Newspapers / The Charlotte Observer (Charlotte, … / Dec. 22, 1907, edition 1 / Page 20
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KOJI my earliest infancy np to the present I have always bad th good fortune to believe In Santa Clan. Lots of people, old an yonng par- ' Heularly some very wise young peo- 'pie that I know hare told me that co audi person exists, but I know better. Tie dear old saint i to my knowledge a very beautiful aplrit, and every time that Christmaa cornea along I see him al--..f .wrvwhere I turn, among the rich. the ''powerful, the fashionable equally among the poor and lowly, ,1V aeen him beaming from the comfortable cushiona of a fine electric motor car speeding along tha parkways, and perched happily up alongside the driver of a heavily laden track in the dusk ol a bitterly cold win ter's day prompting bia companion to deal gently with bia weary horses and tinder nn at the hour to forget tha dreadful condition of the highway, the dogging of th armeta and his poor frostbitten nose and cheeks. Bo no one need tell me that Santa Clan does not exist or try to puah tha glorious old gentleman back into the realm of what the wise people call myth. tmt nil nrh e.btnrd state ment as that with a broad grin and a wink that shows thai I know better. , But I have other reasons than these for believing In Santa Clans, for once, some years ago I" shall not specify the exact date I lay fa ambush for him one Christ mas morning and caught him just as he had completed his work upon my stock ing, hanging from the chimney place, and made him talk to me. "Hullo, you!" I cried, as I popped out from behind the bureau, where I had been' hiding. "You're Mr. Santa Claus, aren't yon?' ' "Tea," ha said, with a funny little laugh that made him shake to that it also shook the house. "I may as well admit it. Knfhlnir to be ashamed of. eh?" "No, indeed," said I. "Something to be proud of, rather, I should say." . "Thank you," said the old gentleman. J'lt'a very good of you to say so. What can I do for you?' - "I thought I'd ask you to take me back with" you to Santa Clausville," I an swered. "I'd like to take a peep at those wonderful workshops of yours." "Hm! Well, that isn't a bad idea," said he, stroking his beard thoughtfully. , "But er wnat would your ramiiy thin about It? Wouldn't they worry over your disappearance? Tbey might think I'd S-m mail IrMnarin aw an A that nH I A 9 a taw . da" '1 shouldn't be gone long," I suggested. rVfla V Alitff fnr B Amv T tniiM flrat n L-Awf peep at things in a Jay, couldn't I?" "Jes, I thlnh jou could," said Santa Claus. "But the vray things go in this , world there is no communication between , cnil Jt, except between midu gbt Christ ians Eve and six o'clock Chrislma juorn- iug. So if you west back with me to tWht it would be a whole year before yea wold come , home again. I'm afrnM yon'd be awfully homesick before long, evts with me, and your frienJs would be "Do you only have six hours in which to do all your work ; 1 asked , "That is all 1 have here," said Santa Claus. "Thst is why of late years you and me using the mails and the express companies so much In the delivery of , packages. There are so many more places , i urn Tisiieu now man mere usea 10 oe ii that 1 . ThavA T0A1 fnrttaA frt 1ann ...1.1 nnce." If I didn't I'd he detained here so late that I couldn't get home at all for a . whole year." , . .; ?Whatr I cried. "Can't even you get la after six?" ivy rrpueu canil ViBUS. II ' wert one minute late in driving Bp to th . gates of my awn country I should be Hnahl in arat In ' That's queer! Ever been locked out?" 1 queried. ' Hi.. M ' .i... , ' .... . . 