PIOL'l'hoGiiarHan The Origin Of The Christmas Cracker

- at Christmas time the wealthy res- -idents make an entertainment of 1 the cracker. A huge one is designe ldccorated Illlh a butterfly on the living and nespangled with the

fly Eninsellao Vyaeri when you throw a log of wood u to the fire on a winter's even- ing and then sit back and watch it burn. you will have noticed that it emits occasionally a tiny bang an

axplosion, not much louder than aj

mere "Puff-f" uttered under the breath. It was this sound that was the origin of the Christmas crack- er as we know it today From i very small crackers, priced six- peiite a box of a dozen. to the giant creations standing six feet high. decorated with tinsel, ribbon. and artificial flowers and containing a valuable gift mall have sprint! from the chance incident of a log of wood emitting smoky, tiny bang.-:' That, and 34-Sl'l'HllUD and tireless thought of the man who sat watching that log but ti aria).

l-Imhty-live years ago. uheu Cr1n- . oliucs and atlllfllattinnarh ruled the quiet Vitiuiiuii ilux, a certain Brit- .

on llitttl a ii-it in the t'outinent - quite an ailxeiiture at that time vatlll sait for the first time French biiii lltills lilictc ucic lIlIllttlllf'9 awet-is lil'.tttl)t'(l ill limit? lMtWl' ill tariiiiis ciiloiirs tlici witty llutlilll niiistly fni uetliliiicx to thiou to the happy ctitiplcs niiii'i as ll? niiir use ciinlctti.

Our iisiiur liked the Him and fllf)llL'lll it capable ill (it-iclopiiiciit. so ltc l)t'tiiii.'lit a supply oi lltlll llilllx back with him, After iii"dit;itiiii,;

on how he could iiiiproie tliciii. tic had a quantity of brief niutiocs printed on tiny slips of while pap- er. He folded one niutin round each sweet insde the uiappiiig paper, to which he gate ii iinv twist at either end. The output of confectionery in those days was very limited, so the shopkeepers were glad to invest in a supply of this attractive line. Btit the salel of it was only slow, though, steady.

for people at that time did not

eat sweets as they do to-day. The

traders stated that unless the prod- . uct could be improved and made

more original it would be no use

the keen ob-l

, low tug

Monday. Dec. 17. 1956

err" right aw ay: but as they were more in demand at Christmas time than at any other PI” 0! the WI!- tbe festive word was soon added to lthe title. and they became "Christ- tnas Crackers."

One thing the inventor had neg- -,l ted to do. and that was to pat- ent his amusing deuce. An East- ern merchant visited this country,

he 'on business as well as pleasure. I it lengthwise on the table. The host

twas at once intrigued with the new isweetcum-tol. He k9Pl lthough. but when he returned to lhis own land he had a few packets stowed auay among his liigllaile. lHe quickly decided to make them himself and flood the home mar- ket

The first sliiplnad of these for- ign crackers arriied in London about tuo months before the fol- ('tirisiiuas. Distributions was quickly done and the shops were supplied. uiih more stock in reserve at the uliolesalcrs, They were clii-apt-r llldtl the home prod- uct, thus otleriug another induce- ment to the tr.iilers,

But the (ii'ii.'iniittir saw what had happened aiitl. tliiitigli time was short enough, he instantly took up

the cliallemze. lle coinnitssiotied certain factories to supply him at once with thousands of goods - paper caps, rosettes, tiny toys and cheap Jewellery. These he put into the crackers instead of sheets: into the dearer kind he put both He hired designers and art- ists by the dozen to prepare at- tractixe covsrs and wrapping; and he invited rhyniesters to send in their work in bulk and name the price. lie and his staff worked night and day, with the happy re- sult that by the middle of Decem- er he supplied the home market with eight ditferent types of Christ- mas crackers! The foreign goods- all of one type- were swamped:

'nnd the Eastern merchantls bit of 1 sharp practice was rendered a total

quiet, .

