Texaco Star: For Employees of the Texas Company

MERRY Christmas! — Happy New Year! — to All.

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Ancient wisdom says, "to everything there is a season and a time to every purpose." The present season marks a time for a gentle interlude from the regular course of our Company journal. A wholehearted Christmas Number is offered.

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Business is not a thing detached from home and family. The wives and children are a more integral part of our company of workers than they are generally considered to be,—and they on their part, seldom realize how much the success of their breadwinners depends upon them. Loyalty of all these to the requirements of the business organization would greatly help the work of laborious days, so they should share whatever pleasure may be afforded for a holiday.

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"If, instead of a gem, we could cast the gift of rich thought into the heart of others, that would be giving as the angels give."

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Make yourselves nests of pleasant thoughts. None of us yet know, for none of us have been taught in early youth, what fairy palaces we may build of beautiful thoughts, proof against adversity— bright fancies, satisfied memories, noble histories, faithful sayings, treasure houses of precious and restful thoughts, which care cannot disturb nor pain make gloomy, nor poverty take away from us; houses built without hands for our souls to live in.

—Ruskin.

Now if ever, should family ties be drawn closer by acts of tender kindness, and friendships be bound faster by affectionate behavior; now if ever, homes should be cheerful and, if possible, made merry; now if ever, hospitality should be extended. So we may grow to more beautiful and more liberal living.

"The beauty of the home is Order—
The peace of the home is Contentment —
The glory of the home is Hospitality."

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We ascribe beauty to that which is simple; which has no superfluous parts; which exactly answers its end; which is related to all things; which is the mean of many extremes. Things may be pretty, they may be rich, graceful, handsome, and still lack beauty.—-G. Baldwin Brown.

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The big work of man is neither masonry, manufacturing, nor merchandising. It is life itself. Incidentally, there are bricks to be laid, wood to be shaped, and goods to be sold; but these are only jots and tittles in the scheme of individual existence. The main thing is life itself. Life well wrought is a fabric which commands the gaze of all discerning eyes, the responsiveness of all neighboring hearts. Life bungled is a producer of ceaseless shame.

—Richard Wightman.

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The whole world needs more appreciation and heartfelt sympathy. Not formal "thank you's," but the heartfelt appreciation that sets in motion waves vibrating to the heart. We can feel them—feel the depths from which they come, and our own hearts respond with gratitude. Work seems like play under such influence, our hearts grow lighter, our souls grow younger. copy of the Star is received, but that is nothing as compared with the joy which greets each copy coming to us. While we seem to be near home, it nevertheless takes a month for mail to reach us and our letters do not always contain all the news from our dear friends left behind. The September Star, just received, brings us news, both good and bad, and we wish we were near enough to congratulate some and comfort others.

—Leadership.

BUSINESS IS BUSINESS

"Business is business," but men are men,

Loving and working and dreaming, Toiling with pencil or spade or pen,

Roistering, planning, scheming. "Business is business," but he's a fool

Whose business has grown to smother His faith in men and the golden rule,

His love for a friend and brother. "Business is business," but life is life,

Though we're all in the game to win it; Let's rest sometimes from the heat and strife,

Let's try to be friends a minute.

Let's seek to tie comrades now and then

And slip from our golden tether; "Business is business," but men are men

And we're all good pals together.

—Berton Braley.

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In this age of science we have heaped up great intellectual riches of the scientific kind. Our mental coffers arc fairly bursting with stores of knowledge of material things. But what will it profit us if we gain the whole world and lose our own souls? Must our finer spiritual faculties, whence come our love, our reverence, our humility, and our appreciation of the beauty of the world atrophy? "Where there is no vision, the people perish" — perish for want of a clear perception of the higher values of life. Where there is no vision, no intuitive perception of the great fundamental truths of the inner spiritual world, science will not save us. In such a case our civilization is like an engine running without a headlight. Spiritual truths are spiritually discerned; material and logical truths —all the truths of the objective world—are intellectually discerned. The latter give us the keys of power and the conquest of the earth, but the former alone can save us.—John Burroughs.

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How to Be Happy, Though Married. —A kiss and a rose in your husband's lapel is a good investment for the day. It reminds him of you when he passes the millinery shop.

Keep up your family festivities, the birthdays and anniversaries. These little domestic occasions should be sacred in the calendar of your home. Don't forget when your children were born, so that you have to look in the Bible to see.

Any husband can make his wife happy if

he will. A wife can interest her husband if she will.

Guard against the little domestic sins that gnaw away the happiness of the home.

—Father D. S. Phelan.

PANTOUM OF CHRISTMAS SHOPPING

Oh, what a fearful hurly-burly!