1 vct, mm esnca v.au, "only once, , snre yp u vas a areaaxui x- perien?e. I've beea particularly careful ,ver aince to be home on time, for while I am, very fond ot ydu earth people I prefer my own home to live in, Xou see I'm a great man hereabouU during the holidays, but after Christmas has gone I don't seem to be tjoite o popular, or at any rate people don't think to much about ( 1 (I V ii all snow L i cue E!i t f trirj r.i i -Twa-i, vzt.l 11: 1 toe mosey i r J." . - -a "It was I' iefquo-'r," e.'II. "Yea." s31Jt..GLaC.a!--. "J I I've al ways beea siirry for it. Lat v . u coisld I do? I bad to earn my livic, e-ij really it was just aa hard work as u I tad bin-p'y sbovelle4 the snow into tlie efrett. I've . more than made up for it since hy leaving . extra presents at each of thosa houst-s at Christmaa time, too so in a way I have ; atone4 for my mistake. Anyhow, I earned my fifty dollars and paid my fare to New ; York with it, reaching that- cify about 1 St Valentine's Day. And then J began a very difficult struggle,. for existence. ' I . got : position first on the elevated rail road ti guard, but ! coulda't keep it because I couldn't make people step lively. I guess I waa too polite. Instead of call- . tog out, Step lively therel' ia tones lik ' thunder or a cannon going off suddenly -. and making people so nervous that they couldn't help Jumping fast I'd say, 'Beg . pardon, ladies and gentlemen, but if you-; don't miiMl accelerating r your footsteps just a trifl it would materially aid the engineer of this train In his conscientious efforts to run. through to the. terminal oa ', achedulft time.' You'd think being polite that way would bring about the desired result, but it wasn't so. . Quite tha con trary. Inrstead ef harrying, people would -atop to listen to what I waa saying, and the coBsequencft.waa my train lever did get through on t'me. . It was aJway from" '. one to two hours late."- -f. , 4 . "And they discharged yon for being polite, did they?"' said I. - "That was tha raal reaios," said Banta Claus, "but the on tbey gave was that I was so tat I took up the room of three Huflo, you I cfi&d &o t poppecf out from tktact the 'buvu yrMvrtj , . x hfvd hcAvn hiding, ' , And the dear old Saint began. "It was two yeara ago, said Santa Claus. "There waa an unusually large number of babiea to be cared for that year, and tbey were just the goodeat lot you aver saw, though between you and me I think all babies are good. When they don't seem to be as good as they might be it almost always means there's a pin sticking Into them or their dinner doesn't agree with them or some other 5ood reason which tbey always know, ihey didn't cry much at night and tbey spent most of their days smiling and coo ing and clapping their hands , gleefully. Somehow or other, while 1 am fond of all babiea, I seemed to be particularly fond of them. Your little brother Dick, for Instance, and Sammy Bronsos'a sister Pollle fthe was just the sweetest little Polite that ever was." , t , "Yea," said I. "I know 'em both. Pol lie's pretty fine." , "Well, there were most a million babies like that that year, and I had something for every one of them," Santa Claus con tinued. "It was the busiest night I'd ever had, and in those days I was doing the work all by myself, So, when half-past five Christmas morning came, both my reindeer and I were dreadfully tired and sleepy. The reindeer were so tired they became nervous, and waue i was uxmg up the atockinga in a big orphan aarlum in unicago tney com iqok ins" motive whistle half av'mile away and ran . Tiv flew back to Clausburg and got in all right, but I had to trudge home on tool. I got mere ai oau-piwv -'"" the gates were ciosea. u waa a iriam; ful situation,' I knocaea ano auocsea and knocked, but nobody came, and I realised that the case was hopeless. I couldn't blame anybody either, because i'j m.A tha mi a mvaair. ana id roiuw AU wave w . - , ing to answer my summons the gatekeeper was merely obeying my orders. "I should think you'd be glad