Archive for December, 2011

23
Dec

Suggestions For The Christmas Tree

   Posted by: admin    in Decor, Holidays

The Fort Dodge Messenger: Dec. 23, 1905

Suggestions For The Christmas Tree

A Few Aids on How to Make and Decorate The Children’s Joy.

Woodsmen in the north woods who gather the harvest of Christmas trees mae (sic) a point of choosing young spruces and evergreens that have circles of branches able to support the toys and decorations that the Christmas spirits make grow on the limbs. The more symmetrical a tree is, the better its price, and if it has a terminal twig standing straight and sturdy on the very top, with fragrant boughs in ever-widening circles to the floor, it is sure to be carried off by the first Santa Claus messenger that appears on the scene.

Cones on the branches are a decoration of themselves, and if there is a chance to make a good selection, choose a tree that is fragrant; the balsam is a joy in its healthful perfume.

Ready-made stands may be purchased from a quarter up. That significant “up” goes a long way aloft, but the 25-cent of even the 15-cent stands do just as well.  The trunk of the tree should be shaved down to fit the hole, or the hole made larger if you will, or the stand fastened to the floor with wires or hooks and the tree guyed to the ceiling or the woodwork of the room. These first careful steps prevent the Christmas tree in all its finery from meeting disaster, and it is a sorrowful matter for a Christmas tree to tumble when laden with gifts.

A soap box makes a substantial stand and is far safer than many little wooden frames. There are iron stands that may be screwed to the floor and which are perfectly safe. The box stand permits the trunk of the evergreen to go clear through the box and stand on the floor. It is well balanced in this way and when the box is covered with evergreen wreaths or green crepe paper and a little snow scene, with halls (sic) and valleys and a top house and animals made on the box surface the effect is very pretty indeed.

The question of lights is solving itself. Few persons use candles on trees since electric lights are in. The candle is a dangerous top – too dangerous where there are children, when a tipped candle may mean a blazing tree and a death or a suffering mortal for the rest of his life. Pine is very inflammable, and the beard and trimmings of Santa Claus, many celluloid ornaments, gilt streamers and dry wreaths invite a match to make a glorious blaze. Do without candles for the sake of safety. Little electric lights and a small battery cost very little more than a supply of candles and are perfectly safe.

In trimming the tree invention and ingenuity tell. Of course strung popcorn and cranberries are always pretty, and then there are those long wreaths of tinsel with stars with streamers, the Christmas angel in gold for the top of the tree and a lot of colored balls and transparent ornaments which may be bought by the dozen.

Children enjoy seeing little dolls perched about in the greenery and the little stockings filled with candy for every visiting guest, and the pink and white peppermint candies. Expenses may run high if you wish but a tree can be trimmed for almost nothing. The popcorn and cranberries may be strung by the children themselves, and the kindergarten wreathes of rings come in nicely to give color to the trimming.

A few cents invested in pay tissue and crepe paper with a pot of mucilage and some old-fashioned books to be cut up, and the children will make a lot of funny t hings for their tree. They can gild nuts and tie red apples to the limbs and make tiny bags of colored net. they just love to do these thins for themselves.

Many families who have kept up the custom for a long time trim their tree secretly on the afternoon of Christmas eve and then distribute gifts from the branches with great ceremony on Christmas eve or on Christmas morning. Even if children know the fiction, they delight in keeping alive the Christmas Santa Claus myth, and a member of the family dressed to personate the jolly elf is welcome.

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22
Dec

Christmas Trees are in the Stores

   Posted by: admin    in Decor, Holidays

The Fort Dodge Messenger: Dec. 22, 1904

Christmas Trees are in the Stores

Custom Grows of Decorating

The Trees Come From The Pine Forests of Michigan and Wisconsin – Southern States Furnish The Other Decorations

Holly and misletoe (sic) everywhere. There is no end to the Christmas green. The windows of all the stores are filled with it; and garlands of it festoon the interiors. There has never been a time in Fort Dodge, when there has been as great a showing of the Christmas foliages as there is this year.

Great heaps and stacks of Christmas trees block the side walks in front of the stores, and the whole atmosphere of Central Avenue is pregnant with the fragrance of the pine forest. The trees are of all sizes, and in price ranges from 25 cents ($6 today) up to as high as $5 ($120). Already the sale on them has commenced strongly. There will be hundreds of small trees sold to private families in and about the city. The Christmas tree is gaining in popularity  every year as a means of pleasing the children at home.

It is only within the past few years that this has become a yearly habit with Fort Dodge people. Eight or ten years ago, with the exception of the large trees used by the churches in their public Christmas festivities on Christmas eve, the practice of using trees in this city was rare. About eight years ago the citizens began calling for them and the merchants commenced ordering them along with a little holly and mistletoe. Both the trees and the other greens met with a ready sale, and each year since that time, the amount of such stuff ordered for the holiday season has been increased up to the present time, wehn the trade on this class of goods has become enormous.