small i

most lovely tints. The butterfly alone measures three feet across. iThe enormous cracker is carried ltnto the dining-room on the shoul- ldera of two strong Nuhians. who I

and hostess each take a string that they ace at the ends of the cracker. -They pull, there is a hang with a; tiny cloud of pink smoke. the fire- uorks breaks in the middle, and there emerges a pretty Circassian dancer! At the same moment the band strikes up. the girl steps on to it little platform and begins to dance beiore the delighted guests. Yct. notwithstanding the pic- turesque ways in which Christmas crackers can be used, is not Cup- id"; iiiessage contained in the little Hlulltl or printed rythme wry of- ten the most telling and cftectiie

lbear's Christmas Doll

By Helen (E lsford Waterman i hear iias really too big to play ltkllll tlilllx, Yet. when she said that all .-he uaiited for Christmas was a really nice doll, of course .mania and cit-ryone gate in. l Pt-niilc aliiats were nice to

touching and inspiring than the night p patiently for the arrival of Na beloved &. i to produce it. with boaadlcaa hope. alter haaghg .. u. .g.,g.., llaallygoest4bed.knaIItagaaoui-olyaahollaivliaouaasampagd hther. that the Glltbrlnger will have been her.

The Spruce Tree's Friends

Down in the liulluu close to the under Little Spruce Tree's arms. old rail lt'll('t' liieil a little spruce There they slept all night long snug tree. lie isa- rouiiil and bushy and l and warm. The cold north wind Dear. til'tihithl.V hN'3U59 D92" W35 very green iii-t-uiiw he had lived in howled through the forest but Little so iiH'i' Tlliil has lVh3' ?l'5'1V0IW theopeii till his life ttllll no broth- Spruce Tree only drew his branch called 5" "Dear" Instead 0f by i ers or sisters to eruud against him. es closer. and no wind reached his 1181"? iwas be lonely standing there all sleeping friends,

Such ii rloll. on Christmas morn- by liiniseit” oh. no In the forest -I-hm win," cum. and the mwi nth ical eyelashes, and long he had tliiiit-its of friends. For allghung hemmy on Lime spruce

nll. .-.,.-i, it could walk, talk,and the iorcst folk line the spruce tree. l 1199-, bunch”. The squirrel and, slvrti 'l'"' ” had 3 "lwle "'””kl BdT'.'I” ”'""'”" M M5 -llakenedlme chlltmuiik found holes in ii but of liixcli dresses and shoes. and h.l' tllltk'4”l"”'l"'"d9e- , loalt stub and went to sleep. The a little fur coat. the neat black caps of the chik- rabbit dug I tunnel for heme” H, pear (lashfd down to see it first adecs boiihcd up and down all over j the snow The Spruce -I-ref. ml thing (ihristnias morning. and his ”F?l""l'0VHIltl1"9l0r95l"h99d;tired from holding up so much me" Mu.” breakfast was over, with their iiit-i'iy calls. After that chickadcc i-unie ll'liank-whank. thel . nutliatcli riucli morning he thor-1 oughly clcaiied little Spruce Treelsl ' l coat. How did llt' do it? Why. he ate. f .evcry boilicr.-nine insect he could V 'find. l.iitIe Spruce Tree didn't mow ml gay l”"8' H9 N” l”'wl3 K know how to thank his friend suf-5'l:::'RE "E !g i fit-iently. hut ho ed he would un- - she got her wraps. d'9559d "'5 dcrstaiid and coiiie again. And he Suddenly he heard lBu8h1t'F Md:

.voices. and saw a crowd of chil-

i told him to get a Grantts? He

ldisappeairitig from iwanted to get back to the office.

jfailure. Thanks to British enter- .prise. l

'with its trunk under one arm. and

it in the other. ”She's so proud,

-ouiqcfuulop

From that day to this Great Bri-

she has to show it to her friends,"

doll in its fur coat, rind set 0llllalwaYN did dren come wading through the

LOTS OF (ONES snow. ”Here he is" they cried.

