Omaha Daily Bee Newspaper, December 22, 1889, Page 12

Great Reduction on Pianos and Organs. THREE SALES DAILY. 10304 M, %30 P. ML Dramonds, Gold and Niver 1 We are agents for éteihway, C Knabe and Vose Pianos, Story and Clark Organs. Auction Sale Sale Closes Positively, Saturday, 28th Inst. Last week, and your only chance to BUY HOLIDAY PRESENTS At Your Own Price. We still have a fine line of choice goods on hand. I kil atehes, Serlne and Nlver Plated Ware, French, Marble and Onyx Clocks, Fine Art Goods, Bronzes, Silk Um- brellas, Etc., Etc. Our Entire Stock must be sold by Saturday Evening,28th inst, without limit or reserve. Now is your N. B. You will save monéy by J. H. FRENCH, Auctioneer. only chance. The goods must go: attending oursale. The quality of every article is guaranteed. MAX MEYER & BRO., Omaha. CHRISTMAS WITH THE WIRES. ‘The Holiday “Trick’ of Omaha Ma- nipulators of Lightning. OLD TIMERS ON THE LINE. Pleasures of Former Days Reoalled, When Business Was Light and There Was Time for a Spree Between Messages. In the Operating Room. By an Omaha Operator. HEW! this isacork- er!” and Jim Jones pulled his coat col- lar closer,and picked his way carefully along the slippery streets. There had been a heayy storm of rain A and sleet during the /) duy, and a thick A4 conting of ico was over evervthing. The bare branches of trces were heavily laden with it, and the telegraph and telephone wires were weighed down until they crossed each other, and, in many places, they were broken and hanging in helpless con- fusion, *“We'll have a ‘tough’ time of itat the office tonight,” muttered Jim. *‘I’llbet Chicago is three or four hours behind alrendy, Nice prospect this for Christ- mas Eve, I must say, I promised Fan I would take her to the theater if I could get off two or three hours, but it’s outof « the question now, Well, I must ‘rustle’ or the ‘old man’ will put me on ‘No. 1’ tonight to get even with me for being late.” Thus cutting short his soliloguy, Jim, quickening his pace, soon arrived at the Omaha Nutional bank buildiug, on the top floor of which is located the new operating room of the Western Union ‘elegrap compan{. With more than his usual alacrity he ascended the five long flights of stairs that brought him to the operating room under the roof, Dofting his to) coat and hat in the coat room, K, reported to the chief operator for duty, 'The aforesaid “‘old mun™ did get in his revenge, as ,‘lg.lclfu’l’wd by Jim, by putting him on 0. 1. Soon telegrams of all descriptions were flying from Jim’s nimble fingers with a rapidity that wassimply marvel- ouvs. ‘“Send my trunk by express;” “Meet mwe at the 10 o'clock train:” *Come immediately, fathen is dying;” “Merry Christmas, box by express;”’ **Arrived safe, having big time, home after New Years,” all came out in a neat round hand that defied criticism, and wore hung in & convenient place for.the check boys to distribute to other « tables throughout the room where oper- ators were stationed to send them to their destination. ‘While Jim 'uolurlnf up the de- layed business on **No. 1¥ several of the 4iold timers” who were tlearing the local wires somehow ut every “let up” of business would drift together, as if, it being Christmas eve, there was some- thing of more than usual interest to be said. Once in a while a smile would flash over the face of an opérator seemingly intent only upon copying messages, and, if you looked closely, you might see the smile replaced by a far away look that proved that tho worker's busy brain was not wholly occu- pied by these telegrams of joy, con- gratulations and woe that grew so deftly beneath his vapidly moving fin- ger tips. The elves of Christmas Eve were hovering over this busy, bustling office. Even the bright lights and noisy click- ing of the instruments seemed power- less to drive them away; foi, was it not Christmas Eve? And even an operator might give some thought to this hap- piest and best time of all the year. Jim was rapidly nearing his one hun- dredth message, when, slap right against the back of his neck, flew a big, soft_paper wad. Jim looked around suddenly, and his ‘‘pardner” on the other side of the quad looked over his glusses in mild surprise. They saw in one corner of the room several -of the boys with their heads suspiciously close. Then they knew that there was fun brewing, and when a few moments later, as Jim was working at his best speed, the check boy brought hima note which read, “'Have you got time tocarry a trunk?” he wished as ar- dently as any school boy that he wus in the corner with the rest of the boys instead of clearing up this ‘“laid out” busin ess. **I say, Jack,’ said one of the oldest of the group in the corner, *‘do you re- member where you were seven yoars ago tonjght? You don’t eh? ell T do, and will refresh your memory. Can’t you call to mind a merry sleig! ing party that went over to the Bluffs to have an oyster supper