SOME REMARKABLE CHRISTMAS TREES.

Dominion, Volume 3, Issue 698, 24 December 1909, Page 13

SOME REMARKABLE CHRISTMAS TREES.

• Perhaps the most, remarkable, and ; certainly the .most ,costly, Christmas tree'ever 1 provided .was that which gr'aced 'the apartments of Mr. James: Clements, ;a ; Klondike. millionaire, at tile: Lafayette Hotel, . New York, a few ..Christ-; mases ago. Its cveTy 'branch was loaded with gold nuggets,, and around the trunk was planted, a large pile of 20dol.'gold pieces. Altogether the value of this tree was between jSHiOOO and. X 15,000.'. Clements was a young man who had just returned, from the Klondike,iand he. provided this unique Christmas tree for the amusement of his wife and children.?. Before going to' the Klondike he was a ; poor.: brakesman on the; Sou thern Pacific railway. . Several, years 'ago one. of- Chicago's millionaires put a substantial fortune on a Christmas tree, It was decorated with all. kinds of: valuable "articles, from gold watches' to infants' gold rattles, as' well as with costly.. gems set in rings,- brooches, bracelets, pins, and' other things. Altogether,-,their , value was estimated at upwards of: <£10,000,- and, what ; is more, each artiole, .was given away to- one or other of the numerous Christmas party. When, brilliantly '.-illuminated)'"'this valuable Christinas tree, with its glistening • gold and flashing, gems,' presented a-spectacle rarely met with, even in the gorgeous palaces of American millionaires. ■ -v '! ■Ever since 1844 Queen Victoria had a Christmas tree.: Every Christmas it was loaded | with more or less oostly artioles, but the most valuable of all was her first, Christmas tree. This- was no fewer than: 40ft. ia height, and on it ,was a profusion of seasonable presents ;to the. value of . nearly <£9000. This is believed to. have been the most expensive Christmas tree, ever seen in Great Britain. : In 1846 the Duke of Norfolk provided a. mon-ster-Christmas tree at Arundel Castle for* tlio entertainment of the children of his tenantry. It soared l ,to a height of nearly 70ft., and suspended from its branches were toys, .trinkets, and: other 'articles to>the value,of nearly X 5000., With the; exception of ' the . Queen's first, thisi was the most costly Christmas treo'ever' known in Great Britain. : ' 111 Germany, the Christmas tree is exceedingly :!populiu-. Both the Emperor and, Em r press have one every Yuletide, and they also provido ono for. each of their seven children. Nino Christmas',trees is,n;prqtty. large order, oven for. ; a Royal househould; but their branches do not bend- under tho weight of costly presents or decorations. Ail English lady had the credit'of introducing the Christmas tree into Romo. She was the. nursery governess of the infant Prince of Ntiplosj.heir to the Italian throne. For her Royal charge's delectation,, she provided a Christmas tree; and, ever since/ this particular feature of life festive season has become the order of tho day among tho good people of Rome. '