Well, Christmas time is here again! I meant to do my shopping early.

It's hard to pick out things for men. Well, Christmas time is here again!

I can't abide those painted pheasants.
It's hard to pick out things for men.

I never give my husband presents.
I can't abide those painted pheasants.

Of course, I can't spend large amounts.
I never give my husband presents,

The spirit not the value counts.
Of course, I can't spend large amounts.

Do look at that cheap set of Gibbon's!
The spirit, not the value, counts.

I like to tie with holly ribbons.
Do look at that cheap set of Gibbon's!

'Twould just tit in our aleove niche.
I like to tie with holly ribbons.

Shopping is easy if you're rich. 'Twould just fit in our aleove niche,

I'm sure it is a perfect measure. Shopping is easy if you're rich,

But if you're poor it is no pleasure. I'm sure it is a perfect measure.

It's difficult to choose a book; But if you're poor it is no pleasure.

I must get something for the cook.
It's difficult to choose a book.

Oh, what a fearful hurly-burly!
I must get something for the cook;—

I meant to do my shopping early!

—Carolyn Wells, in "Life."

Police officer.—"Gentleman uptown telephones for an officer at once,—burglar in the house."

Captain.—"Let me see. I've got four men censoring plays, two inspecting the gowns at society functions, and two more supervising a tango tea. Tell him I can send him an officer in about two hours."—The Bowser Boomer.

More opportunities are lost in our leisure time—those golden moments wasted in frenzied search for health and pleasure— than cross our paths in all our working hours —Sheldon

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It is doing some service to humanity to amuse innocently; and they know very little of society, who think that we can bear to be always employed, either in duties or meditation, without any relaxation.

Sir P. Sidney.

Talk is abundant and cheap, but the right kind of talk is rare and expensive.

To say foolish things is injurious, but to write foolish things is ruinous.

The old Whitehall Building with its new 32-story annex is located at Battery Place, New York City, the southernmost point of Manhattan Island, occupying the block between Washington and West Streets.

The offices of The Texas Company take up the entire sixth and seventh floors, with a few offices on the eighth—bringing the space occupied by the Company to a total of 41,500 square feet.

This Building overlooks New York Harbor, and is situated within a stone's throw from the Customs House and from the Aquarium. (The Aquarium was formerly Castle Garden, built in 1807-11, for years the famous opera house in which Jennie Lind sang in 1850; from 1855 to 1890 a reception station for immigrants, now an aquarium belonging to the City, under control of the New York Zoological Society.)

The Whitehall Building is one of the landmarks of New York City, as it is one of the first skyscrapers seen on entering New York Harbor.

The wireless shown on the top of the building is part of the equipment of the U. S. Weather Bureau station maintained on the roof.

On clear days one can see for many miles, and the vista spread out before the spectator is one of unusual interest and variety, including the harbor and docks, busy thoroughfares, tall skyscrapers, old churches, the Statue of Liberty, the homes in Brooklyn, Sandy Hook, the forts that guard the harbor, the rolling hills of Staten Island, and the distant orange mountains in New Jersey.

The natives to whom we have shown our Stars have marveled at its make-up. It not only helps us to make friends, but in one instance has been the means of placing one of the local printers in touch with manufacturers of American type and printing machinery.

Ik Our first cargo arrived yesterday and we started unloading this morning. We feel, therefore, very jubilant and anxiously await the morning we can throw our doors open, and, according to Brazilian custom, cut the silk ribbons placed across the doors through which we trust many customers will pass. With the very best regards,

Sincerely,

V. R. Currie.

This appreciation of the West—printed by request—will be pleasing even to those who cherish a different affinity, if they agree with Lincoln's senti

ment: "I like to see a man proud of the place in which he lives, and I like to see a man live in it so that his place will be proud of him:"

OUT WHERE THE WEST BEGINS

Out where the handclasp's a little stronger,
Out where the smile dwells a little longer,

That's where the West begins.
Out where the sun is a wee bit brighter,
Where the snows that fall are a trifle whiter,
Where the bonds of home are a wee bit tighter,

That's where the West begins.

Out where the skies are a trifle bluer,
Out where friendship's a little truer,

That's where the West begins.
Out where a fresher breeze is blowing,
Where there's laughter in every streamlet flowing,
Where there's more of reaping and less of sowing,

That's where the West begins.

Out where the world is in the making,
Where fewer hearts with despair are aching,

That's where the West begins.
Where there's more of singing and less of sighing,
Where there's more of giving and less of buying,
And a man makes friends without half trying,

That's where the West begins.

—Arthur Chapman.