When the sun was sliiiiing direct- ; -'-you can scarcely "9 him for

smiled mama

Hui ithcn Dear rcluriicd, she had neither dull or trunk. "Why,; dear." said mama. "where's your

continuing to offer it for sale. So tain has led the way in "19 man"- that is how the invemor of mottoed factiire of t'hi-isimas crackers. awt-t-ts came to be sitting by the: As a proof of the erei'erouing fire night after night, watching the popularity of this attractive toy, w logs burn. thinking and wonder- have only to notice how often the duly... dering and racking his brains, try- design of a Christmas cracker IS ..I R 3 V P H mmmmuwvmwmnmmmmmwmxmmwwmu . : ' ' 'd- V s c, I knci it little then 0M lllllhk Tlllhl 0U! 05 "19; A certain famous actress of last :11:-ll who nhjatlpiicver hadlla doll in. life he was 30 in19'lll)' E31108 8!. i century was so intrigued with pret- hpf whole up-, and 1 nan”-rt sol

away," Dear an-i

ly oyerliczitl. and that is dinncrtime, you knmi, the red squirrel and his saucy friend. the chipmunk came., Little Spruce Tree saw them run- ning along the top of the old rail fence and throw a cone at them just for fun The chipmunk pounc-j ed on it, and sitting up on his hind

snow. btit he's the nicest spruce tree in the meadow”

Whack Whack went the axe. and the spruce tree felt a great

jweight sliding off his arms. Over

he fell to a merry shout. Mlttened hands grasped his trunk. and he felt himself riding along over the

Came "I! ln5DlFl1l0"5 0""? Oi "19 ty crackers that at every party she loss Ieluttered and timed and ' attended at (fhristmas time she al- aeemed to have in its composition ways asked permission .0 take 3. somethinit that could be discharir way with her the cracker she liked ed. accompanied by n suddden be.st- She is laid to have had a l0lUld- H0 SN UP. ill! -l"9l'"l0"ibeautifuI collection for some of riveted on that particular log. His-'u.e spa-rm.-n, wen. unique, , Pr0hlPm W35 5"lWd- l Early in this century a rich ii? Wmld mall? ""3 W"3PPlnl-' "l Russian wliii lived in a palace on his 5lW'9l5 mU"5 I379" aml in-V” the Neva gave a (Tliristinas party ""0 93”" Pfwk" 5"m9”''''''K "'31 to which he invited four hundred would result in a small bang. .'

to give her one on Christams."i

"But Dear. why didn't you sayl so" We could ht-ive bought one that would have been a good enough, and you could have kept yours."

"That's why, mama " Dear ex- plained. ”lt had to he just the nicest doll ever. in be fun. And oh. mama." she cried, her face: beaming with happiness. "did you- ever see a poor llIfl.9 girl with

top of the drifts. His first ride

Stich a strange feeling Away they

went to the little house hiding be-

hind the hill.

l At night loving hands gave him

is new dress. A beautiful dress of

many colors-red and green. tin-

tsel and gold.

i "Here's a rattle for Baby!" call- ' ed one voice.

I025. 819 PH'ry seed in it. He tum- 1 "A train for Bobble!" arled an- ed the cone round and round in his l other.

wee pair:-. just as you turn uni "Something for averyhody" apple in your hands. And when he i laughed a third.

Christmas Carols

Warren Elmore was mad- ngry through and through. For the first time in his bualiieu career he had had a quarrel with his partner. Of course it had been all Peter's fault, but evea that thought didn't help so very much. The old saying. "It takes two to make I quarre” kept D0031!!! him

win: was it that his wife had

asked himself the question as he entered the big department store. Base for Muriel. that was it! Both- er Christmas shopping. anyway; why didn't Beverly tend to things herself?

As he walked down the crowded aisles. he was conscious of music from the balcony. An orchestra was up there playing Christmas carols. Warren Elmore forgot his peeve against the world; he hur- tiled up and joined the happy crowd. His voice joined in "O Lit- tle Town of Bethlehem." It was followed by the glorious ”-tdeste Fldeles.” Then came "Silent Night.” As its beautiful strains filled the store Warren Elmore was conscious that all anger was his heart.He

to slap old Peter on the back. and lcll him they were a pair of fools for letting such a small thing interfere with their friendship .

And mun-likc. he purchased six pairs of hose for Muriel instead of three on the way out. A store that took time and thought for Christmas carols should be reward- ed n little bit, he believed.