to see people tbere-you re always so goou u "That's all very x true." said Santa Clans. "Bat you don't quite understand. We work so hard for six montha of the roar ihitt we have to rest the other six. While we are sleeping we can't se peo ple yon know we'd be awfully dull com pany If we did sea them-and while we are working we are too busy to be inter rupted. By the time I got back to Claus burg every body 'd gone to sleep for the annual rest, and I could have hammered i i months at the gate twrore i coum Ha va wakened anv one of them." "I see," said I. "Somebody might have set up for you, though, ' I added. i "It's Bffalnst the rules to sit up after six," Hiild Santa Claus, and then he weut on. "Well, i oian t anow wnai to uo, said he. "I wandered about outside for three or four hours, and then realised that there was only one thing to be done make the best of it, and go back to earth again and earn my living as best I could until the gates were open again.- So back to Chicago I trudged and then boarded a train for New York, making so close a connection that I hadu t time to huy a ticket. We'd got as far as Kalaroaroo when up comes tna conductor. , - " 'Ticket. Dlease.' he said, store! ne In front of me and getting his puncher ready. ri told turn i naun t out ana astea now much the fare waa to New York, Intend ing to pay in cash. . " 'Thlrtv-ix dollare said the conductor. "I had about ten thousand in my pocket. so tnis did not worry me. . laxing out my wallet I counted out the necessary thirty six one dollar bill and added ten dollars more, which I told the conductor to keep for himself In honor of the season. And then oh dear I It was awful!" said the old gentleman. "Perfectlv awfuL" - "Whyr I asked. ,"Didn't yoa want to ."'I'm Santa Claus,' aaid I, when he banded me back my toy money. "I haven't a doubt of it he replied. 'Yon ought to travel in a sleigh, not in a sleeping car.' v . . "'My reindeer ran away and I've. been locked out,' I explained. " 0h. yes, I know,' said he with a wink at the other passengers. 'But really, you'll have to get off here. I havent any order to carry you through to New York unless you ride in the smokestack. It's iD9 oniy cmmoiey on we tram. "He was horrid!" said I indignantly again, ' "Ob, no, said Santa Clans. "Ha was only doing hia duty. But it was very if V ae after the Christmas season Is over. They pet their minds on Abraham Lin aola end St. Valentine and George Wash infrton and St Patrick kod otiier most ex cellent people, and it ia perfectly: right Ley ehould. Tve bad my day and they i.r esdlUed to tiiclrs." "Ttll, to of that time you were locked fur, won't you?" 1 pleaded. ; . ' "Ortamlr," sa'.d Santa Claua, looking f', 5 1 wtitrh. It only five o'clock now. - t I'm rractic.t'ly tlirotish for this rear, s ; i,u a.piut it with pleaure. Just fa i v-x i'.'- bd o'a yon won't Catch ! ? i I 'A nt iown aiungnlde tf yoa . , .w ' ,,it if " ... .... v I 4 .faqkr..ftw-!...; give the conductor ten dollars?' "Oh, It wssn't that," said Santa Claui. "It wasn't that. It waa the aualltv'of mv money. v. ss toy money, every cent 01 it, and I hadn't anv other." ' The old gentleman shook bia head sol. emniy as tte recalled the ombarra-eing in ddent "mere i was." ne . mumA tnmnt later, "Put off I he train at Kalamasoo with ten thousand dollar In my pocket and not a penny that was worth ft cent" "i'lier didn't nut von nff th irainV 1 cried indignantly. "Didn't rou tell them who you were?" . , . . ."Oh, ywh-I-told them." aaid Senta Clans, abruKKtot hlslionlders. "Hut tlw v only grinned.. Th conductor waa one of those funny men who like to matte jokes to r ..V I Eat , at Bunkerberrv' 1,015 Canal Street, : thbtwjtUfuI Ticrv from written on them" He thought It would oe & good advertisement of his piaci, and ., i guess it was, ror ne sept me nnsy nnui -December. . It