at Manager Brown’s? That was in Tom Curry’s time, We were a jolly crowd and were going to have a good time, ‘We joked, laughed and sangall the way over. The women squealed at imagi- nary thin places in the ico, and, to cap the climux, Stone, the fat man of our crowd, rolled off the endof the long seat with the jug (of milk) which we taok along te cook with the oysters. Maybe we didn’t have a jolly time. Even dignified Tom Curry danced and laughed as though his life depended on it; and what a delicious oyster supper! cooked and served by a charming little widow assisted by one of our ‘quad’ men, who bas since left ihe sounder and key tor the mysteries of the law, and is now a member of the state legislature. You remember the little widow? She’s mar- ried now to a newspaper man. Time changes things wonderfully, There are not many of the familiar faces of 1882 here now,” Just at this point the speaker’s atten- tion was arrested by the opening of the office door, and a rather thin, stoop- shouldered man whose hair and small mustache was slightly tinged with gray, entered carrying a jmog ized square box. This he deposited on a desk and began to unwrap it; in which proceed- ing the operators seemed to take quite an interest, and when he had taken out numbers of tiny boxes from the large oue the bo{n crowded around to get a look at their contents. The boxes were all marked *“I'itus & Co., fine ie'elry." and their contents were as varied asthe tastes of their purchasers, “I'm sorry they did not get here sooner, boys,” the little man said, as he guve the several boxes into the hands of their respective purchasers, and re- ceived value for the same. *“But per- haps they are not too late yet for Christ- mus 1“(-." A 5 “Did you ever hear about the joke that was played on *Dad’ Armstrong?’’ suid one of the boys, as they iiled back to their places. ‘*Seeing all that jew- eiry makes me think of it. I'll tell you how it was: The boys in the office thought they would have some fun at Dad’s expense. He was a jolly fellow and enjoyed a joke as well as any one. So ono day when business was light wo brought out a small plush case which we had previously fixed up for the oc- casion, and, getting around ‘Dad,’ one of our party made him a neat speech telling him of our appreciation of his good qualities, of how we had enjoyed his good fellowship, honing his shadow might never grow less, and trusting that there would be no need of watch- ing him except on tick, presented him with the plush case. You never saw a fellow so dumbfounded as ‘Dad’ was. There was a suspicious moisture in his eycs, as he cleared his throat and started to thank vus, saying he ap- reciated - the kindly spirit that ad prompted us more than he could find words to express. Then he came to a standstill, his feelings were getting the better of him, when one of the boys snickered and ‘Dad’ opened the box and took outa tin watch with a chain_of linked telegraph wire at- tached. I never saw ‘Dad’ soangry. He did not lack words then to tell us what he thought of us. It surprised us all, as we thought him equal to taking any kind of a joke, but he never for- gave us for carrying the joke so far.” “What are you old codgers doing over herve in the corner? Don’t you know it’s lunch time?” said Jim Jones. “‘Joe McGath is a fixture on No. 1 until after I get my luncheon, so my share of pie 18 safe.” Having lunched and given Jack, the office dog, the remnants of the feast, Jim took his cigar case from his pocket and after inviting each of the boys standing near to have a cigar he lighted one himself, saying: **Well, boys, I'm oft now, I wish you a happy Christmas with plenty of turkey.” A Sunday air prevaded the office Christmas morning. Only half the force were on duty, The ‘time being equally divided, each operator was ex- pected to work either the fivst urlatter half of the day, or provide a substitute. The check girls arrayed in their best gowns were combining business with pleasure, distributing messages and talking all the while of their plans for the day, the presents they had received aud given, exhibiting some they had brought with them, and eating bonbons with the keenest relish. Christmas greetings were exchanged tetween employer and employe, and the general look of expectancy proved beyond a doubt that there was much piéasure in anticipation py the manipu- ators of the key when it came their tirae to go off duty, Some of the young women had re- ceived boquets of flowers as Christmas greetings, and one of them had ms- chievously pinned a red rosetothe coav lapol of a serious-faced young man, who was doubtless thinking of _another “*Rose” blooming under the clear skies of Colorado. Oue o’clock brought the usual Christ- mas greetings between the force coming on and those going off duty. Christmas day is, to the average tele- graph operator, one of the ‘‘resting places in life,” ana the enjoyment crowded