HomeMy WebLinkAboutZurich Citizens News, 1975-12-22, Page 22Page 22 Citizens News, Dec. 22/75
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Chefs bring in the Christmas goose
Letters to Santa' Overflow Mail
•
THE Mosr FAMOUS RESIDENT in the town of Santa Claus,
Indiana, population 300, is Santa Claus himself who re-
ceives well over 100,000 letters annually from children
across the country and around the world. As Santa Claus
in costume and Jim Yellig out of it, a 42 -year career has
been devoted to making sure letters are answered.
There's something special
about Santa Claus in a
small southern Indiana
town where the famous
Christmas legend has be-
come somewhat of an every-
day reality.
This town with a popula-
tion of about 300 year-round
residents, and a family of
deer, is the jolly old gent's
namesake home — Santa
Claus, Indiana — as well as
the home of his helpers, and
the location of. his overflow-
ing mailbox.
A unique landmark at
Santa Claus is the U.S. Post
Office near the intersection
of Indiana highways 162
and 245, and next to the
entrance to Santa Claus
Land.
There is nowhere in the
world where you can find a
post office like this one. Its
architecture is that of a
stone -fronted fairyland
castle in design and while
the community has but
slightly more than 300 year-
round residents this post
office each year is flooded
with about four million
pieces of mail. The bulk of
all this mail comes around
Christmas time to receive
the cherished Santa Claus
CIIRISTMASMAS GREETINgS
Trina the tree with these holiday
wishes! May joy, peace and
contentment be yours. With thanks ..
STRIDE HARDWARE
Harold Stade Doug Stade
ZURICH
postmark. Still others arrive
addressed simply to "Santa
Claus, 47579."
Letters addressed to
"Santa Claus" represent the
tens of thousands of chil-
dren's "want lists" that
foretell visions of Christ-
mas morning, promise cook-
ies and milk, and extend
best wishes to Santa, Mrs.
Claus, and Rudolph. And,
to the delight of children
everywhere, all of these let-
ters receive an answer from
Santa Claus.
This unique practice dates
back to the late 1920s when
Robert L. Ripley popularized
the town by featuring it in
an article in his "Believe It
Or Not" column. After the
article appeared, mail began
to mushroom, especially
letters addressed to "Santa
Claus."
Tourists with children al-
so started to arrive and
make visits to the post office
with their Christmas mail,
following in the steps of
Ripley who also sent his
Christmas cards through
the office here as proof that
there was indeed a Santa
Claus — as verified by the
postmark. For over 40 years,
children have met Santa
himself, played by Raymond
Joseph "Jim" Yellig.
Besides taking up the role
of Santa Claus at the Santa
Claus Post Office in the ear-
ly 1930s, Yellig also em-
barked on a project
CHRISTMAS: MESSAGE OF HOPE
In a world torn with vio-
lence at almost every lev-
el, through formally or in-
formally declared war, in
rioting, anarchy, in cruel
discrimination, it is diffi-
cult for thinking people to
truly experience Christ-
mas.
Yet, through the very
meaning of Christ's com-
ing, every man, of every
persuasion , . . whether
"Christian" or not, can
take Christmas to his
heart and profit by it.
For Christ personified
brotherhood, abiding love,
tolerance ; . if Christians
have gotten away some-
what through the "out-
ward and visible signs,"
the ceremonials and the
trappings — perhaps this
is the year to. come home
to Christ,
Whatever the rest of
the world is doing, let each
of us celebrate Christ's
birth in our individual,
personal ways.
Let us forget self, let us
truly open our hearts, to
genuinely offer friendship
and brotherly love.
*SW ..1.1110MANNO.111101.1•01.16.011.
GEN
We hope you enjoy
everything
this wonderful
season has to offer.
Thank you, friends.
YUNGBL UT'S
Meat Market
Christmas is the time for togetherness.
Tenderness. Loving. And the greatest gift
of them all — peace. Live it fully this
season. Sincere gratitude to our patrons.
E.W. SHANTZ
GENERAL TRUCKING 8 PIT MATERIALS
R.R.3 ZURICH 236-4036