of his church by outraged parishioners who felt this was “a pagan unnatural innovation.” Another Lutheran Pastor in Rochesteer, New York had bet ter luck. The Christmas issue of the “Rochestere Daily Adver tiser” carried a letter to the ed itor praising the local Pastor the families there adopted the for having had a Christmas tree in his church, for the services in the year 1840. Today it is estimated that Americans spend some 25 mil lion dollars for Christmas trees . every year, and the 125th anni versary of their introduction to this country may well establish a record going far beyond this mark. SO TRUE EXPECT FLATTERY When people ask you your candid opinion they usually ex pect it to be complimentary. CARDINAL AND FOUNDRESS His Eminence Amleto G. Cicognani, former Apostolic Dele gate to the United States is shown as he took formal posses sion of his title as protector of the Society of Catholic Medi cal Missionaries, December 3, in Rome. Mother Anna Den- gel, M.D., formerly of Fox Chase, Pa., foundress and Su perior General kneels before the Cardinal to present him with the symbols of his title, a bell and a copy of the con stitutions of the Congregation. (NC Photos) The Shepherds Carried Tommy Guns . CARTER Electric Co., Inc. Specializing In Industrial Municipal Electric Installations C. E. CARTER, President 1503 HICKS STREET AUGUSTA, GEORGIA IAITC4 HOKE WRECKING CO. NEW AND USED LUMBER, SASHES DOORS, BRICKS AND PLUMBING All Kinds of Building Material HOUSE MOVING 1229 D'Aniignac St. Dial PArk 2-6662 WALTON PRINTING COMPANY 117 Eighth St. Augusta, Ga. HENRY T. JONES, Prop. “We Print to Please” By Sheila Nelson There was no myrrh; no gold; not even a little oil that night for the desert country of Jordan —but there were “sheep”—one and one half million people en trusted to the “shepherds”—and they protected them with Tom my-guns. It was December 24—the height of the wet season and the weather being predictable, it rained, The roads from Amman to Jerusalem were slick and hazardous—Joseph, behind the wheel was reliable—so we wor ried little. Two and a half hours after our departure, after we had passed through biblical Salt, Jericho, past the Dead Sea, on to Bethany, we drove into view of the hills of Jerusalem, which presented a Christmas card panorama. BARBED WIRE BACKGROUND Night was falling and the shepherds watching their flocks seemed to be engraved against the December sky. Suddenly, It was 2,000 years ago—a star rose in the heavens and rested over Bethlehem. This illusion wag a fleeting one, destroyed, not only by the sound of the automobile engine, but by thought that in 1955, as on the night Christ was born there lurked in the shadows of the earth men with greed in their hearts—the atomic age Herod’s. Had it become necessary for the Holy Family to flee to Egypt that year, they probably wouldn’t have made it, for along with the shepherds stand ing against the Middle Eastern sky were the border fences of barbed wire, with gates tightly locked. We had made the trip, as had most Americans in the area, to celebrate Christmas in the vil lage of Christ’s birth—to attend the Midnight Mass in the Church of the Nativity, Beth lehem. Mr. Collins, a gentleman in our party, had a cook, a good Moslem who invited us to visit his home in a little village near Bethlehem, for a Christmas feast. The idea was intriguing —how symbolic to partake of a meal in a little villege near Bethlehem on the night of Christ’s birth! Unfortunately we could not attend the dinner as a recent illness dictated that I rest in bed for several hours before participating in the Mid night Mass. However, it was de cided that we would drop Mr. Collins at his cook’s home and that he would taxi back to the Church of the Nativity where we would meet him for Mid night Mass. Joseph turned the car from Bethlehem to the village of Bat- tir; Mr. Collins’ destination. The road wound along in the now black of night. We followed the only light, our headlights, and as we progressed it became ap parent that there would be no taxi from Battir. Joseph was silent—and his silence spelled only one thing— a resignation to fate which might prove to be unpleasant. In his heart his one mission was to get his master where he had asked to go—with no questions asked—that was the way Joseph was. SOLDIERS WATCH One hour on the black road and a light brought us to a halt. A man appeared from be hind the light—one of Clubb Pasha’s (John Bagot Clubb, later exiled from Jordan) crack soldiers, an Arab legionaire. The conversation between the sol dier and Joseph was in Arabic. The sounds were familiar to the ear, but their meaning was ob scure; presently Joseph disap- (Continued on Page 7-B) Charles Ruben Paul Ruben SEASONS GREETINGS : ■ HE ARTMENT STORE 914-16 BROAD ST. AUGUSTA, GA. /t'l'ij Clu'ii tm ai Supply, Inc. Eighth and EHist Sts. Augusta, Georgia Christmas Greetings HeSQNALB’S FOOD SERVICE STORE DIAL RE. 3-4481 AUGUSTA, GA. C. J. Skinner, 3rd W. E. Taylor SHIER Hire SUPPLY CO. DISTRIBUTORS Automotive Parts and Supplies 1337 REYNOLDS ST. PHONE PARK 4-8247 AUGUSTA, GEORGIA Seaion A (jreetinc^A RIVERSIDE SALES COMPANY NO. 1 — 5TH STREET AUGUSTA, GEORGIA Seaion A CjreetL inai Established 1837 Platt’s Funeral Home 721 Crawford Avenue s Augusta, Georgia ^ (Pipresl Jreefinjs to all J*"or every one, we wish a Christmas Season glowing with good cheer, enduringfriendships and cherished memories. AUGUSTA FEDERAL SAVINGS & LOAN ASS'N. • 4% ON INSURED SAVINGS BEGINNING JAN. 1ST, 1960 — PAYABLE JUNE 30TH, 1960 767 BROAD STREET