Holly is always the more popular of all the Christmas greens. It holds its beautiful color for weeks, and the bright scarlet of the berries set off and intensified by the dark foilage (sic), makes a most pleasing bit for decorative purposes. The greater part of the holly and mistletoe received here from the southern states. The trees are fresh from the spruce forest of Michigan and Wisconsin. The evergreens, of which the beautiful garlands are made, come also from the northern part of Wisconsin, where they grow up about the bases of the big trees.

These garlands are becoming ever more popular. Up to a very few years ago they were unknown in this city. Shortly after the first of the Christmas trees arrived on the market however, they made their appearance along with the sprigs of holly and mistletoe, and at once became very popular for Christmas decorations. At the present time the making of these garlands has become a great industry. For weeks in advance of the holiday season, great forces of women and children, interspersed with a few men, are at work weaving the evergreen on the wire frames. The garlands, when completed are stored away in a damp place,  until they are shipped out to fill the orders that are flooded in upon them from every town in the country.

Foreigners Get Big Trees.

“The Danes, Swedes and Norwegians buy the finest trees they can secure for their churches and Sunday schools,” said a big dealer yesterday. “The Americans and Germans usually buy the smaller trees for home use. It shows the customs of the countries. You know in Sweden and Germany they make a great deal over Christmas and usually great companies congregate to celebrate. Thus it is the Swedish and Norwegians people here like to have their Christmas observances in the churches, and no trees are too large or too good for them. But the Americans and the Germans more especially seem to prefer to have Christmas at home, to have trees in the parlor for the children to exclaim over when they come down early Christmas morning. Hence we sell the smallest parlor trees to them.”

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21
Dec

Sole Dray Line in the City

   Posted by: admin    in Business

The Fort Dodge Messenger: Dec. 21, 1904

Sole Dray Line in the City

A.M. White Merges All Such Business of the City Into One Large Concern.

Many Horses and Men Employed

Has Just Bought Leamon Transfer Line and Possesses Forty Teams, and Wagons, and Has Large Corps of Assistants.

A.M. White, who recently purchased the entire business of the Baker Transfer Company, has just completed a transaction by which he also becomes owner of the Leamon Transfer line.

Mr. White, who has always been the leading transfer line owner in the city, now has every business of the kind in the city, in his possession and will conduct all of the dray business which the city has. This combined with the entire freight service of the town will give him an unusually heavy business.

With about forty teams and wagons it is not probable that Mr. White will be unable to handle his large business with the aid of a large corps of under workmen.

Mr. White has fine office quarters, and Miss Spayde, who has been doing the entire office work and collecting, will remain in the office and Miss E (there is a letter missing between these two: E a) Colwell will be employed as collector.

Mr. White’s many friends will wish him all success in his new undertaking.

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21
Dec

Misfortune Follows “Nutty Willey”

   Posted by: admin    in Crime

The Fort Dodge Messenger: Dec. 21, 1905

Misfortune Follows “Nutty Willey”

Has Finger Cut Off by Being Caught in Jail Door This Morning

“Nutty Willie” who gained increased fame in police circles yesterday by being arrested for stealing a Christmas tree, and getting a sentence of thirty days ont he charge of vagrancy, seems to be a child of misfortune.

His latest trouble has been to get the forefinger of his right hand cut off by being caught in the jail door. When Officer Dittmer entered the jail this morning to bring the prisoners their breakfast, he found Willey executing a double shuffle with variations for the remainder of the bunch. Willey took a sudden fascination for the policeman, and when he went to leave, tried to follow him. He caught hold of the door, and the officer not noticing what had happened slammed it shut, only to open it again, when a howl of pain came form the inside.

It was found that Willey had stuck his fingers in the crevice of the doorway and that one of them had been cut nearly off, when the heavy door swung shut. The injured member will have to be amputated.

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20
Dec

Stop It!

   Posted by: admin    in Business

The Fort Dodge Messenger: Dec. 20, 1906

Stop It!

What?

Mail order buying.

On December 24th The Messenger will begin the publication of a series of articles by Fort Dodge business men and all others indiscriminate of class setting forth facts and opinions on mail order buying that will interest every person who buys or sells. As told on the front page of The Messenger tonight, mial order houses are increasing their business in this locality by strides. If the pace keeps up it can mean nothing but the utter demoralization of trade. Every dollar that is sent to a catalogue house is a dollar lost in building up the community form which it is sent. Read what The Messenger will publish next week, ponder, reflect and when you have finished brood, ruminate and reflect again. By that time you will have arrived at a conclusion the essence of which is having learned “which side your bread is buttered on.”

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20
Dec

Fort Dodge’s Live Ones: Welch Brothers

   Posted by: admin    in People, Society news

The Fort Dodge Messenger: Dec. 20, 1906

Fort Dodge’s Live Ones: Welch Brothers

Welch Brothers, “Sam and Ed,” are not very old yet, but in proportion to their years they have been the shoe business a long time and have learned about all the points there are to be discovered about the trade.

Sam Welch went to work for C.M. Rudesill as a boy twenty years ago, spending his time out of school hours at the shoe store. He was with Mr. Rudesill about twelve years; then went to Minneapolis, and was with A. Knoblauch for six years. Returning to Fort Dodge he had charge of the shoe departmetn of the Boston store for a short time and then was with the Richardson shoe company of Menominee, Michigan, for one and one-half years as traveling salesman.

