VOL. LXXIII. No. 51
Three Wise Men
Historical Puzzle;
Relics at Cologne
Biblically we know very little
about the Wise Men who came from
the East bearing gifts to the Christ
Child and, having adorned Him as
the King of the Jews, returned to
their own country.
It is generally accepted that there I
were three Wise Men because of the |
three specifically mentioned gifts: ■
church tradition has identified these i
as Melchior, Caspar, and Balthasar:
Melchior, king of Arabia, brought a !
casket of gold; Caspar, king of Tar- 1
sus, brought myrrh; and Balthasar, I
king of Ethiopia, brought frankin- I
cense. These gifts are considered j
symbolic of what Jesus was to be
come—gold for a king, frankincense
for a high priest, and myrrh for a
great physician. Collectively, the
Wise Men received the gifts of char
ity and spiritual wealth, perfect
faith, truth and meekness.
When they returned to their own
country, the three Kings reputedly
sold their possessions and went
about preaching the Christ-King.
Legend continues, that they were
martyred in India for their faith.
The bodies of the Wise Men, trans
ferred to Constantinople in the l
fourth century—by the Empress Hel- I
ena, mother of Constantine—were !
enshrined at Milan for a while aft
er the first Crusade. Frederick Bar
barossa authorized removal of the
relics to Cologne where they remain
to this day deposited within the
magnificent Cathedral of Cologne.
Rich and Poor Mingled
During English Yule
During the 1400 s and 1500 s before
the Puritans got the upper hand,
the golden age of English hospitali
ty reigned. At Christmas time cas
tles and manor houses were filled
•with guests by the score and the j
hundred.
Kinsmen and neighbors were there
and on certain days the tradesmen
and tenants, for all were equal at |
this season. The ’ostler could dance j
with the mistress if he had the nerve
to ask her. And he usually had— j
after the wassail.
The great halls were a din of
geniality. There was light—almost !
enough to pierce the wood smoke, j
And there were the savory aromas:
Roasting beef, roasting mutton, fowl
and brawn (the flesh of the wild pig,
which had been caught and fed good j
grain to the point of arousing his
suspicions; too late, of course).
The dark ale flowed and added its
voice—by proxy—to heighten the
noise. At the peak of all this there
was brought in the Yule log—a relic,
incidentally, of the Scandinavians’ i
pagan worship of Thor. With a brand ;
from last year’s log the new one
was fired.
The light from these roaring
flames would shine out through por
tals opened to the knocks of caroling
and wassailing bands who, more
often than not, were brought into the
hall to eat of nutmeg cakes and
brawn and mustard.
Christmas Elf Concerned
With Well-Being of Cattle
Jule-Nisse was not exactly a Dan
ish version of Santa Claus. He was
an elfish little old man who lived in '
the attic and was primarily con
cerned with the well-being of the
cattle, keeping them quiet and con
tented, caring for them if the stable
hands neglected their duties.
Nisse’s name and association with
Christmas probably stems from his
legendary tenancy of houses where
peace and contentment prevailed. 1
’Tis said he either avoided homes
where contention ruled or played all
sorts of gremlin-like tricks upon the
occupants thereof.
Danish youngsters, mindful of |
Nisse’s long memory and watchful I
eye, put themselves upon their good I
behavior as Christmas approaches.
Legends of Holly
Holly was much admired by the
Druids who believed that its ever
green leaves attested to its favor
with the sun god.
Legends related that the crown of I
thorns was plaited from the holly. 1
Before the crucifixion the berries j
were white but turned crimson like ,
drops of blood.
Another is that holly is hateful |
to witches and is therefore placed on (
doors and windows to keep out evil j
spirits.
A more modern legend is that i
whoever brings the Christmas holly |
into the house first, either husband j
or wife, is the one who will rule
the ensuing year. j
McFarland-drawdy ;
Mr. and Mrs. J. R. McFarland
of Hawkinsville announce the
engagement of their daughter,
Mary Margaret, to Gerald Wil
liam Drawdy of Orlando, Fla.,
tne wedding to take place De
cember 29 at the Hawkinsville l
Methodist church.
