The Observer is going to take a “day off” this Christmas and as a consequence there will be no paper published on Monday, December 25. The Observer feels that its friends and readers will not begrudge its employes this one day in the year in which to “indulge”—with their families around the home fires.
THE FAYETTEVILLE OBSERVER
From the front page of The Fayetteville Observer, Dec. 24, 1922.
New England celebrates Chrismastide with right good will, nowadays—but it has not always done so.
The General Court of Massachusetts in 1695 enacted a law that “anybody who is found observing, by abstinence from labor, feasting or any other way, any such day as Christmas Day, shall pay for every offense five shillings.”
As early as 1621, Governor Bradford recorded that he administered rebuke to “certain lusty yonge men,” who “on ye day called Christmas Day, ye Gov-r called them out to worke excused themselves and said it was against their consciences to worke on ye day.” As a result of the rebuke, Brandford says:
“Since which time nothing has been attempted that way, at least openly.”
The ordinance prohibiting Christmas observance was repealed in Massachusetts in 1681.
From the front page of The Fayetteville Observer, Dec. 24, 1922.
A youthful hobo was made happy Saturday when Magistrate A. Cheek handed him a pass to his home in Cranford, N.J. The lad, whose name is Loving M. Harrington, was arrested for vagrancy, and Mr. Cheek interested himself, got in communication with Harrington’s mother, with the result that he will spend Christmas under the old roof-tree.
From The Fayetteville Observer, Dec. 24, 1922.
The school children of Fort Bragg at the last day of school before the Christmas holidays brought enough pennies and nickels to make $25 which will be sent to New Bern for the kiddies in that city this Christmas. The Bragg children had heard much of the suffering at the fire-devastated city, and they resolved to help out in their own small way. The pennies and nickels came in so fast, however, that it happens that the gift to New Bern is not a small one, but a rather substantial one.
From The Fayetteville Observer, Dec. 24, 1922. the Norman Rockwell illustration called "Christmas in the Heart" is from 1941 but it fits with these school children collecting pennies and nickels for children who were fire victims in New Bern.
By Associated Press
Kinston, Dec. 23—The Atlantic tobacco warehouse, a frame structure, was destroyed by fire here this morning, entailing a loss of approximately $40,000, with insurance of $8,000.
From the front page of The Fayetteville Observer, Dec. 24, 1922.
By Associated Press
Rocky Mount, Dec. 23—Fifteen passengers were injured early today when eight cars, including four sleepers and the engine of Atlantic Coast Line train No. 82, enroute from Jacksonville to New York, were derailed near Lucama.
Two of the injured, Mrs. F.L. Glass of Laurel, Miss., whose back was hurt, and Mamie Riddle, negro, of Raeford, N.C., who suffered a nervous shock, were brought to a hospital here. The others, injured only slightly, were given attention by physicians at Lucama.
Officials advanced the theory that the wreck was caused by a broken rail after making an investigation. The fact that no one of the 250 passengers was injured seriously as the fast traveling train left he track, struck an embankment and bounded back to the roadbed, was said “to be almost miraculous” by officials. All of the cars were of steel construction.
Thrown Through Window
North Carolina Legislator H.G. Connor Jr. was thrown several feet through the window of a coach, when eight cars derailed near Lucama shortly before 2 o’clock today. Fifteen persons were injured, but only two badly enough to be carried to a hospital.
The wreck is attributed to spreading rails. Railroad officials regard the fact that none of the 250 passengers were seriously injured as miraculous. Traffic was delayed for several hours.
Mr. Connor was brought to Wilson by automobile and his wounds were dressed. This afternoon, he was resting quietly at his home.
The two injured were carried to the Rocky Mount Hospital.
From the front page of The Fayetteville Observer, Dec. 24, 1922.
Christmas Cheer came to 121 families of Fayetteville and Cumberland county yesterday through boxes sent out by the Christmas Cheer committee of the Rotary, Elks, Kiwanis, Lions and Moose Clubs. Each of these boxes contained the following articles: Flour, meal, Irish potatoes, a ham, bacon, lard, butter, bread, sugar, coffee, soap, oranges, apples, nuts, peanuts, two kinds of cake, raisins and candy. Besides the boxes, packages of fruit went to 43 convicts and to 10 people who are in the county jail. And to a few others were sent, additionally, blankets and some wood.
E.E. Gorham and H.T. Drake were the chairmen of this committee who so well carried out the true Christmas spirit. That it was worth all the labor that was spent in getting up the boxes, packing them, looking into every case that was reported to the committee as being in need, then carrying those boxes to the ones who had been found in need of a bit of Christmas cheer, will be readily attested to by any of those who were so fortunate as to be permitted to go on these errands.
That every case was deserving and that every box was appreciated is a foregone conclusion. The following sketches of a few of the cases will serve to show that these boxes, so nobly supplied by the clubs mentioned, went to places that they really needed to go to bring real Christmas cheer:
A family of five. The father with an injured back, can’t walk. Three small children. House sparsely furnished. Deserving? To have seen that wife’s face light up and those children small would have done anyone’s soul good.
A colored family of seven, the husband has been out of work for months. The wife was doing all she could to keep things going but it wasn’t half enough. The box was brought in and set on the floor. The members of the committee stood back to let seven smiling, laughing negroes look. The five little children (sized like door steps) made a break for the box. They did not grab anything, only to see what it was.
In order to do that they scrambled, pushed and shoved one another. As one of the committee said, it was worth a whole day’s work to see those little ones go for that box.
To a family of three, the father and husband afflicted with St. Vitus dance, went a box. The boys did work in the mill, but they were taken ill about two weeks ago. Was this mother glad to get this Christmas cheer box? If you could have heard her express her thanks you would have known that she was.
An old negro couple, brother and sister, both near 85 years old. The old man pottered around until he hurt his hip bone some years ago. To this couple a box was carried and it was a treat to see that old woman brighten up as the box was carried in the door. It did one’s heart good to hear her say: “Well, Santa Claus is shore done come dis time, bless your heart,” then to her profuse thanks would have made one know that real Christmas cheer had been brought there. To an old woman who nearly two years ago fell and broke her ribs, not having been able to walk straight since, a delegation carried a box. Here they found a most appreciative recipient. This good old woman grabbed the two men by the hand and shook all over. Had she been able, no doubt but this good old soul would have hugged them both. As it was her evident near-childish delight left lumps in the throats of two strong men, as they climbed back into their cars to carry Christmas cheer to another person.
To a colored woman whose husband died scarcely four months ago; who now has five children and before long will have six, a box was taken. She was not found at home, having gone out with a small washing that she, in her condition, had managed to do this week. The box was left and from the condition that her children were in, if ever a person needed a box, she did.
To another old soul, who lives in the house by herself, for all her children are dead and gone, there was taken a box. It must have been a most unusual thing for anyone to remember this good old soul for she did not understand why it was being sent but when it was explained to her, she was made happy, still more so she said, “because the people of the town thought of me.”
Other cases similar to these were found by every man who carried out boxes. Surely those who had a hand in this noble work will have a big balance on the credit side of The Ledger above.
From the front page of The Fayetteville Observer, Dec. 24, 1922.
