Section C
GA DEMOC
VOL. LXXIII? NO. U
BOONE, WATAUGA COUNTY, NOKTH CAROLINA, THURSDAY, DECEMBER II, 1?M
J
Section C
Christmas Cards Launched On
Commercial Basis 85 Y ears Ago
American Christmas cards were
launched on a commercial scale
exactly 89 years ago by an emin
ent Boston lithographer named
Louis Pranjr
A penniless immigrant when he
landed in Amelia in 1850, Prang
made a big impact on America's
celebration of Christmas, earning
him the title of "father" of the
American Christmas card.
Prang got started publishing
greeting cards in a rather strange
way. In 1874, one year before he
marketed his first American
Christmas cards, a young art stu
dent by the name of Miss D. E.
Whitney, who worked in his shop,
presented him with a painting of
a budding moss rose which she
had done.
There was something about this
simple moss rose that appealed to
both his artistic sense and to his
commercial instincts. Prang saw
a golden chance to increase his
business. He decided to print
"Merry Christmas" on small flor
al decorated cards as the British
had been doing since the early
1840 s.
Prang was an expert in the art
of what he called "Chromolitho
graphy" and his work and reputa
tion was well established through
out Europe. By using slabs of a
particular limestone found only
in Bavaria, he printed pictures in
multi-colors, as many as 32 dif
ferent shades, at times. He re
produced them so perfectly that
you could scarely tell them from
the original paintings.
Alumni Council
Members Named
Dr. Roy Wilson of Charlotte,
president of the Appalachian State
Teachers College Alumni Associa
tion, announces the following ap
pointments to the association's ad
visory council. They are:
Jl.. G. "Red" Lackey, Winston
Salem. James A Cobb, Memphis,
Tenn.; Barnard Dougherty, Boone;
Harry L. Hallyburton, Drexel; Tom
W. Hayes, Millers Creek; John V.
Idol, Millers Creek; Leroy Sossa
mon, Bryson City; Gene Wike,
Asheville; Jack Park, Charlotte;
Jack Ruffing, Greensboro; Char
les Walters, Shelby; Ray Walker,
Sparta; A. H. Felton, Gamer.
Actually, ? medium-size potato
? boiled, pressure-cooked, or bak
ed ? proides only about 100 calar
ics. This is approximately the
same number as a large apple or
orange or half of a large grape
fruit
He had Miss Whitney's painting
copied on lithographic stones and
attached a holiday sentiment to it.
He experimented with his British
customers first and the next year
Prang tried out the Christmas
cards on the American people.
Within five years he was turning
out five million cards a year, and
it wasn't long before Prang cards,
trimmed with silk fringe and lace,
also became know worldwide.
The painting that inspired Prang
to enter the greeting card busi
ness is now housed in the Rust
Craft antique greeting card col
lection along with several hundred
of bis "chromo-lithographs."
Unlike today's Christmas cards,
Prang used very few of the stand
ard Christmas motifs on his cards.
His favorites were illustrations of
spring flowers, harvest scenes and
pictures of children playing. The
Killarney rose, of all things, was
the most popular of all. Religious
scenes began to appear on Prang's
cm* hi the mid 1880's.
Prang's delicate cards were
typical of the Victorian era in
which he lived. Many of them
were equipped with silk cord* for
hanging, others were edged with
inch-wide fringe and folded cards
dripped with tassels. Fan-shaped
cards bedecked with both fringe
and tassels, competed with lust
rous satin - and - plush creations.
There were even some cards en
crusted with blown glass frosting.
To insure that he would always
have an ample supply of the finest
designs for his cards, Prang con
ducted an annual competition with
prizes totalling as much as $3,000.
In the 1880 s, people were pay
ing up to $1 each for a deluxe
Prang card. The costly cards were
usually stamped on the back with
a notice that the design received
one of Prang's prizes.
Prang continued to make Christ
mas cards for 20 years, until Ger
man imitations began to crowd the
market. A proud craftsman, Prang
retired from the greeting card
scene and turned his efforts to
other activities, rather than have
his quality carda compete with
the cheap German imports.
GOING
HUNTING?