I From War’s Chaos
Comes Xmas Poetry
~ One of the finest, most cherished
I Christmas gifts that will ever come
j to anybody was received by Detec
i tive John Scully, his wife, Lillian,
and their 14-year-old daughter, Lil
lian, in New York city.
It was a small crumpled, rather
soiled sheet of ordinary writing pa
per, of not very good quality. On
j it was a poem, written with the free
I brave plain flourishing print of a
boy—Private Robert J. Scully, bare
ly 18, who was somewhere in the
1 South Pacific fighting with the Unit
ed States marine corps.
I The 20-line Christmas gift, a rt
| vealing example of the temper of
I young men in the thick of the fight,
I was entitled “Merry Christmas,”
and some of its lines were written
within range of the guns of Japa
nese:
, This Christmas will be different
from the others I have seen.
There’ll be no gifts, no church bell chime.
No snow so white and clean.
No choirs singing Christmas carols,
No children with new toys.
j But I'll gladly sacrifice them all.
As will all the other boys.
For we know why we’re out here,
And our job will not be done
Till we conquer every Nazi
And set the rising sun.
So a Merry Christmas to you Mom
And to you, Dad and Sis,
And may it be the last one
1 That I will ever miss.
I
Robert, immediately after Pearl
; Harbor, diligently pestered his fa
ther for permission to join the ma
rines. Winning over his father, not
too easily, the two of them took
turns trying to persuade Mrs. Scully
to give her consent, as Robert was
but 17. She gave in after a month
and a half. The boy sailed for the
Pacific on July 3, his 18th birthday,
after training at Parris Island, S. C.
Robert, a famous left end on the
football team of Theodore Roosevelt
high school in the Bronx, graduated
with honors when he was 15.
Boxing Day in England
Dia de Reis in Brazil
Christmas is the Day of Days in
America, but in many countries
Christmas is primarily commemo
rated as a religious festival and the
gift-giving and festivities of the holi
day season come later.
In England, Christmas eve is qui
etly observed in the churches and
private homes; on Christmas day,
families gather around festive ta
bles, and December 26 is Boxing
day. Friends exchange Boxes, chil
dren receive their presents; servant
girls, porters, paper venders, and
the like expect and receive tips.
Towards evening groups of merry
makers gather on street corners and
ride about Londontown dancing on
the “flats” of trucks.
In France, January I—le jour de
la bonne annee—is a day for ex
changing greetings, calls, and small
gifts. As in other Catholic coun
tries, the children receive their pres
ents on Epiphany. The Feast of
Epiphany commemorates the arriv- 1
al of the Wise Men at Bethlehem j
and is now celebrated on January 6
by the Roman, Anglican, Protestant 1
and Greek churches—the Greek Or- •
thodox church, however, continues
to observe the feast on January 19.
In Brazil, where Santa Claus and
modern North American customs
now stand side by side with ancient
traditions originally imported from
Portugal, gifts and greeting cards
may be sent and received right on
up to January 15—and this without
any apologetic implication sugges- j
tive of attempts to amend omissions 1
made at Christmas.
Christmas Haggis
Haggis is a dish commonly made
in a sheep’s maw or stomach, of its
lungs, heart and liver, mixed with
suet, onions, salt and pepper. It
can be made of oatmeal mixed with |
| suet, onions and spices, without ani
mal good.
While it has not become extreme
ly popular in America, the use of
calves instead of sheep are often
used. The mixture is placed in the
stomach and then boiled.
Old Carols
Not a few of our carols have been ■
1 traced to the mystery plays of the <
! 12th and 13th centuries. In these j
( primitive times, the church, in or- |
der to entertain the people, indulge;*, j
j in extraordinary representations of [
the events associated with the birth
I of Christ. j
Coloring the Flames
To have colored flames in the j
1 Christmas fireplace there are a !
number of different chemicals which !
j may be added to shellac as a car- |
1 rier. Small pieces of wood may be |
painted with the mixtures or it can |
I be mixed with sawdust. The follow
ing colors and chemicals required
will give excellent results:
Violet, potassium chlorate; yel
low, potassium nitrate; orange, cal
cium chloride; yellow, sodium j
chloride or salt; red, strontium ni
j trate; apple green, barium nitrate; \
1 emerald, copper nitrate; green,
\borax; purple, lithium chloride,
PERRY, HOUSTON COUNTY GA., THURSDAY. DECEMBER 21. 1944
: One Friend To Another...