Ed Welch has been in the shoe business twelve years – four years with C.F. Wennerstrom, four years with the Larson Dry Goods company and four years with the Green Wheeler shoe company on the road.

The Welch Brothers bought the shoe stock of Edward Rank last September and formed the partnership which promises to be a marked success. the extensive experience of the owners of this establishment gives them every advantage in buying goods and their wide acquaintance in Fort Dodge, this having always been their home, gives them the advantage in selling in large quantities.

They are pushing the “Welch Brothers Brand” of shoes, rather than the make of any particular factory, having faith in their ability to select the best quality of goods in their line – a product they are willing to vouch for with their name.

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19
Dec

Letters to Santa

   Posted by: admin    in Holidays, People

The Fort Dodge Messenger: Dec. 19, 1906

Letters to Santa

Dear Santa Claus,

I want a sled and a box of candy and some nuts, and a horn, and a drum, and a suit of clothes, a ball,a nd a bat, and a box of cndles (sic), and a Christmas tree, and a pair of leggings, and some storybooks, and a engine and a track, and some oranges and a sword and bring papa and mama something nice Good-bye Santa Claus,

Your friend,

Henry Coughlin

■ ■ ■

Kalo, Ia.
Dec 13th

Dear Old aSnta (sic) Claus,

I take pleasure in writing you a few lines to let you know what I want for Xmas. Please send me a ring and skates and piano and doll cab. bye bye your Truly from Maggie miller,

Kalo, Ia.

■ ■ ■

Dear Santa Claus,

Will you bring me a pair of skates a doll a horn and some candy and nuts washing machine and a wash board and a rocing horse and that is all

Winnie Greenside.

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Dear Santa Claus,

I want a doll cab and a doll a set of dishes and set of tables and chairs and a bag of candy and nuts

good by Santa Clause

Ruth Samuelson,
151 North 5 street

■ ■ ■

Fort Dodge, Ia.
Dec. 14, 1906

Dear Santa Claus,

Pleas bring me a doll a chair a story book a table a coal pail a box of writing paper and hanchief a bottle of ink. Yes and I want a set of gray furs and a sled and my brother glenn wants a horn a gun a drum. Well good by for this time, Dear Old Santa Claus from

Mabel Woodbury

(Editor’s note: There are more letters to be added later.)

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19
Dec

Christmas Trimmings

   Posted by: admin    in Market Gossip

The Fort Dodge Messenger: Dec. 19, 1906

Christmas Trimmings

One of the windows on Central avenue which is attracting attention is the Downing Electrical company. It is attractively lighted with small red and green electric lights around the edges. In the west window is a display of oil paintings which is the work of Mrs. Sam McClure of this city.

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Evergreen, evergreens, everywhere form the basis of display in the windows and elsewhere at the Taft grocery store.

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A pretty color effect with ribbons of different shades arranged to work back and forth by an mechanical contrivance attracts attention at Billie Boggs’ jewelry store.

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“Mery (sic) Christmas” in the west window and “Happy New Year” in the east one, both worked out in letters of evergreen enhance the attractiveness of the Thompson and Kehm displays.

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Every moving toy balloons attract attention at the Hurlbut jewelry store.

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18
Dec

Give Six Hundred Dollars to Charity

   Posted by: admin    in Church news

The Fort Dodge Messenger: Dec. 18, 1905

Give Six Hundred Dollars to Charity

Unknown Corpus Christi Parishioner Will Give That Amount to  the Poor.

An announcement was made by Monsignor Lennihan (sic) at mass at Corpus Christi church Sunday morning which has created no little excitement among the members of the parish. It was to the effect that a lady member of the congregation had made known her intention of giving the sum of six hundred dollars (about $14,370 today) for charitable purposes at once.

The name of the coming donor was witheld (sic), but it was announced that some time ago she had made a mental resolve that if a certain desired wish was obtained she would advance the above sum for charitable purposes. That wish, stated Monsignor Lenihan has been realized, and the amount is to be given, as stated.

Much speculation is going on in the minds of the people of Corpus Christi as to the identify of the generous giver, whose name is kept concealed. The manner in which the money will be disposed of has not yet been announced.

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17
Dec

What They Say

   Posted by: admin    in Town Topics, weather

The Fort Dodge Messenger: Dec. 17, 1906

What They Say

“One would think that the hotel man always sees new faces and deals with an every changing crowd. As a matter of fact it is practically the same old crowd all the time. The same persons, especially among those that are on the road are to be seen every few weeks. One soon gets to know everybody that travels much and it soon gets so the faces are all familiar.”

-J.L. Johnson

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“I believe Fort Dodge will do its record on holiday business up this year. I never saw such a crowd here before as there was last Saturday. Next Saturday, of course will be the big day of all.”

-N.E. Hanson

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“I well remember one Christmas many years ago when I was a small boy and just like this year there had been no snow. I kept wanting a sled but was afraid it wouldn’t snow so I could use it. Christmas eve it snowed and Christmas morning I got my sled. My small boy happiness was just about complete.”

-Wm. Mulroney

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