Editor’s note: This was submitted by Sam Drayo of Fredonia and was published in the Fredonia Censor in 1954 at the holidays. He included this note – “I’m sure you will recognize some of the old Fredonia names. In the poem at the end of the second column there is mention of “Goggins Alley.” Goggins Alley was mostly vacant land located on the east side of lower Lambert Avenue past Newton Street in the area where the Sahle apartments are now located. Many Fredonia folks grew up, lived and played in that area.”

Merry Christmas!

(with apologies to Frank Sullivan and THE NEW YORKER)

Greetings, Fredonians, old and new,

Happy Christmas meetings to you.

It’s pine and holly and mistletoe time,

The urge is upon us this season to rhyme.

An ardent stanza to each and all:

to Mayor Ted James, a real Christmas ball.

Please, Santa, leave a mechanical toy

For Trustees Sanderson, LoGuidice and Joy,

Holiday greetings, all in a clump,

To Samuel Drayo and Russell L. Trump.

A lusty ring of the New Year bell

For Chiefs Erv Kroenke and Claude Cornell.

A cordial Yuletide beam from us

To all the kids on Topliffe’s bus.

Greetings to the families of Whitmer and Manley,

The same to the folds named Johnson and Stanley.

Rest ye merry, all Guginos,

Rest ye likewise, all Pulvinos.

A hefty load of Christmas goods

To the happy family of Major Jim Woods,

The same to his parents, your parents as well,

To Blanding, to Duncan, to Aldrich and Bell,

To restaurauteurs Gangi, Arnold, Maloney,

To the brother Ferrugia and Michael Mahoney.

A fragrant armful of evergreen boughs

For Keller and Kelly, Herb Mackie, Mert Howes.

Felicitations we offer gladly

To Robert Maytum, to Howard Bradley,

Green and shining wreaths of holly

For Father Walker and Delbert Jolley,

For all the rest of the clergy too,

Peace on earth, good will to you.

Get out the carolers in the park

For Walter, Edward and Jackson Clark.

A busy season to Sweetmaker Harrington,

Van Scoters, McCraiths and Harold Ferrington,

all the Blodgetts, all the Leones,

All the Gregorys, all the Barones.

Raise a glass to the Frank S. Sawyers,

A toast to all his fellow lawyers.

Songs of gladness wassails sing

For Larsons, Lawsons and Harry King,

For Draggetts, Damons, Robert Spittal,

Shroeders, Schulers and Frank E. Little.

All the treats the elves can muster

For Doctors Black, Northrup and Custer.

Pretty presents on the tree

For each and every tired M.D.

A big plum pudding to Currie, Bill,

Another like it to Putnam, Will.

Season’s wishes to Fred McKee,

Joe C. Petz and Billy McPhee.

Many a free-wheeling holiday caper

To Wally Brennan (that OTHER PAPER).

A tip of the hat to the Schoenthals,

The Hunters, the Denglers, all the Halls,

To Dr. and Mrs. F. Wells Brason,

To Manley Sessions and George S. Mason.

Christmas joy in a great big batch

To Eugene Whitney and Harold Hatch,

To Bill McCaw and Willoughby Shaw,

And Harry Salhoff and Edward Mau,

To Russ DiMaggio and William Cease,

To the DeCeilios and Fred K. Fees.

Deck the halls and carol gaily

For Ernie Salzer and tall Ed Dailey,

For Howard Griswold and Gerry Hackman,

Alphonse Gailewicz and F. Roy Jackman,

Alex Dickson and Murray Shelton,

Kirby Hayward and Irving Pelton,

The Bremer Brothers and Banker Ross,

Gardner Freling and Theodore Gloss.

A serenade for Tom O’Neil,

For Riehl, Piehl, Steele and Jack Abeel.

Christmas frolics, New Year’s fun

To Herman Graf and George H. Gunn,

Herb Harp, Bill Cook and Jim DeJoe,

Walt Baker and Martin Devereaux,

Frank Mitchell, Bob Beck, Don Brandt, Bert Dawley,

Frank Patton, Bill Kerr, Art Toomey, Bert Rowley;

For Johnny Fitzgerald and Richard Taft,

John Guzetta and Elwood Kraft.

To all the McLarens and Fred Ahrens,

All the Frosts and all the LeBarrons,

To Fred and John and Rudy Sahle,

And all the gang from Goggins’ Alley.

Greetings gay and wishes cheery

To Art Ellsworth and Nicholas Heary,

Florian Spoden and Gordon Corter,

Jiggs Dengler and Greenskeeper Porter.

Noel, Noel, and rest ye merry

To the prexy Porter, Harry.

Hang the stockings, wind the clock,

Visions of sugarplums to young John Soch.

To Howard Wallen and Ernie Green,

Al Macklem, Stew Dudley and Bob Lupean,

Harry Hickey, Al Woodcock and Frankie Best,

Joe Keyser, Bob Lesch and Donald Guest.

A peal of the chimes for Charlie Schwan,

For the Hogan brothers, Don and Ron.

Sparkling wishes in a Christmas drift

For DeForest Straight and Otis Swift.

Joys of the seasons, cheers unmeager

For Johnny Britz, Red Sweet and Louis Eger.

• ??

O readers all we didn’t mention,

Please give this thought your close attention:

Our earnest wish that you’ll survive

To celebrate in fifty-five.