PSL S°°d & friend ... as t he good old city knew ,
Hkj or any other good old city , town or borough, in
the good old World" — A Christmas Carol.
These words of Charles Dickens express exactly
what this newspaper tries to be to the people of
this community.
Because it is during the season of Christmas that
the strength of friendships is most evident we
•choose now as the time to express our resolve to
continue to be worthy of the friendship you have
shown us.
In turn we wish for you the most Merry Christ
mas you have ever had. Despite the anxiety and
worry which the war has brought to many of our
homes in the past year, we urge you to remember
that the bells of Christmas were ringing long
before the warriors of wrong rose up and they will
be ringing still when the scars of this generation’s
conflict are healed and forgotten.
Make faith in such thought your closest compan
ion during this Christmas season.
Let friendship and faith then
keynote our Christmas this year. |
With such solid foundations
our wish for you is certain Jill
A fhwuj Chiidmas
Trees and Decorations Bring Yule Cheer;
Carelessly Placed They Can Bring Death
Christmas, a time for happiness
and fond memories, is sometimes
transformed into a horrifying trag
edy by carelessly planned, inflam
mable decorations. A few simple
rules compiled by the National Fire
Protection association point the way
to a decorative yet safe Christmas
without the specter of death-dealing,
destructive fire.
The Christmas tree, symbol of the
season, can become a blazing men
ace if caution is not used regarding
its placement and care. A fresh cut
tree will not take fire any more eas
ily during the first day or two than
would the evergreen shrubs grow
ing outside, but it becomes a more
serious fire hazard every hour.
It is best to bring in a fresh tree
as short a time before Christmas as
possible, and to remove it as soon
afterwards as you can. Families,
churches, clubs, and business men
who want to keep their trees from
a week or more before Christmas
until after New Year’s day need
observe special safeguards to keep
it reasonably safe.
Keep Tree in Water.
The tree can be kept fresh if you
set it up in a pan of water. Cut off
the base of the tree at an angle at
least one inch above the original
cut and keep it standing in water
during the entire period that the
tree is in the house, adding water
to the jar or tub in which the tree
stands at intervals to keep the wa
ter level always above the cut. This
method when used with fresh trees
reduces the flammability as effec
tively as any fireproofing chemicals.
Chemicals may cause the tree to
turn brown or yellow or to lose its
needles.
The place you select for your tree
should be well away from stoves,
radiators, and other sources of heat.
When you smoke, keep away from
the tree.
The tree should be well secured
against falling by inconspicuous
wires holding it against the wall.
The tree should be so placed that,
standing or fallen, it cannot block a
‘GF Santa Comes by Jeep
• *
| , ■;>,* . ... .. ./,./> <.am* w/Jfak. j
The hard-traveling Jeep will be used by Santa Claus to visit army |
camps and posts out in the Rocky Mountain region, where even rein
deer can’t travel, Santa’s explained that he was merely bouncing around i
the mountains near Camp Carson, Colo., on a pre-yule reconnaissance.
doorway which might be needed to
escape from the room.
Be Careful With Candles.
The candle for Christmas is still ,
taking its yearly toll of lives and j
property. It is found on Christmas j
trees more rarely every year, but i
none the less, it is used unwisely in
many places during the Christmas j
season. Open flame lighting is en- I
tirely oqt of place unless you set up
your candles and lamps well away |
from Christmas trees, window cur- j
tains and burnable decorations, j
have a fire extinguisher handy and
then keep constant watch over them.
Such precautions are not needed for
the equally attractive electric lights
made especially for decoration.