intoa few hours often gives him something J)leananv. to remember months afterward, Telegraph operators are a hard- working lot, in spite of the popular fallacy that their life 18 an_ easy one, and earn all the pleasure they get on Chrisumas day, In the vmrcfl of the immortal Dick- ens, “Lord keep their memory green.” KNEGHT RUPERT'S KINGDOM. His Visit to the Good Little Folk of Other Climes. HIS ADVENT TO AMERICA, Christmas Among the Poor and Lowly in ths Baronial Hall and With American Pe- culiarities, Etc, Other Days and Now. MONG some of the people of Germany and through the north of Hurope, Christmas is called the ““Children’s festi- val,” and from theso people have come some of the prettiest of our Christmas cus- toms, among them the iaterchange of gifts, Santa Claus, his mysterious visits and the Christmas tree. On the night before Xmas, in each house a yew bough is erected in the living room and covered by the loving parents with nuts, candies, bon bons, toys and all the multitude of little love tokens which appear on ourown Christ- mas trees, each offering bearing the name of the one for whom intended but not of the donor. After the distribu- tion of the gifts the father takes his sons and the mother her daughters and gmvuly tell them the story of the Child orn in the manger. In some vlaces the gifts are sent to some one person in the village by the parents after ‘the children have gone to bed. Next morning thepe comes plowing through the snow and knock- {n at each dgor a queer looking old fellow known to the children as **Knecht I!u]%rt." Hg wears a “high buskin, a white robe, a'mask and an encrmous flaxen wlg." and carries an inexhausti- ble supply of gifts which he distributes to the little gnes after a strict catechism as to what they had done to deserve hi favor, . 1t is not difficult to recognize the old fellow. He usdoubtedly came over with the Dutgh to New York, changing his name on the papsage to St. Nicholas, possibly with reference to the pope 01 the name of whom it is related that he urged his gifts;mpon reluctant recipi+ eats with the wemark: ‘‘Take n5 you may never find another Nicholas,” In England the making of presents was never carrled to such an extent as in America, though for a few years back it has begun to take the place of the elaborate observance of the Christmas of the old days. with its mixture of Druidic feast and Christian anniver- sary. &hnt a Xmas they had in those days, with their chimes and waits and lords of mifulal “On Christmas eve, the balls were ruag, On Christmas eve, the mass was sung; ‘That only mrm in all the year Saw the stolea priest the chalice rear. ‘Then opened wide the barou’s hall To vassal, tenant, serf a; 1l ‘The heir with roses in hi oes That night, might village partner choose. All nailed with uncontrolled delight Aud general noise, the happy night That to the coutage as the crowa Brought tidings of salvation down. England was merry England when Old Christmas brought his sports agamn, "T'was Christmas broached tho mightiest ale, "Twas Christmas told the merriest tle; A Christmas gambol oft would cheer A poor mun's heart through half the year.” Some of the most glowing pictures painted by old English novelists and poets are of this great festival which began on Xmas eve and ended on Can- dlemass. FHow they revelin their de- scription of the larders of the great houses and their huge stores of capons, hens, turkeys, geese, ducks, beef, mut- ton, pork, puddings, nuts, plums, sugar and honey in contemplation of the day. The great fire of yule logs blazed in‘the fire place and the mistle~ toe hung high in the great hall most convenient for designing swains and unsuspecting maids. The Christmas “'waits” ushered in the day with their gleesand rondos and then all gathered in the hail and the day passed merrily with music, conjuring, riddles, hot cakes, fool plough, snap dragon, jokes, laughter, repartees, forfeits and dances, while frequent journeys of the wassail bowl and bumpers of punch made the merriment madder. Great dishes were the soused boars beads and plum-pud- ding, with the sauces of flaming brandy, borne to the board by two sturdy re- tainers amia great pomp and circum- stance. All this is of the old-time. and about all that is left now are the family ro- unions and the decorations of holly, ivy, rosemary, bay, laurel and mistlo- toe. These evergreens were derived from a Druidic custom and the tradition was that in them the sylvan spirits might take. refuge from the ninping of the frosts. Rt T “Whatever the origin, the distinguish~ ing characteristic of the American Christmas is the making of presents, and the mortal 18 lonely indeed who does not, on this one morning of the year, find in his stocking some little re- winder of the day which brought to nmnl’cind the “Glad tidings of great joy.' Old and young, rich and poor, vie with each other in preparing surprises for their friends, and