Forest Service Produces
Greener Christmas Trees
Washington ? Many Christ
mas trees were greener, bush
ier and fresher this year, thanks
to scientists of the United States
Forest Service.
Botanists at the Forest Gene
tics Laboratory in Placervllle,
California, have been perfect
ing new hybrid pines with more
branches, thicker needles, and
longer-'.jstlng cones.
Improving Christmas trees
is just one of myriad jobs car
ried out by the Forest Service,
the 60-year-old branch of the
Department of Agriculture.
Tenth of All Land
Federal foresters administer
154 National Forests covering
182 million acres in 39 states
and another four million acres
of National Grasslands. The
area represents a tenth of the
Nation's land, and stretches
from the frigid fiords of Alaska
to the cypress swamps of Loui
siana. Tonto National Forest in
Arizona Is bigger than Connec
ticut.
As more and more Americans
take to the woods, more train
ed foresters are needed. As a
public service, the National
Geographic Society recently
joined with the American For
estry Association in a nation
wide talent hunt for potential
foresters. A Society grant en
abled the booklet, "So You Want
To Be A Forester," to be sent
free to 30,000 secondary
schools across the country.
Dr. Melvln M. Payne, exe
cutive vice president and sec
retary of National Geographic,
said, "Participation In thepro
Ject reflects the Society's long
Interest In conservation."
The green and khaki
clad forest ranger must be a
professional jack-of-all-trades
?woodsman, scientist, engin
eer, economist, accountant,
public relations expert, and
somewhat of a nomad. To take
care of a forest's multiplc
use resources ? recreation,
wildlife, timber, forage, and
water?rangers organize means
of controlling fires, forest pests
and tree diseases; plan refor
estation; administer the ?ale
and harvesting of timber; ant
grazing permits; survey boun
dary lines; track down timber
rustlers; and conduct scienti
fic research in the management
of forest lands. The govern
ment foresters work closely
with state and private foresters.
As one ranger described his
job, "I'm the .nan between?
between the timber cutter who
wants to log the whole forest;
the picnicker who wants elec
tric lights and running water
behind every tree; the wilder
ness lover who wants no roads
and no people; the sportsman
who wants good hunting and
fishing; and the citizen who
wants to know all about how his
taxes are being spent. The pro
blem is how to satisfy every
one."
"Smokejumpers"
To do these varied jobs, some
17,000 rangers operate their
We want to ,~
take this
opportunity to wish you cheer.. .and
to thank you for letting us serve you.
Pridgen's Market
NORLINA, N. C.
own fleet of 60 planes and 10,
OOO trucks. There Is a 300
man force of "smokejumpers."
The Forest Service Is theonly
major government branch that
shows a cash profit and grow
ing Inventory. Last year, tim
ber sales, grazing permits,
and other fees amounted to
more than $149 million. The
profit Is, of course, a pittance
compared with the benefits that
don't show up In bookkeeping
recreation, wildlife, Increas
ing timber, and growing water
resources.
First Of Christmas
Gifts Are Described
In New Testament history,
St. Matthew describes the first
of all Christmas gifts ? gold,
frankincense and myrrh. After
the wise men had knelt at the
manger, he tells us, they open
ed their treasures to select
these special offerings for the
newborn Babe of Bethlehem.
To the modern mind, gold
is instantly recognizable as a
treasure, but thevalueof frank
incense and myrrh is not so
readily apparent. Actually,
frankincense and myrrh were
costly items in the time of
Christ, and they are still cost
ly. Both are resins used in mak
ing incense, surviving today at
many a Christian altar.
As further evidence that fran
kincense and myrrh were pre
cious treasures, worthy gifts
for an Infant King, there is the
old poem which expressed the
ancient belief that "Incense
owns a deity nigh."
Lights Long A Part
Of Yule Celebration
Since the Star shone on
Bethlehem, lights have been
a part of Christmas celebra
tions. Today, candlelight serv
ices are traditionally held by
many churches at Christmas.