But it is important that your
Christmas lights be in good condi
tion. A short circuit in worn wiring
might be sufficient to start the tree
burning.
If your fuses are of proper rat
ing, too many lights from one set of
outlets will blow them. If this hap
pens, eliminate some of the lights,
and replace the blown fuse with an
other of the same size and rating.
An overloaded circuit is extremely
dangerous for fire may start in the
walls.
If you decorate your house elabo
rately you’ll have a very serious
hazard unless you use incombustible
material. Elaborate decorations are
an important feature of most par
ties held in clubs, dance halls and
other public places but terrible trag
edies have occurred when small fires
flashed across halls filled with com
bustible hangings. Many communi
ties require that such decorations be
treated to reduce flammability.
Flameproofed materials can be pur
chased at many stores. Insist on
them.
Flame-proofing treatment is avail
able for home use if combustible
materials are used. However, met
al, glass and asbestos decorations
are available nearly everywhere and
are quite as attractive as those of
the dangerous paper, cotton, and
pyroxylin. “Fireproofing” of pyrox
ylin is npt possible.
I Christmas Seal
Origin Recalled
With 1943 Drive
The origination of the Christmas
tuberculosis seal was recalled by of
ficials of the American Tuberculosis !
institute as the 36th annual sale got
under way.
Back in 1903, Einar Holboell, then
a young mail clerk in the post of
fice at Charlottenlund, Denmark,
Conceived the idea of a voluntary
tax on Christmas greeting cards
which would benefit the poor. Ho
gained permission from the ministry
to sell the stamps at post offices for
a fund to erect a hospital for tu
bercular children.
In 1907 Miss Emily P. Bissell of
Wilmington, Del., adopted the idea
and interested the American Red
Cross in the project. The first na
tional sale in 1908 brought in $135,000
and the amount has grown larger |
each year. The sale of seals has
saved 100,000 lives annually among
tubercular patients, officials declare.
At the time of his death in 1927,
Holboell was president of the Inter
national Tuberculosis association
and a member of the board of di
rectors of the National Tuberculosis
Association of Denmark. As a mark
of honor to the originator, the Danish
Christmas seal for 1927 bore his pic
ture.
Christmas Poem
—♦ —
The time draws near the birth of
Christ:
The moon is hid; the night is
still;
The Christmas bells from hill
to hill
Answer each other in the mist.
Four voices of four hamlets
round,
From far and near, on mead
and moor,
Swell out and fail, as if a door
Were shut between me and the
sound.
Each voice four changes on the
wind,
That now dilate, and now de
crease,
Peace and good-will, good-will
and peace.
Peace and good-will, to all man
kind.
—Tennyson.
Famous Cribs of World
Still Being Preserved
In various central European coun
tries the Christmas crib, staged in
a box, is carried through the streets
by groups of singing children. It is
also a feature of every home in
southern Europe, where many fa
mous cribs are found in churches.
The most elaborate Christmas
praesepe in Italy is the celebrated
shrine of Madonna delle Grazie. Aft
er the news of St. Francis’ praesepe I
had spread the Capuchin monks built I
a grotto 18 feet high, made of Sar
dinian cork. They had a system of
figures, shepherds, flocks, and the
Three Kings, which moved down to
the manger. The wooden figures
were carved by Gaggini and Ma
ragliano.
The crib at Casterta, Italy, in
cludes the most famous Bambino in
the world.
At the Bayerisches National mu
seum in Munich is to be found the
world’s most famous collection of
cribs.
Peacock Christmas Dish
It’s been a long time since the
peacock was considered the best
dish for Christmas. This bird used
to be served to gatherings of knights
and lords in “merrie olde England."
It was first skinned, with all its
feathers intact, roasted, then placed
back in its skin.
Gift Giving
Gift-giving was well established
among Northern European tribes
before they became converted to
Christianity. It was so much of an
obligation among pagan Germans to
distribute gifts that men actually
left the country during the holiday
eason to escape gift-giving.
' CHRISTMAS PAGEANTS
The Young People of the Meth
odist and Baptist churches will
present a Pageant at the Baptist
church next Sunday night, Dec.
