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PERU'S PRESIDENT OF ENGLISH DESCENT
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YRIAD arc tho myths and
legends that cluster around
tho Christmas troo. Its origin
takes us far back into pre
historic times when our skin
clad savago ancestors were
tree worshippers and bellov
ed that a god or goddess
dwelt In tho evergreen. Long
prior to tho Christian era, the
flr tree was UBed In Rome In
the Docember holiday festivi
ties of tho Saturnalia and Its
branches wero decked with
little yellow Jeweled Images
of pagan divinities, especially
of Bacchus. ,
In the Yuletldo celebrations of tho Druids of
ancient Britain, tho evergreen had a distinctive
placo with Ivy, holly and mlBtletoo. The Druids
believed that tho overgreens sheltered the good
spirits of the air who fled to them at tho approach
of cold weather.
There Is a Scandinavian myth that tells of tho
treo that sprang from tho blood-soaked ground
whoro two lovers mot a violent death, and of
mysterious lights that hovered about tho treo at
Christmas time. At the period of tho winter sol
stice, tho ancient Egyptians decorated their
houses with palm leaves which symbolized Im
mortality and the starry sky. At this period of
the year tho ancient Persians decorated the piano
treo with ornaments and Jevels.
An old German tradition gives Saint Wilfred
tho credit of transforming tho treo worship of tho
savago Teutons to a Christian ceremony. It was
about the year 725 that ho led a party of priests
into central Germany for tho conversion of the
worshipers of god Thor. Prlnco Qregor, tho
grandson of n king, was with him, having been
Intrusted to his euro by the abbess of tho cloister
Phakel. On Christmas eve they were fighting
their way through the snow of the forest when
they caino upon tho heathen tribe of Gelsmar.
They wero assembled under the thunder oak,
symbolic of tho power of Thor, and wero pre
pared to offer up sacrifice. Tho white-haired
priest of tho heathens had chosen tho young son
of the chief as tho fairest possession of tho tribe,
and he was to be offered, for the god was very
hungry and needed tho utmost atonement.
As tho venerablo priest raised his stono hatchot
on high and brought it down to kill tho boy,
who was ready, prepared for tho stroke, WInfrod
appeared and wardod off tho blow with his staff.
Tho people wore gratified at his saving of their
favorlto and allowed him speech and he gave
thorn tho Christian croed. Then ho and the
Prlnco Gregor took their axes and cut down the
Thunder Oak. As It was ready to fall tho light
ning came and split It In many parts and It fell
asunder. Tho waiting tribe thon behold In Its
placo a slender fir treo, green nnd sparkling and
odorous. Wlnfred bado the tribesmen bear this
treo to tho hall of Grundhar, tho chieftain, to
there assemble about It and make merry. Aljout
this first Christmas treo tho wild mon of tho
woods first heard the talo of tho shepherd boy
and tho fields of Judah arid It gripped their sturdy
hearts. The tribes became Christian and ever
nftor usod the flr tree as a token of tho day of
Christ's birth, n
The Christmas tree In its present stylo of
UBago cannot bo traced back farther than the six
teenth contury. It then existed only In tho Rhine
valley, to which narrow limits It was restricted
for more than 200 years. At tho opening of tho
nineteenth century It spread to the rest of Ger
many, and fifty years later had reached Bohemia,
Hungary, Paris and England. Gorman Immigrants
had already brought tho custom to our own coun
try and hero It has become so popular that tho
supply of trees In tho city markets Is never equal
to tho demand.
Linking tho present with the dim past of un
numbered centuries, there will this Christmas bo
displayed in American homos 5,000,000 evergreen
trees. Thoro are about 20,000,000 families in tho
United States, and one In four of those will mako
tho Christmas troo a part of tho celebration that
la at hand. This does not mean that only theso
will participate in tho festivities of tho season,
for there Is still tho stocking method of dispens
ing gifts. But in this great number of homos it
has become tho custom to use tho trees in ac
cordance with tho old-fashioned custom of sturdy,
rural Germany.