verhaps the principle delight of the day for. more than the children is the pleasurable anticipation of a token of love when the ‘*herald angels sing.” Where Christmas is the ‘‘children’s festival” 1t is a pretty custom, though it is to be feured that of late years, when the average young man’ must sacrifice a good share of his week’s salary, that his faiv lady may have a Christmas card, it is being carried to a ridiculous extreme. The custom of sending Christmas cards is of comparatively recent origin, and nearly every one can remember when the simplest design, so that it conveyed the greetings of the season, answered every requirement, Year after year they have grown in elabor- ateness, in beauty and, in some cases, in lndeousness, till now any sum almost may be paid for what by courtesy is still called a Christmas card. Nevertheless, som3 of these wonder- ful productions. which ornament the shop windows today are very far re- moved from cards. The lezdinf urt, publishers have drawn into their ser- vice the highest artistic talent and all the growiug resources of the printers’ und engravers’ arts, and have placed upon the market, year alter year, in in some cases masterpieces of beauty and delicacy and in some cases, also, wasterpieces of ugliness. This very growth to a great extent has killed the custom and the many suffer at the ex- ense of the few. Not long ago & young ady could count her friends by her cards for these little messengers brought the Christmas greetings of all, Now-a- hickering @ This Year on the ~ CHRISTMAS CONLIES 25th of December, s pyn == i AMERICAN TAILORS Offer as a Christmas Pr: sert to all their gentlemen friends the most astounding reduction in the price of clegantly made Suits, Overcoats, Trousers and Fancy Vests ever heard of in Omaha, They have the finest stock to select from in the west, and in cut, style and finish they Suts | Pans Cligviots, Worsieds, Strip’s.. g laids Diagonals 203, Wixtures, acknowledge no superior. Overcoals Chinchill as. Mont enacks. Beavers. AND THOUSANDS OF OTHERS. GIVE THEM A CALL SOON. Do not wait for the rush and be to late. The American Tailors, PAXTON HOTEL BUILDING. days, were the customn adhered to, on friends must need be few or his pocket- book very, very deep. - ——— 0ld English Christmas Saws. Lucullus in Table Talk: After Christ- mas comes Lent. A light Christmas, a heavy sheaf, Now’s now, but Yule's in winter. A white Haster bringeth a green Christmas. A Yule feast may be quit at Pasch, A black Chrisimas meketh a fat churchyard. He hath eaten many a Christmas pie. They keep Christmas all the year. It smells of Muscadel like an Eoglish Christmas. Christmas, long looked for, comes at last. St. Andrew the king, three weeks and three days before Christmas comes in, The devil makes his Christmas pie of lawyers’ tongues and clerks’ fingers. He that maketh at Christas a dog his larder, and in March a pig his gardner, and in May a fool a keeper of wise counsel, he shall never have a good larder, fair garden, nor well-kept counsel, Christmas comes but once a year, And when it comes it brings good cheer. At Christmas time or a little after, Acrab in the hedge, and thanks to the grafter, Bounce, buckramp, velvet's dear, Christmas comes but once a year, If Christmas day on a Sunday fall, A troublous winter we shall have'all; If Christmas on a Monday be Then a great winter we shall see, Yule Is come, and Yule is gone, And we have feasted well ; So Jack must 1o his flail again, And Jenny to her wheel. e CONNUBIALITIES. A wife in Vinalbaven, Me., left her hus- band because he wouldn't buy onions, It is the unmarried lady who can give her sister points on the art of how to manage a husband, 5 . Wife—I believe you only married me for my. movey., Husband — Everybody elsa things the same thing. A Philadelphia school teacher has been forced to resign her position for “alienating the affections of Mrs, Sallie Smith’s hus- band.” “Pell me candidly, old fellow, why you don’t marry.” “If you must know, because Idon't want to lose the hope of finding a porfactly delightful little wife." Frank Crone, a rich merchant of Erie county, Ohio, was married the other day to his sister's !runddluinuh The groom is sixty-five and vhe bride twenty-four. Artists of late, with judgment narrow, Arm Cupid with 4 bow and arrow, When it would be a great deal cutor To arm him with a seven-shooter. Ninety-two and sixty-eight were the re spectuve -i" of & couple married in Marl- borough, N. H., last week. It was the xrann:i'l fourth marriage and the bride's second, 1f prince Murat can prove himself to be respectable there is still another chance for him to secure an American bride. A wealthy ex-slave of Georgia has offered #15,000 a year to any respeotable white man who will marry bis deughter. One should never marry, observes a cynic, because, first, if the wowan s plain she will form too disagreeablu an object of daily