Something unique In the way
of Christmas lights are the
"lumlnarlas" used to dec
orate the city of Alburquerque,
N. M., at Christmastime.
Outlining the borders of
streets, sidewalks, yards and
even the roofs of homes, the
lumlnarlas shine everywhere.
Made of paper bags, weighted
down with sand and lighted from
within by a candle, thousands of
lumlnarlas all over the city of
fer a soft light.
Magazines began In the 17th
Century as book catalogs and
today, as then, constitute a ma
jor medium of communication
throughout the world.
ill of us here at the bank
wish you a VERY MERRY CHRISTMAS
and a New Year filled with happiness.
We will be closed Christmas
\ i
day and the following day.
' ;?*??^ ? :-'L ? ?* "v ? ]
*
~ THE PEOPLES BANK
HORLINA. NORTH CAROLINA
MEMBER OF FEDERAL DEPOSIT INSURANCE CONfONHION
SUDAN TEMPLE WINS COVETED TROPHY
lllustrlou* Potentate Harvey \V. Smith uccopiit Shrine I trophy on
behalf of Sudan Temple. Sudan Temple. through Its Sudan Temple llowl Ciauie.
phiyed annually In Itlddlck Stadium. Kaleigh. Its many llsh fries and other
activities throughout eastern North Carolina promote! In behalf of Its Crippled
Childri'ns Hospital contrihuted 9101 .IMMI.IM) to the Shrlners Hospital In (ireenvllle.
South Carolina. The two temples of North Carolina and the two temples of south
Carolina compete annually for this trophy which Is awarded on the basis ot
greatest percentage Increase over the previous years contribution. Nineteen
Crlpptfd Children! Hospitals and three hospitals for the treatment or third
degree burns represent America's greatest philantlirophy supported by Shrlners
and Shrine activities.
Creche Dolls To Be
Displayed In Churches
On Christmas morning, little
girls throughout the land will
lovingly cuddle new dolls and
declare to one and all how
wonderful a gift they have re
ceived. At the same time, beau
tiful creche dolls will be dis
played in churches arid homes
as part of the Christmas set
ting.
This dual role ? as toy and
as religious symbol?is a func
tion that dolls have filled for
centuries, according to Ency
clopedia Americana. And it is
generally believed that the
first use of dolls was religious,
rather than for entertainment.
Historians report the doll
^originally was used as a repre
sentation of human figures in
religious sanctuaries. The word
doll" Itself, in faet, is derived
from the Greek word "eldo
lion," meaning "Idol."
Archaeologists have un
earthed dolls In the ruins of
tombs thousands of years old.
And their presence in the
tombs is assumed by some his
torians to mean the objects
were included af idols.
Among some ancient socie
ties, dolls were thought to pos
sess mystical powers. Many
primitive tribes included such
figures in burials as a spirit
to keep the deceased company
In another world. Today, in ad
dition to the creche dolls of
Christendom, dolls hold a re
ligious importance in the Or
ient, where annual doll festi
vals are held to celebrate the
birthday of Buddha.
As toys, dolls have existed
for centuries. Thp earliest toy
dolls known were discovered
in the Near East and Greece.
These primitive dolls were
made of clay, stone or bone.
Typical was the legless pad
dle doll of ancient Egypt which
was made from a single, flat
piece of pottery or wood.
Although dolls today may be
extremely complex.~and filled
with electrical gadgets, dolls
of the 17th and 18th centuries
frequently were even more ela
borate.
They became so elaborate,
In fact, that they were sent to
court, and in times of war
special dispensations were
made to assure their safe trans
port to a peaceful refuge, like
works of art.
U. S. Giant Redwood Is
Official Christmas Tree
The U. S. National Christmas
Tree, officially designated in
1926, is not an evergreen but
giant redwood, located in
Kings Canyon National Park,
Calif.
