VOR. 30% ‘interesting than the customs of the 5 -{ ; _ fuet that the Indian ts quick to iit ' aneonseions of any incongruity in the: _ erywhere, and “al! * ening. ° “sume” RALD Christmas as Community Make it ‘All Night Affair Written by Rev. B, Black for ‘the Om-! ing clothes, ber to see the young man with his .'high silk hat and white starched shirt jand black tie, and patent leather shoes ineca Herald, Every uation, tribe and people have their own particular way of keeping Christmas. Perhaps none are more Haida Indians. It is a ‘well known ate other people, but ‘sometimes he shows wonderful initative and not. on- ly mechanical, but artistic abllity. Some few years ago it was my pri- vilege to sjrend a Christmas season imuoug the Skidegate Indians on. the Queen Charlotte Islands, and Io um writing a brief account of incidents that greatly interested me, believing tlt they will also be of interest to my others. Around a holiday time it is usual to have a celebration feast for those who bave died during the year. Among the Haidas. a feast can be held any time within ‘twelve months. of the feath of the relative. Locally a feast ‘tg held on the day of the funeral. This seems to be a difference peculiar to the tribes. We had a week of feasts the year ] was there just around Christmas. ‘The first was for an old elicf numed Amos Russ. Among the nmsing things tok] abont bim at the feasr were the following :— -When a boy of twelve his father took him into the sea water near his home, in mid winter and there he was lett: for-hours shivering.in...the cold.. In the evening he was brought into the house and placed before the log fire to- dry hin out: Phe purpose-ot: this was to make him bard, It seems to have succeeded in- many ways. .He lived ta be over 83 years.’ When i young man he became o thief. - The Salvation ‘Army came to town anil he used rather harsh measures in drum- ining, them out of town, Later lis danghter joined the Seventh Day hier who wan extremely’. pop- | I ular, He was @ member of the band nnd leader. of. the. orchestra. ° ‘He: died lenving a” young. wife vod. fiveramall children, - You would have thought, tt was a NF , “round yon ng wort the: ‘nian, “was ‘dre ed ty modern ‘even: Tt was a sight to remem- kid gloves nd the ‘Englishman's walk- ing stick, singing and acting a love _song, wooing a widow of less than six months. But they seemed absolutely affair. The only thing they thought ; Proper was to make as much laughter ae possible, ; The other scene, to me, was tragic, but to them it was quite comic, and enjoved by all, A small boy about 9 or 10 years old, a son of the dead man was hauled up on the stage and was taught to amuse the audience by mim- feking his fther. He ‘imitated almost ipertectly bis father blowing the cor- net, leiding the orchestra, playing the banfo asa darkie in a minstral show. fine could hear Jond applause on every hand—"Oh, -aint he grand, just like his dad was doing it.” Although, it was a funeral celebra- tion we pulled crackers and wore pa- per hats. The young people danced uJ the modern and old fashioned dances, with a floor manager and all, and the music was rendered by his conmmades, T never saw such a medley of emotions as I witnessed that night. His dear old mother was there dressed in, deep black, with a veil and all to match, even wearing black kid floves, and moaning. the loss. of a son, I be- lieve genuine pain was.in her heart. Ing a modern Christmas party in~a nothing stronger than real black . cof- fee and thick strong tea: was. served, with dozens of cases of soft drinks.: tt was n mixture of the old and new that tulmost reached the yediculous. The only redeeming feature, being they were all sincere, These feasts were followed by a concert by the church choir. It was a modern achievement worthy of imita- tion hy any white choir of equal num- bers. The event was prepared for by weeks of rehearsing, three to four honrs -every night of the week was the average time spent. The organ- int, OUP inissionary school teacher, toll ue she was nearly dead from exhaus- ton when it was over, The choir lender, With’ an enr us alert as any niusic teacher, would pick , out.a false ‘note plaged 6x sung in-an instant.” The dinthems were’ from. a London mule sture, und they were sung by a choir of-50 voices with all the parts balanced snd in unison. There were no jarring notes. It was marvellous. {* During -the evening they put on a Christmas pageut with costumes, both appropriate and the actions perfect. These people make all their own dresses and they have mastered the art of: cutting out the patterns and of fitting to the human forms, I have hever scen white girls look better than these