wasn't pleasant work, but it was holiest, and I kent at It ateadilv uum A WC5U V BiBfc 41UU,. wiuv aiiu uiQ r food they gave ma and the, exorcise I r. baa to take. My ciotnes hung iKiseiy nnAn MA lilra MrtioMB anil ftnalla ha'nia. . . charged ma said I wasn't what-7 he . wanted any more." - - .' '' " t Kanta Claus paused for a moment, drew ' "Then came the last." he aaid. "To keen ;' my clothes from, falling oft I stuffed ' tnetn run or oia iapera ana utraw . ana looked for another Diace. and week be fore Christmaa had the good luck to find , one in ft toy snop. x he owner of it tnougnt V I - -1 J 111.. t3. 1.... ,k. ha first rat thin to have me In hia ihon for the last week before Chvlstaias.- I never M on Hint i realty was anta . tt.... . V:nV . V ...,.a' ' or an impostor. I simply went to work ' ana Stayea wtm uiuiaur urc un;, tuu I .waa .discharged, jagain. ' ,Yu' ie$,l never could get uted ta dli'J2 Chrltma presents, so when people ram a in to buy , thing I'd just wrap trem np and giveC them away, and one night when the head : 01 van mm raun iv wnui v wo y.vu w had ft terrible time of it. I'd given-' away aooui eigoi uuuunu uuuu wunu a IrtlW and mechanical tovs and Noah'a : arks, ana wnea ne asuea wn naa Dt com of. them .and I told- nun on, dear ; me, h waa terribly put out, ana so was i. I waa nut out ao quick that I scarcely,, knew what had happened until I gathered . myself together and took an Inventory of . my legs, arms, eeth, eyea and other necev , Sines I " lllti f wwue w uivbu,. i anil T via vuisa1mI hv the fact that only two "days remained before the and I could go home. 4v . . V It wa tnis uougnt . mat carrrieu bio f through, and when, shortly after midnight nf f .hriKrmai Hive. .1, neara lhs, jiueuuk maim ul - jiu . g uu w a wv.at-. " cold, frosty air yon can be ur It war. a very happy old Santa Claus that waited f!i efcav wav c ithln hallius distance. ? .a soon aa they heard myvolco they 1 hard for mei t got off th train anil made1 no mv miud to work until 1 had earned; nouKh to pay my way to New Xprk in American money. - ' . . "nat did yon co7 i asKea. , !,ul shovelletl snow," said Panta Clans tft-lth a deen drawn slirh. "It wa tha only diehonest thing I ever did:" "Miuveinne snow is not uisnonexi, Santa," said I. "IOta of good people do II." 1 That is tm," said Sauta Claus, "bat the ir I did it wns not nnite ricbt. There was tint tmirh snow in Knlnmwjioo that year and I bad to make a little to a srrt WflT I liovelled it off one idn- nlk on it another a n then back again for a week until I had tamed fifty dol lars." ' ' - - .v, "I Ann't niiita mflertuil" cald I. "It wa this vu?' Santa Claua replied, mapping out a diagram on the counter pane with his thumb nnil. ''Here wns nnmber 02 Main street with snow on the sidewalk. I shovelled that snow off num ber 02, throwing it upon the walk of number 04. . Then Pwent to th people living in number 04 and was paid for hovelling it off th r;nlk of . I tonxed it back on the walk t,t U2, Then I w ent tn t2 Benin end wn paid for cleaning the, walk another time, throwing ide mow sgnin on the alK of nmntx-r I'l. So i kept it up, seesawing that bcituiful . 'u .a.'-wt ; 1 1 , 1',, i ordinary fassengers, so that 'they lost ten cent at tna very least on eacn trip. ai uie and of six . weeks J was tiiscnargea and compelled to look for a new position." . "Poor old Santa Clans it , was out rageonaf said I. ' "Oh, no," said, the kind ;harted' old saint, "It was just business. I am pretty big around, you . know, . AVeil, the next tuinf i did was to try oemg can driver. I got a position aa tha driver of a hansom cab,, but I soon lost that. ; My great size waa against me there, too. Yon see, every time. I'd get up into that little seat at the rear ot me nansom j, was so.iveavy i lifted the horse clear off his feet. Onlv hi hind legs could reach the ground, and people were afraid to ride with me be cause thy thoncht the horse was too rrisay. Anybody would talntt that to sec a horsa trotting down the avenue on his hind legs and his fore fet waving in the air, wouldn't they?" - - "Xes.