Now York, tho metropolis of tho nation, uses
far moro Christmas trees than any other city In
the world. Yet tho city is so admirably locatod
from the standpoint of available forests that tho
supply Is always abundant and prices low, A
quarter of a million Christmas trees are each year
brought to New York, and all of them are sold
during the week before Christmas. Over on
Riverside Drive, whore are tho homes of tho
wealthy, expenslvo trees are sold. Theso aro
elaborately prepared, often bolng specially grown
for the purpose and bring prices as high as $50.
Yet tho East SIdo gets Its duo proportion, and so
abundant Is tho supply thnt good shrubs may bo
had for 25 cents and 50 cents. Tho little trees
grow quickly and the farmers are often glad to
havo them cleared off their land. As a result tho
people who count the pennies closely find the
ChrlstmaB greens within their reach.
Father Knickerbocker lives right In tho midst
of tho most productive Christmas treo section.
Tho state of Now York yields them abundantly.
Straight down from tho Adlrondacks they como
In trainload lots. Northern Pennsylvania also
produces them without stint, and so aro all tho
nearby cities guaranteed an abundance. All
through Now England thoro Is a general uso of
tho Christmas tree.
For a month past thore havo been hundreds of
mon preparing tho Christmas tree liarvcst for
tho youngsters who dwoll In the townB and cities.
In tho smaller communities, provided tho region
produces the right sort of trees, tho farmer him
self cuts them down nnd brings them to markot.
He sells thoe trees to markot men, to grocers,
to florists and docorators. They aro bought from
him by thowagonload and cost little. Then they
nro properly prepared and set upon tho sldowalk.
But preparation for tho larger markets aro dif
ferent. In tho hills around tho greater cltlos
making ready for Christmas Is begun two months
beforo tho arrival of tho day to bo celebrated.
In Maine, for Instance, tho mon go out In gangs
of four. They know their business, for thoy havo
gathored this self-same harvest for a generation.
They havo bought tho trees as thoy stand In tho
fleld.'paylng the farmer five cents oach for them.
The butt of tho tree Is sawed off smoothly and
painted over In order that tho sap may bo re
tained. Tho limbs aro bound down tight so as
to save room In shipping. Thon thoy aro bound
together In bunchos of flvo, this being convenient
for both shipment and snlo. Thoy go to market
In opon cars that thoy may bo kopt cool and pos
sibly damp. Otherwise their tips might wilt and
their attractiveness thus bo lessened. Thoy nro
sold direct from the enro to rotallora and theso
mnko a point of keeping them always In tho opon
air.
Throughout tho southern statos tho supply of
Christmas trees comos from tho southorn plno
that overruns tho region. Ordinarily tho markets
aro supplied by tho wagons of tho farmers, but
In tho blggor cities they como In carload nnd
trainload lots. Tho flr Is abundant In Colorado,
but it grows in high, Inaccessible placos, and
thoreforo tho Douglas spruco and tho lodgepolo
plno lnrgoly take Its placo. This Is largoly truo
of all tho Rocky Mountain stntes. In California
and tho othor Pacific Coast states tho Inconso
cedar and tho young coaBt redwoods nro qulto
generally used as Christmas trees. Tho Bwamps
of Michigan, Wisconsin and Minnesota furnish
tho markets of Chicago, St. Paul, Minneapolis and
Detroit.
When the tlmo Is ready for tho Indoor ubo of
the troo It Is dug up and pared down to n grnceful
ploco of earth as a baso. Thon a plcco of can
vas or any othor Bort of stout cloth Is bound
about the base to provont crumbling of tho onrth
Tho wholo'of this Is then fitted Into a box or tub
and .Is ready to serve Its purposo In tho house.
It Is moro solid and offoctlvo Indoors than tho or
dinary troo and never wilts or droops. It Is In
reality n living troo.
When tho fostlvltles nro over tho treo Is taken
to tho point whoro it is to bo planted. A hole is
dug to fit ltB baso. This may bo successfully ac
complished evon whero the ground Is frozon. Tho
treo Is lifted from its tub, tho cloth Is tnken from
around Its base and it is fitted again Into tho
earth from which It enmo. Tho protected roots
again tako hold and tho treo goes on growing
without oven a knowledge of Its holiday expe
rience. It Is In no wny Injured.