This unusual Christmas tree,
called the "General Grant," is
3,500 years old.
Many families prefer the
'permanent" Christmas tree,
often made of aluminum.
Despite all this, the time
tested favorite tree is still the
evergreen. Most people, if
asked, would probably vote for
the "fir tree."
Actually, there are nearly 40
special of the popular "fir
tree," found in the mountain
ous regions of Central and
Southern Europe, Asia north
of the Himalayas and North
America.
A frequently-seen Christmas
tree variety Is the "balsam
fir," also called "Candad bal
sam " or "Balm of Gllead,"
according to the Encyclopedia
Americana. Thts is one of the
most common trees of eastern
North America, extending from
Virginia and West Virginia In
the United States to Labrador
and Newfoundland.
The balsam fir may grow to
40 to 50 feet tall. The south
ern fir is of about the same
height and is found in the moun
tains of Virginia, North Caro
lina and Tennessee.
Other American firs are es
sentially Western. They in
clude the Pacific silver fir, the
white fir, the grand fir, the
Alpine fir, the red fir, the
Shasta red fir and the noble
fir. These firs may attain 250
feet in height.
In Canada, the exporting of
Christmas trees, includingfirs,
pine and spruce, is important
business. Seven provinces ex
port trees, to countries as far
away as Venezuela.
The Grand Canal of China is
the longest In the world.
CHRISTMAS
Greetings
TO ALL
May this Christmas be a happy
one in each and every way;
may your heart be filled with
gladness upon the joyful day.
BEAUTY BOX
AMI MTTSONALK, Owmt WAMUNTON, N. 0.
Complaint
Quite Far
From New
'Christmas is getting too
commercial!"
This modern complaint, while
it may have force, is some
what lacking in originality.
"I hate the crafty arts of
giving presents," said thewitty
Roman poet Martial, who lived
and wrote from about 40 to
104 A. D. "Gifts are like
hooks."
His complaint was express
ed in a series of poems writ
ten for a wealthy patron, at the
time of theSaturnalia, the pagan
festival from which came many
Christmas customs.
Martial, however, was not al
ways adverse to presents. After
listing a large number of small
gifts, such as toothpicks, figs,
napkins, which had been deli
vered to him, he pointed out
that it would have been much
easier for the messenger to
bring him "five pounds of sil
ver plate."
Angora cats, dogs, rabbits,
goats and other animals In the
Angora district of Turkey grow
long, silky hair, but when taken
elsewhere they gradually lose
this characteristic.
Evergreen Favorite For Christmas Tree
In Christmas trees, tt's the
spirit that counts.
Almost anything can be?and
Is ?a Christmas tree. In
Minneapolis, Minn., they even
made a tree out of water pipes,
fastened like spokes to a tele
phone pole, and appropriately
decorated.
In Wilmington, N. C., a live
oak more than 300 years old
Is adorned at the Yuletlde with
colorful ornaments and elec
tric lights. In Indianapolis,
Ind., they decorate the 246
foot Soldiers and Sailors Mon
ument with electric candles
and stars.
Thawing and refreaclng of
frozen foods should b? avoided
because of the adverse effect
on nutrient content and flavor
and the possibility at spoilage.
and its
miract* live
in yov( h?urt.
And to you,
Jc>.
Warrenton Beauty Shop
WARRERTON. K C.
ervy vj?h ristmaa
Jhe star shone and the angels
sang to tell ot the great joy oi the first
Christmas. We wish that joy
and a Merry Christmas to all ot you.
MUNN'S ESSO
WARRENTON, N. C.
MM'
r*"*" ^ -
Best
HBr
for Urtstmfls
t\.s we celebrate this joyous occasion of the birth
of the Christ Child, let us remember especially the
hope that was born anew and the love that filled the world
on thai first Christmas. May their light shlae-today,
so that peace and understanding will prevail amc
Warrenton Furniture Exchi
;
WARXKNTON,N.0.
i . '