-1 think thev would." said I. , "I tried a fan wheeler. neTt. with vor similar remits," continued the old gen tleman. "I weighed dowrt the front of th cab so fsr that the neonle insiile had all they could do to koo fv.,,n tl'dina put the front windows, so my employer called me to hlni one nioniin und paid me my wage and sent me on', - lie gave mo a. tetter or recommendation to a friend of his In th coal business, for which I thanked him, tittle dreaming why he did It and for what reason he thought tha coal deeler ivould like to.niiuiv me. I presented my letter to the coal uan the next roominer. lie was delluhted with me, apparently, and told me to call d round the following 3lnday and U would give roe employment at once. TUU. of tourne, I diil, but alas! only again to be bkterly disappointed, , "1 id he o hm k on his wo ?" I anted No, Indeed; but the work ho had for me to lo dear top, I never could tnhik of iitch a thin?." groanod Snnt:i'Clait. . "What waa it?"' I aUe.l, -yi.ovelling coal?" "Notlilr.a half o bon(H. ' U S.mt Claua.-. , "ila ftantcj . mc to drive, Li wacon and to ait tn the waeon with the ' coal while it was boing weighed." "Yon did have a bard time of It!" I cried, as I thought over, the old gentle man s experience. .- . . ' -"Yes and no Jt went all along, be algbed. , "I tried to write poetry for the magazines, nut the only kind I anew now to writ was the little things they pnt on candies little mottoes like. W Tien this you chance to chew . Remember I love you, . and.. , ' . f " A, E, I and O are vowels good and true, But the one I love the best of nil ia U "I sent a lot of those out to the maga tines that print poetry; and they all en ma back to me by return mail. Mone of the editors seemed to care for them, and when 1 took them to a candy elore and tried to aell them there they told me they only sold candy and didn't publish it 1 waa at my wits' end to Enow wuac to w, nut tortir stopped jstill -and ' then tame ' prancing flown tO my Side, overjoyeu w ura j still alive and pot much the won for my year of exile. "I clambered into th sleigh, and when onoming came and wa reached the gates of Clausburg after ft night of gift bearing t once again entered the street of my beloved city and an hour later was comfortably lying in my own little trundle bed. . ..'. ...Mr,.: ... ,t : J o . . f;. t,a jllBi, eaiu cbiilb V.JOUS, iioius, u story ot tne oniy time i v. as ever tocnea out of Clausburg, and I resolved then and there that it would be the" . , The sentence waa never finished, for even as the old Saint spoke the clock on my mantelpiece bejrftn striking six, and the old gentleman with nn exclamation ot dismay sprang from the bed, flew like lightning up thronsh the1 chimney aud, I presume, lciineJ luto hi siWsh and started lit fcronRnprai Pvcn ior uni. jyr as I nately I met a man one day who own.-d : ;mch" '-" " restaurant. His attention was attracted In n'ck, nervonv. tones. by the fact that I wna so stout, aud he "G'lnng there, Mil Glan?. Bouncer offered me three meals a day and a place i a nd llanwr and fruncer! Ue ve pot nlovn hehlnri eflniirftiit if I'd he ltl,r.e iriii.lt to MlUe tlifl CltPJ iid J.'i n.'" aandwirh man ami walk up and dwa ttsei , I'.nt ho " '"t l-nvo hurried so f.ix!, atreet with two b:? placnrls on it"', oiinnil I ri"MMi,o in mnliej i.n-ue in sat, ty, on ry lurk nml liie oili'-r hat-'i'S ovcrjf t t t-.1 tl" tru:'i try clnk Vva.i Cfty-
The Charlotte Observer (Charlotte, N.C.)
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Dec. 22, 1907, edition 1
20
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