GHOSTLY CIIRISTNIAS BELLS

Amongst the bells which win ring out to greet the coming Yule- tide uill be many ghostly bells, heard on no other night in the year: for tradition says that the bells of all buried churches join the chorus every Christmas eve.

There are the bells of Raleigh, once a prosper village in Notting- hamsliire, now only a country val-I ley. All sign of habitation was swal- lowed up many years ago by an earthquake. it is said that everyl Christin:-is eye the belts of the old! church was heard to ring again. A l legend of this kind is told of a9 country church near Preston the; very name of which nobody knows.

In Holland the story of the city of Been is told every Christmas. This wonderful place was famous for its magniflcance and. beauty and also for its wickednessi and shamefulncss. One day the whole city was swallowed up by the sea.

The siihniergcd belts of Dun-i wlch, now covered by the sea. are!

-alnlng always the aama.

early missionary probable la ro- llngera and wily Indian have al-

ways attempted to catch the deer in the act.

at midnight. The bee hive: are al-

young girl to creep to the family woodpile on Christmas Eve and pull out the first stick that her

straight one. with no knots. trad-

lu... Le;nds or Christmas

Ywlmiajwu C IHNliItbthrowaiaa

TberearealnnzetumaayQ.eiatq,n1u-.ug..;.'..uHh nrunmfhocrlnosvas

inaalegenitsaadaiiperattttoaaaa there have been Chrlatmaaaaa.

Ooitntleaacuat.oiIu!mratIaaId-

World have been absorbed through

the centuries into the celebration.

that we participate in today. A few however, have been passed down from one generation to another, to

(Irtstinaa . uinnirvn.-aiotai.i. 5'"-ltilldndvetn-aoi-iiiacitrisiiu calendar.

and every 04 evg n 540.

The Indians of Canada. for ex- ample. believe that the deer kneel In prayer each Christmas Eve. An

Ipoaslble tor the idea. but it atlll

In England. it is believed that the bees express veneratlon for the nativity by singing in their hives

ways adorned with holly aprlu for the Yuletide season. In Europe it was custom for a

hand touched. it the stick was a

ltion said that she would have I good husband.

Farmers in Europe also gave torches to their children and aent them singing into the apple orc- ards and the fields. The mice. cat-

Miiy the Spirit OI Chri'.itnins

l Bless you and yours! l

THOS. H. MILLS MEAT MARKET Prop. '1'. l'. Mllll 135 Hlllaboeo 80. Charlouotowl

Hl lllEllE!

w.'rg popping in with friendly wishes that your Christina: may be

filled with toy and happiness Gob”.

edoacofor each ygu 01.”!

said to join the ghostly chorus.

l PALMER ELECTRIC up. I its-ioo Fitzroy st. out 354.9

For close on two years he iiorked pun

and experimented with his tit-rack-l

hlltl fiiiislied he threw away the,

empty slit-ll. just as you throwi

in his heart Llttle Spruce Tree laughed too. For he'd learned a

secret and it made him very hap-

int: hon-bon" to make it suitable for .

v ' her first lovcly Christmas , .5 sent.

acceptance by the very dectiroiia

society of that early Victorian era. l m,,,”- H, hm ordered I mm, H9 '"”5' hi”? "'9 ""3l'k" l9"d.elaborate display of crackers: and 9"”"3h '9 M5" "W99 Md mall? each one contained a present. the ow” PM?” Wm" lo "'3' ””9- anditotal value of them amounting to

be sudden rind a trifle startling,!200.m0 I-oublest The Ems were. yet he must consider the wnsitlve imosuy jewenenu an. gentleman:

nerves of the ladies, old and young, reulvinz 8 1m.l.1y uegpm of Aus, M 'l"'" "t'""P'"K g"9- If M5 l'?' , trallan opal. Later on he had It val- vcntiiin didnt suit the ladies ill nod in pm.” mm W” mm mm was would not be successfiil financially. cm,-rh 30 pound...