Accident* do happen. And when they do
?here is always the chance of a lawsuit
where a claim for damages can run into
some mighty important money.
To be on the safe side, your best protection is
some liability insurance that costs only a few
dollars. Call us.
COE INSURANCE AND
REALTY COMPANY
E. F. COE, Manager
*17 MAIN STREET. BOONE. N. C. ? DIAL AM 4-gtM
Carolina Given Honors On
High School Driver Plan
Durham ? North Carolina receiv
ed national honori this week (or
iU high school driver education
program.
The "achievement award," high
est in the 1030-60 National High
School Driver Education Award
Program, was presented at the
annual conference of the Super
intendents' Division of the North
Carolina Education Association at
the Jack Tar Hotel.
Presentation was made by Tho
mas A. Seals, traffic consultant for
the Insurance Iinstitute for High
way Safety, Washington, D. C.,
sponsor of the award program.
C. A. Furr, Concord, president of
the Superintendents' Division of
the NCEA, accepted the award.
Seals said North Carolina and
?even other state* qualified for
the "achievement award" by having
at least 00 per cent of their publie
high schools provide a "qualifying
course" in driver education, with
at least 90 per cent of the annual
number of eligible students en
rolled. (A "qualifying course," ac
cording to the award program spon
sor, consists of 30 dock hours of
classroom instruction and six hours
of practice driving, and is taught
by tecahers who have met speci
fied requirements.)
In North Carolina 84 per cent
(or 791) of the State's 890 public
high schools conducted courses
meeting these nationally-recom
mended standards in the 195&-60
school year, with 63 per cent (or
41,071) of the 64,740 annual ell
gible high school students partici
pating. .
Forty-eight >Utes and the Dis
trict of Colombia participated in
the 189*40 Award Program. Thl?
program is the medium recognized
by the Prwident's Committee for
Traffic Safety as the annual meas
urement of driver education pro
gress.
Seventy-three per cent (11,000 of
17,227) of the nation's public high
schools covered in the 198M0 pro
gram report offered a course in
driver education. Fifty-si* per
cent of the schools provided a
"qualifying course."
Of the 2,060,734 "annual eligible
students" (those reaching legal
driving age during the year) en
rolled in the public high schools,
1,212,902 or 57 per cent took a
course in driver education in the
1969-60 school year. A little more
than 770,0007 or' JTper cent took
a "qualifying course."
ASC Signup To Begin Jan. 3
The regular signup period far
the 1961 Agricultural Conserva
tion Program win begin January
S, 1961 and continue through
January 27, 1961, County ASC
Chairman, Vaughn Tugman, an
nounced today.
Farmers should make early
plans for the practices they in
tend to cany out next spring and
be ready to apply for whatever as
sistance it is felt will be needed on
their farms.
Farmers will be advanced the
small cost-share payment increase
on the materials used in carrying
out approved practices. In a lot of
instances this will enable many
farmers to secure their materials
from vendor* with very little cost.
This should encourage many farm
ers who have not participated in
the program to undertak* one or
mere practicee needed on their
Ium.
Conservation of the (oil and wat
er resources is vital to the ecuuomy
of our country. A proaparioua
agriculture cannot continue unlese
these measures are continually
carried out.
Travel On
Parkway
The Bluff district of the Blue
Ridge Parkway had a decrease in
travel of 7.2% as compared to the
same month last year. The travel
for the entire Parkway during the
month showed an increase of 8.1%
over November, 1909.
TRADE AT HOME
RCA WHIRLPOOL
GIBSON ? MAYTAG
. MODERN MAID
BEN HUR
COME IN AND REGISTER? NO PURCHASE
NECESSARY
Drawing December 24th
It your name la drawn, and ;n have purchaaed a Chard
Orfan during our aale, we will refund your money
Modern Appliance Co.
Diamond & Wedding Rings
WATCHES ? NECKLACES ? FOUNTAIN
PENS ? CIGARETTE LIGHTERS
Men's Jewelry ? Princess & Dinner Rings
Uiblc?, Billfold* ( Printed in Gold Free )
Use Our
Lay-Away
Plan \