Nurserymen specially proparo trees for Just
this purposo. Individuals may do tho samo thing
with no moro explanation than that given nbovo.
Trees from tho nntlvo woods around any vlllngc
may havo their roots pruned In ndvnnco or thoy
may bo dug up with no preparation whntover.
Thoro 1b a better chanco of their flourishing when
thoy havo been prepared for tho transplanting.
But any evergreen dug up with a bit of earth
about Us roots should grow,
Thoro Is also a mannor of permanently marklns
troes without Injuring them or Interfering with
their growth. A tag fastened to a pleco of wlro
will remain attached to a troo for a contury.
This tag may bo of motal and on It may bo stamp
ed tho dato and whatovor legend Is desired. Tho
homo of a growing family may tliim bo loft with
a permanont monument of all tho Chrlstmascs
thnt havo passed over tho heads of tho children
that havo dwelt within It. When theso return
to tho ancestral hearth in their old ago thoy can
recall tho planting of tho trees and tho ovontn
that hover about tho occasion In queatlon. Inci
dentally, tho landscapo will havo been bcnutt
fled, and asldo from tho sentimental phaso of It,
much valuable timber produced.
The Christmas treo industry of tho United
Stater lias assumed great proportions nnd Uncle
Sam Is making plans to placo tho Industry upon
a permanently profitable basis through reforest
ing large areas. Incidentally tho now Industry
has furnishod an opportunity for hundreds of
boys and girls to earn tholr Christmas money in
a now way by harvesting tho cones or evergreen
trees.
Of tho nation's forest land. CO.000,000 ncros
aro today covered with mature tlmbor, whllo
40,000.000 noros aro well Hooded with young
growth ThJs Ienvos 100,000,000 acroB that are
either non-productlvo or only partly productlvo.
It Id for this 100,000,000 acres that seed uro to
bo gathorod, and It Is upon this vast expanse
that they are to bo planted until the whole Is
dovoloped Into lta greatest poBstblo yloldlni: cana
city, making It ono of tho finest forests that tho
world has over known.
YULETIDE.
Tho wind ncross tho snowclad hills,
A restless spirit, roves.
The murmur of the frozen rills
Still ochoes In tho groves.
Tho stripped treeB, bonding to tho earth,
Tholr talo of sorrow toll;
Hushed aro tho boiimIb of recent mirth
That pooled In every dell.
Old winter breathes along tho plain
Its chilling breath of biiow;
The billows bounding o'er tho main
An added fury know;
Tho sky Is frowning, gray nnd cold,
Tho earth Is brown and soro,
Yet on oach barron wasto nnd wold
Tho Yuletldo bells ring clear.
DoubtlcsB with a vlow to tho open
ing of tho Panama Canal no country
In western South America Is doing a
finer stunt of advertising that Peru,
with nn Immense const Una on the
Pacific ocean extending from Ecundot
on tho north to Bolivia and tho ng
gresslvo state of Chill on tho south
Tho now trado opportunities should
bo of great Interest to Pittsburgh,
Peruvian newspapers havo Just ar
rived giving an account of tho in
nuguratlon of Gulllermo Edunrdo Bll
llnghurst as president of tho Poru
vlnu republic, nnd it is something ol
a story In view of tho near Inaugura
tion of anothor president of tho
United StatC3. Whllo President B1L
llnghurst Is n native Peruvian, hav
ing been born at Arlo in 1851, ho is n
scion of ono of tho oldost real Eng
lish families, tracing his lineage to
Adam do DUllnghurBt, who was given
a manor of that nnmo by William tho
Conqueror. Whllo nntlvo to tho
country, ho is tho first Englishman to bo elected to n presidency In any of
tho Latin republics. This has boon a mattor of comment to some extent,
but tho story of tho Inauguration has had no moro than n passing montlon
in papers outside of Poru.
It was a "halcyon and vociferous occasion." President Leguin had re
signed Ills oITIco, nnd tho Anglo-Poruvlnn, Blllinghurst, with another Loguln.
Roberto E., as flrst vlco-presldent, nnd Mlguol Echonlquo as bccoiuI vice
president, wero elected. That Is tho Peruvian provision for succession, and
two vlco-prosldonta havo at times been necessary In that country, usod to
wnr alarms, but now growing moro peaceful overy year. Tho grandfather
of Blllinghurst was a distinguished ofllcor In tho British army.