girls did; nade. up with the us- ual paints and powders...” A Christmas tree scene put on by school sirls‘was equally effective, The little chilren had mastered thelr Yforts soe well hag they seldom needed any: couchinis.. ut + After Christmas. the. concert. Waa. rer pented iy Quebn Chariotte. City and. by unanimous. assent: ‘was ‘accorded ‘the DERE - held in. this. district ‘for. many a. year. ‘The: velizay,. however, waa reached ony Christmas: ‘Eva with the community. @hristinag: tree. -Haida In: dians wre -perhaps * a-step-nhead of ‘the’ | White people in this. event. .We Inve: our little; ‘event In our: homes, | but, , | phey: have, one. big. event ‘inithe church,” ,| Haida Indlans belleve the community: | }fam ily, Bit” the’ Wife atid ‘childten:were enidy-' mudern way. JAvdll, say: this, however is. the: unit; fate Christmas’ ‘and ° ‘not: the; a “sree idosOR IO NCECNL CNC NONOLERCACECNCNCICRCRIONS Prince Rupert ithe Garden City by the Sea By Our Own Correspondent TERS, The funeral of John Viereck, who passed away with great suddenness on Christmas Eve, took place on Tuesday from the chapel of the B. C. Under- tuker parlors; and in the presence of a congregation that crowded the pre- mises, Canon Rushbrook officiated. Mr. Viereck, 72 years of age, was born neay Seattle, and came to Prince Ru- pert nearly thirty years ogo. He was one of the first, if. not the first car- penter, to step ashore here, and Ilved in. Prince Rupert.ever since. He had not complained of not’ feeling well. Death overtook him while he was em- ployed dismantling a mill building at Seal.Cove. The neon hour had come and he was about to leave for home for dinner when he collapsed, zr 8 Prince Rupert received cheerful and welcome news on Christmas Eve in the shape of an announcement that the contract for building a post office to cost $150,000 has been let to the Van- couver firm of Bennett & White. It is understood there will be no delay in getting construction wader way. * +28 Frank Buekley, In a holiday mes- sage to the city, says no one need feel discouraged concerning the delay in pulp mill progress. But for the dis- turbed international situation, and the constant ‘rumors of the. expected |. spread of war, the enterprise would have beer in evidence: ‘before’ “‘this,- The work will start, sald “Mi Buckley” as more stability. Various: details neces- sary to. he worked out, have been found most satisfactory by “those directly concerned those who will find the eanital, : 4 ua. Christmas morning, A religl- ous Service opens the. event. A short invocation after the National Anthem. Tts a typical home affair, Rabies are fed-in public.and all. cry and talk talks freely during, the program. No this event, or think thelr babies were disturbing anyone’s pleasure, The us- unl school program comes first with a native chief as the chairman. Then the fun begins, It.tkes hours to dis- tribute the presents, You see, mother father. ‘and: al: tha.. nembersi0k “the: family. receive their’ presents from Santa Claus who is névér in: a hurry, A short speech or. comment, sometimes very personal, Aecompantes his pre- sentation. I never saw such a loaded. Christmas tree anywhere ‘before.as I saw there, Some ‘children .. received. four to six gifts each, and pretty ‘girls would be quite showered with gitts. by their ad- mirers. church. Children * would be * ‘running their mechaniéal . toys on church seats and.a space on the/floor. if ‘they, could find one. On:the Other hand: mothers rwould proudly show and compare what |: their respective: boy. or girl: ‘had given them, Fathers: would: be’ thanking an ea and ‘sons. and. ‘daughters. or ‘other. childre T felt. there ‘was : even; serene ‘dtr inls en asap ee munity: Joys: It was ‘a community of koitie two. or three hundred happy... and Something MHke: this in our. modern. 20th century might 20. along way.to. develop |" that. spirit which‘ was born: in- Bethle-| hem, the spirit: of: true - ‘Christianity. | “One is your Father. and all ye are byethren. ” We,. -the so: "called leaders 1.0 clvilization may et: ine grains: at “\the several cases is quite mild. The ‘Sben ne He sky Celdire aad “theres-1s] ‘la patient in the Hazelton Hospital for ‘mother or child would stey away from } Then the custom was to op-|- ‘en up and display your. gifts .in the | contented with: ‘each: others conmipany, ‘ Gave His Life For Batch = Of Young Chicks---Oscar Lund is Burned to Death Oscar Lund, a native of Sweden, and « batchelor, who has lived in the North Bulkley district since 1908, was burned to death Sunday morning IJast. He was 73 years of age and very high- ly regarded in all parts of the Bulkley Valley as a good citizen and a fine neighbor. He