con- templation for one's self; while, second, if she is gcod looking she will prove oo icre- sistible an attraction to other people. The engagement is announced of Baron Halcott, & young Englishman with & Ger- man title, tu Miss Stokes, eldest daughter of Avson Phelps Stokes of New York. It is said 1 be an affair of the heart insteud of the pocketbook, as both are well off. Marie—I aw willing to marry you Charies, even if you are poor, but do you think you can take care of me, anyway! Charles—O, darling, by this strong right arm raised to Leaven, 1 swear that I will support you als ways, even 1f I have totake in washing for you to do. And they were married. He—And 80 you are really gowng to marry that professor! You, the heroine of a thou- sund engagements! How did you ever come to accopt mm! His Cousin (from Boston)— Why, you see, be proposed in Greek, and when I refused him I got mixed on my nega- tives and—Mehercule!—aocepted him, and now I'm too proud to acknowledge my blun- der. Oh, I'm his for life! A few evenings since Rev, Dr, Sharp mar- ried Pierceville D. Heath of California, to Miss Ananie E. Young, a handsome young lady of Alexandria. Va. Heath advertised for n wife,and the advertisement led to a correspondence, and he came from Califor- nia to see her. He met her last Suulay. They became mutually interested. were mar- ried last Thursday evening aud have gone ou & marringe trip to New tHampshire, where Mr. Heath'’s parents reside. A committes of ladies at Leipsic has just unanimously awarded to Herr Leypoldt™ of Eeslingen, a prize offored for the bost essay by a bachelor on the reason why men do not marry, The successful competitor—one of 147 canaidates—has written a whole autobio- graphy, but he gives in a few words tho characteristically Teutonic reason for his preference of the single state, that marriage is “tne anuioilation of the ogo;” and, he is too much of an egotist to wish to be auni- hilated, A young lady near Clayton, Ga., & few days since prepared s wedding supper and invited relatives and friends to be present and witness her marriage 10 & young man of the neighborhood. The company assemnled, the bride was attired in her wedding cos- tume, and the supper was in waiting, but the bridegroom did nat appear, At a late hour, however, he havpened along, dressed in his every-day clothes, and being made acquainted with the object of the assemblage expressed great surprise, statiug that he had no notice whatever of the intended wedding. The wedding was postponed, but the supper was highly enjoyed all the same, el EDUCATIONAL, Manual traluing is” slowly making its way in all the civilized countries of the world, The students of Oberlin cellege have sent 8 potition to congress ln favor of civil service reform, The late David Berry of Coolangatta, one of the oldest Australian colonists, loft #00- 000 to St. Andrew’s university. There are twenty-two women students in attendance at the winter session of the Edinburgh (Scotland) School for Medioine. Dr. 8. H, Peabody, president of the Uni- versity of Illinois, will, like Presidents Seclye of Amherst and Gilman of Johns Hoplns, spend the winter abroad. A Bengali laay has joined Girton college, Cambridge, and Somerville hall, Oxford, hus ® Parsi stuaent, Miss Cornelia Sorabji, who is already a B. A. of Bombay umversiy. President Adams has resumed Lis duties at Cornell university, after baving visited Columbia college, the University of Peun- sylyania, Johns Hopkins and Bryn Mawr, ‘The Vanderbilt university offers to admit @ highway official of any county of any state toits class in road engineering, free of charge. This offer is open until i'ebruary 1. The property of Harvard is valued at $8,000,000, of Coluwbia $9,000,000, of Cornell £5,200,000, aud of Jobns Hoplkins 84,000,000, The annual .income of several of them amounts Lo $500,000. R, B, Richardson Lawrence, professor of Greek ot Dartmouth, will be the annual di- rector of the Americau school st Athens for the yvear 1801, succeeding Prof. Oris of Princeton, who returus to this country in the fall. John Christopher Schwab, a graduvate of Yale in the class of '86, has taken from ono of the leading German universities the degreo of Pb. D. summa cum laude, This degree is very soldom given, wnd its aquisition by u foreiguner is almost unprecedented. The board of trustees of the South Dakota state university extonded s unanimous call to Dr. Wm. R. Harper of Yale, to fill the presidency, the place made vacant by Dr. Olsen’s untimely death in the Minniapolis Tribune disaster, but Dr, Harper declined. In Japan theré -are thirty-one schools of medicine, one of dentistry and two o1 veter- nary surgery. The university.of Tokio, (the imperial university), has over tvelve hun- dred students, and an average &1100 medical students graduate yearly. In Tokio alone there aro numerous active medical societies, and over twenly osbpitals e o o Satnanrses s s