24, 7:30 p. m.
The Methodist Y. P. will pre
sent a Christmas program Thurs.
Dec. 21, 7:30 p. m. at the Metho
dist church. The public is invit
ed to both of these services,
Mrs. J. Wesley Calhoun was
hostess at a lovely dinner party
Friday night, Dec. 15. at the
j New Perry hotel. Guests were
I Mr. and Mrs. W. E. Vinson Jr.
and Mr. and Mrs. Harold Peavy
of Byron, Mrs. Frank Vinson of
Fort Valley, and Mrs. Kate J.
Calhoun of Macon, 1
ESTABLISHED 1870
Yule Traditions
i
j Are Likened to
Christmas Tree
l
Personalities and traditions as
sociated with Christmas, wending
their way through folklore and hls
' tory, may be likened unto trimmings
upon a huge and fanciful Christmas
tree.
Approaching the central climax of
the Nativity Scene, pre-Christian
peoples and symbols crowd the low
er branches; Arch-Druids advance
bearing boughs of mistletoe to sym
bolize the Divine blessing; palm
branches from Egypt and the glow
ing Yule log of Northern peoples be
speak of the winter solstice; nine
branched candelabra of Hanukkah
represent Judaism, and Roman
pontiffs proclaim the festival of Sat
urnalia a time for gift-giving and
; gaiety.
The Holy Infant lies within His
Manger hovered by Mary, Joseph,
and watchful angels; reverential
shepherds stand by and Wise Men,
bearing gifts, kneel in adoration.
Legend reports that generations of
patriarchs awaited the Star of Beati
tude. Epiphany is the day of gift
giving in many lands and, in Spain,
the Wise Men bestow gifts as they
travel to Bethlehem on Epiphany
eve.
Santa Claus, with his traditional
paraphernalia, stands beside the
real St. Nicholas surrounded by an
ascending swirl of gift-bearing satel
lites; Italian Befana and Russian
Babouska, awaited with eagerness
by children of their respective coun
tries; Christkind—from whom Ger
man children receive presents; Tan
te Aria of Franche-Comte; the Mag
ic Mule of Syrian legend; and the
Youngest Camel who, exhausted by
the hastening Wise Men, was blessed
with immortality by the Christ
Child.
Jule-Nisse—the Scandinavian attic
gremlin—plays hide-and-seek around
the tree’s topmost constellations
while angel choirs proclaim the sto
ry of Bethlehem unto all nations
and peoples of the world.
Priority Free
Although Santa is far from war
like, he knew this young man would
appreciate an anti-aircraft gun.
Mounted on a wooden carriage, it is
equipped with shell racks holding
three shells each. It also has an
elevating device.
PSS SS3 SK ?( 5K5 J 33 3SSS 555 JKS JWSI
$ The Poor Man s Offering |
By Dominica Cerusole; 16112. S
When Kings and Shepherds sought
The Holy Babe at Bethlehem to
adore,
Those from afar their finest treas
ures brought,
And these from humble fields would
bear a lamb;
While He, His hand to each
With equal love did reach. |
I, then, albeit I am
In poverty so sore
(My substance wasted) that alas I
may
Find nought before His cradle sweet
to lay.
Unto my Lord Divine
Would bring this heart of
mine:
And if He take my heart,
No more I’ll envy Kings’ nor Shep
herds’ part.
Irish Put Candle in Window
On Christmas eve it was custom
ary in Ireland to burn a large can
dle which could be snuffed only by
one named Mary. The Irish belief
is “who knows on some Christmas
eve, Jesus and Mary and Joseph
may come again, not to Palestine,
but to the Holy Isle on the farthest
edge of Europe?”
In “Candles of Christmas” Mil
dred Kenney Rost says their first
use for Christmas is not recorded in
the annals of any nation, but that the
“Christ Child Candle” burned in the
window on Christmas eve is, ac
cording to an old legend, placed
there to light His way if He makes
an earthly visitation and in atone
ment for the night of His birth when
there was no room for Him.