was a farmer and had made a £0 of it. Sunday morning Mr. Lund was out side doing some chores and about 11.80 he noticed a fire in the house, and ap- parently his first thought was for a batch of young chicks that had hatch- ed out late in the fall and that he was wintering in “the house, for that was all that was saved. , back into the house to get. his money the house) but he got no further than Apparently the deceased had gone and whatever else he could (he. was known to keep a supply of money in inside the door, and that is where his body was found by the first neighbors who arrived. The house and all’ its contents were lost. ; Lunds farm was just about three miles east of Archie MacInnes’ place. This makes the tenth death in the Bulkley Valley in the past month, TROUBLES ABOUT FEVER Owing to & case of scarlet fever hav | ing developed at the Hazelton Hospit- al last week. the carot singing Christ- Inas aftenoon was cancelled, so far as any outsiders attending was ¢oncerned The Sunday School concert in Hazel- ton billed for last week, was also post- poned for a short time until the medi- enl health officer was satisfied that no more cases Geveloped,. The type of two children of Mr. and Mrs. Thom were up and about the house in time for Christmas, although they do not_go Among any other children. The case at the hospital is also very mild. Miss Mildred Disher of Pacific was admitted -to. the Hazelton. : Hospital. as ae patient. Thesday. morning and ‘that afferngan a Her. ‘condition today is reported as. very favorable, ee . ae | Chas. Jenze of South Hazelton was a few days with an infected hand. He is quite alright again. eee Dr. G. J. Kirkpatrick leaves Thurs- day morning for Vancouver after hay- ing spent a month or two on the medi- el staff at the Hazelton Hospital, fil- ling the position of house surgeon until Dr. Ivish was able to get here. Dr. Trish will arrive Thursday to assume his duties on the .taff, oer James Turnbull is making some pro- gress after his recent severe heart at- tack, The Doctor is , encouraged at ‘Tthe-: ‘tniptovenient “shows 320s + ena , In spite of the fact that the public could not be encouraged to visit the Hospital in any numbers during the Christmas season, theree were the us- nal festivities for the staff and for the patients and everyone seemed to have (1 a very good time. It is reported that there were no ill effects, either among Bulkley Canyon for some years, has bean transferred -to Prince George and left ‘for there last week. es a weather ?. Pen MA draped Christmas Daya in” < pines aS pears — é ta in ‘tons. j Ings, There was exee}lent akat- toe ee His. ‘Majesty, King George. yi speak to: a i isan all. night“event “ ‘coms! Hnderwent.. iN. operation. |. the patients ‘or. the staff members, ~-f Jim Stoynoff, section foreman at] Do _you ever see anything more pa-| ° : thetic than an abandoned ear at the side of the road in 20 below Zero 4 was clear and: -reasonably’ cool, and the . only, snow: in.sight-.was on the -moun-|:- we food. many in. this | ‘seetlon heard | From Smithers William Duff appeared in _ police court before Magistrate R. L. Gale on Tuesday of this week and was reman- ded on bail on a charge earising out of the recent shooting of Fred Cook. Bert Morrow, the genial manager of the Columbia Power Company here, is a patient in the Smithers hospital as a result of. a bad car accident on Sat- urday (Christmas Day) in which he suffered two broken knee caps. One was broken in half and the other was fractured in four places. "Mr. Morrow was driving to Telkwa for Christmas dinner. The roads were in 9 treach- serous condition, and the sun was sbin- ‘ing. .in his face. | He did. not-see ‘a light . iruck being driven by G. D. Mutrhead ‘towards him; until ttewasahnost pon him, He applied ‘the: brakes, but the (ar only skidded. “The twocars‘came ._ together with considerable foree al- - thoigh Muirhead could see the other enr and -had come.to almost a dead stop. Besides doing serious damage to’ Mr. Morrow his car was also badly damaged. The light truck was not, however, damaged yery much. Advertising in the local paper pays. Tes! But Lave you tried it? eho Two- inebriated Indians bent on a real celebration of Christmas, got to fighting on the main drag Christmas Bve, and they were enjoying then- selves immensely. But there seems to be a ban on fighting on the streets in - }Smithers..and.the%iwo were. hauled :off . to’ court: Battling Joshua ‘Holland and One Putich “Angust. Pete were giv- en fines and James Jones was also in- cluded in the court session as he had supplied the boys: with the fighting spirit. Otherwise Smithers had a. quite joyful Christmas. rn ieee eet [New ade : To You .