Past Pages for Friday, Dec. 25, 2015

150 years ago

Christmas trees. The sight of Miss Clapp’s school house, last evening, was enough to do a body’s soul some good. When we got there, we found the room filled with boys and girls, and their parents and friends, all surrounding a huge Christmas tree, from the heavily laden branches of which Superintendent Parker, in the venerable guise of good Santa Claus, was distributing presents to those whom thoughtful friends had remembered when the tree was to be decorated. An Indian boy, who lives in one of our families, and a little Indian girl, who lives with another, came in for their share of the merry making and each got a supply of knickknacks to tickle their fancies.

130 years ago

(On the Mint question; continued from Thursday). Carson must get up on its feet and rustle for its existence. It has a big farming country behind it, some good mines behind that, and if it reaches out and makes itself heard it can take in all this trade. The Appeal hopes to see the time when the cursed little cliques of this city will be merged into one big clique; and that the sole object of the big clique will be to keep Carson in the front of the procession where it belongs.

100 years ago

Some years before his death, Charles A. Dana, the famous New York Sun editor, published the following: “Dear Editor — I am 8 years old. Some of my little friends say there is no Santa Claus. Papa says, ‘If you see it in the Sun, it’s so.’ Please tell me the truth. Is there A Santa Claus? Virginia O’Hanlon.” “Yes, Virginia, there is a Santa Claus.”

70 years ago

Of reader interest to Nevadans is the article in the January issue of the National Geographic Magazine on “Nevada, Desert Treasure House.”

50 years ago

Mayor Chet Christianson of Sparks will lead the Community Christmas caroling this evening in Carson City at 8 p.m. On the steps of the Post Office. Organ music played by Mrs. Lon Truell will accompany singers in the first annual community Christmas sing-along.

30 years ago

Donations to the Salvation Army have jumped in the last week, in part because of publicity about decreased donations coupled with increased demand for aid.

Trent Dolan is the son of Bill Dolan, who wrote this column for the Nevada Appeal from 1947 until his death in 2006.