STARTS PLAN FOR MODEL DANCE HALLS
"Tho supervised dance hall la a pay
ing proposition."
This Is tho verdict of Mrs.
CharloB II. Israels, who Is known by
reputation to overy dancing hall pro
prietor In Now York. As chnlrmnn of
the .commltteo of amusomont resources
for working girls, Mrs. Israols has
mado a detailed study of tho danco
hall problem for tho Inst four years.
With a commltteo of Bovontoon, sho
has investigated danco hnllB of every
typo and In overy district) sho lias
securod legislation resulting In tho
dnnco hall Hconso act of 1010, nnd ns
an ovldonco of hor bollot that tho
supervised danco can bo mado to pay
sho has started planB for a series of
model danco halls in all tho larger
eastern cltlos.
Mrs. Israols nnd hor commltteo
are at present making vigorous ef
forts to drive tho "turkoy trot" nnd
Its popular companions from tho
field and substitute) a less objection
able stylo of dancing, but tho popularity of thoso figures makes tho task
difficult
"If tho public could bo mado to roallzo," Bald Mrs. Israels, "that a largo
eharo of tho amusomont avnllablo for young glrlB of tho pooror claBSOB in
Now York city, a great army of thorn, la In tho hnnds of orgnnizod gangs, tho
Importance' of tho problom would bo brought homo to them. 1 am not JUBt
now emphasizing tho organlzod wldto slave traffic In Its relation to tho danco
hall; that evil Is well known and obvious. But coiiBldored apart from that
situation, as much so ns It can bo, tho plan which tho organized gang occu
pies In this syBtom of danco halls Is a pretty large and serious ono.
"I havo been working, especially during tho past year, to traco out and
put my fliigor on thoso gangs. A few gangs run hundreds of public dances "
JOHN SINGLETON MOSBY REPORTED ILL
Nowb from Washington of tho se
rious illnofiri of Col. John S. MoBby
brings Into prominence again ono of
tho fow remaining prominent officers
of tho army of tho Confederacy.
Colonel Mosby stood la tho front
rank of Confederate raldors In tho
Civil War, being particularly haras
sing In tho 18G4 campaign of General
Sheridan In tho Shonandoah valley
which ended with his brilliant vic
tory at Cedar Crook. Thoro was a
long lino of communication to bo
guarded from Baltimore to Harper's
Ferry and thon down tho valley, and
from Washington by way of Manas
sas and Front Roynl. Colonel Mosby
dovotod hlmsolf to breaking these
lines nnd raiding 1Ib onomy'a forces
wherever poBBlble. No ono olso In
tho army was bo anathematized as
was he. That such a rebol against
the govornmont could not only havo
escaped with hla life after tho sur
render, but should actually lator have
been appointed to office under tho government ho sought to destroy, will
nlwuya bo ono of tho marvols of history.
CALLS CHINA A NEW UNITED STATES
"So many of ub Chinese repub
licans, graduates of American col
logos, aro Americans through and
through, that, In tho Intervals of
fighting against tho Imperialists at
Nanking, wo actually dlscussod foot
hall Uko any othor Amorlcan collego
mon."
S6 says Chlng-Chun Wang, M. A.,
Ph. D., Yalo '08, veteran of tho bat
tles that overthrow tho oldest em
pire In tho world, now back In this
country aa a mombor of the fifth In
ternational congress of chambcru of
commerce, held In Boston. Also, ho
is assoclato director of tho Poking
Mukden railway. A man of many
titles titles hard to romomber.
But there 1h no difficulty in remoin
boring Dr, Wnng'8 words when ho
talks about the new China. Ho Is an
enthusiast, a sayor of startling
things, a describor of conditions that
yon would not yimaglno possible In
tho phlegmatic oast, a prophet of
tho Are of his enthusiasm, still appear so nearly incredible as to make you
Rasp.
"Tho now China Is a now United StatoB," ho declares; nnd ho certainly
niakos plenty of convincing statements to pruvo hla contention,
Kr 'l