Children were not catered for in- on the Shores 0; the pmphonm those days as they are now

At last he made his invention so 1

aatisfaciory that it could he sold t

and used anywhere. Already it was: Traps and T”C,l(5 long in shape. as we see it to-day. l

and has been dubbed by many? HIGH FINANCE pcople- The Elongated Squib. ltl An old lady died and left the was made in only one type and sum of 123.13. She stipulated that

kcts containing a dozen or half tween two fathers and their two dozen. They were called ”Crack-.snnit. l-Inch of them was to recieve g 'llt pounds. How was it that the

g A,7 C "C. old lady: calculations proved cor Christmas In The Air

rect? (tld Mr. Saddler had the most unique and delightful ideas. Un-i questinnably he was the happiest man in town. though he hadnll the sons was also a father They much money, and lived in quite a were Ion. father. and grandfath- modest way. in quite the smallest er. house. Pt-oplc loved to drop in forl It chat. Old men came for a siiiiikcl by his fireside. Women brought Til? 5(”'T9l8l'.V 0i I l0('"l Dlllfls their children to spend (hp an...-. tum Club found. on share-out noon when they were busy Xlrgnlillll. that he had i pound and B Saddler wclennit-il everyone its lfi farthinfl '0 l'l'V"l? Pquall)' "Willi! he were a king in ii palace. ilhf mrmlwrsv One snowy day when every foot- Ali-Wminll that Pnvh mu cretiked ltnd('t'l00f. and the rcccivcd more than whole world looked htlFlP!l tin(lcril1'lW many members were the club and how much did

Aiiswer:---'ltliei'e were only three penple, although there were two fathers and two sons. But one of

A FAR DIVISION

twopcnce. there

white wool. several people on in their way here and there rlrnpped each get” in to see Mrs. Saddler A bright Answer: -- Tliirtyone members

received 7 3-4 pt-nce each.

Tlll-I ll0RSESlif)l-'. TRICK Cut a piece of apple into the shape of a horseshoe Stick six

rm; place has more (ih,-mma,,cloVes in it to represent nails. than with two cuts. dlyirlc it into

Hnut lt.” declared one guest, ' V H U-man any place 1'” gain, "..w,six parts eat-l1 contmiilngga nail do you do it? After all, tht-rc's;Tl"' -"ll""0" IS Slmvly this By cut

only ting green wreath " iting off the circular part contain- "Wrll. l hardly know how lo lnrt VWO "ails.

tell you." said the host. "I guess . PiP"'S- "19 kn"? "0 N 5" h5'"l' led that one cut will divide the

fire crackled on the hearth. A green wreath hung above the mantclpiece. There was it dis, linct smell of a rich pudding hm"-I tug hecn recently cooked.

clove in each.

DO YOU KNOW THIS?

The question has frequently been jasked-How many words in the. it's lust that I feel Chrlntmmy English language end in dons: vllld NIIYDP ll 30" 0' ml! '5' and the number ls usually given "'01" "ff -Slum from I P0ddlnl- as four -hlllrdbtli. jeopardouiii 1 FM. he smiled at "tom. '70" tremendous and stupendous. in "V" "" WWH" Fl "'"99- b'"'trutli. however. there are five. and the word that la overlooked la hybrldou.

roit A v.z. l

Ask your friend: "Why la the, seventh of January?" He'll pro-I pbahly laugh and siiy "What not parth are you joking about?" I Thea you just say. "No. I'm out. January has seven letters. .aadYtItheaeveothaf.lamiary.

IIBNTALIXIICISI Ilyfkntlahdfnyoecond niyflrstl at-email;

wrapped up in coloured paper pac- it should be equally divided be-I

l menihcr

iwork of one person to buy some- Ind ,-oarmnmng gm-Elhlng which was the work of un-; l other 'oext." very well indeed.

horseshoe into six pieces with It!

i had given

Luke's Christmas Money

lty Martha B. Thonias.

away the core. Little Sp't'uCe Tree was glad that he had so many py.

cones to share with the chipmunks What do you think It was?

and the squirrels. Why, he was a Christmas Tree! when the sun grew tired of shin- I And all the boys and girls in the log and dropped down behind the I world love the Christmas Tree -- forcst wall. rt family of rabbits hid 'Grace Fraser Malkln.

Little Luke. watching his lather splice rope, was suddenly struck with an idea. "Its just one strand

after another. isn't it dad" "Yes. just one strand after another that , makes the rope that holds the shipf llt's the way most things are ac-