Arlington resident Gerald Miller is best known as Santa Claus every year, when he sets up shop at Lincoln Square. Here, he answers one of the questions he is most-often asked: âSanta, whatâs the North Pole really likeâ?
Well now Iâll tell you, if you have one of these World Globes at your house, youâll notice right here, on top thereâs a big white space up on the top. Well now, thatâs because up at the North Pole where the Elves, Mrs. Claus and I live itâs cold and snowy all the time. Why, when I left home just this morning, the wind was blowinâ real hard, nâ the snow was blowing something fierce; and cold? My goodness, it was about -34 degrees below zero. Now thatâs even colder than your Momâs freezer. According to the Snow Gauge (thatâs actually the pole up at the North Pole) the snow was 39 feet deep!
Now then, if youâve ever seen the movie âPolar Express,â you already know about North Pole City and about the 50,000 or so Elves who live there. But my TOY SHOP isnât located there. Nope, itâs actually four miles directly north of the city. You see, when Admiral Byrd discovered the North Pole, it was on a day when there was a terrible blizzard, and it was difficult for anyone to see. He missed the exact North Pole. Now, had it been a better day he would have seen where Mrs. Claus, the Elves and I work.
Way back when my Great Great, Great, Great Grandfather (Santa Claus # 9) was alive, he and the Elves dug tunnels under that deep snow that connected the house with the Toy Shop and Barn where the reindeer live. Since then more buildings have been added â and snow tunnels to connect them. Why, a few years ago we even added a Dormitory for the Elves to live up near the Toy Shop and put a tunnel there, too. Now all 386 Elves who work with me making toys each year live up there and donât have to walk or ride snow mobiles to get to work every day.
Back to North Pole City, which was your question, right? Okay now, lets see. No one but the Elves live at North Pole City. The houses where the Elves all live are pretty small by your standards. Shucks, I canât even stand up in them. They have 6-feet- high ceilings and narrow doorways. I canât get through the doors front ways or sideways; in fact I donât even try. Now theyâre fine for the Elves because thereâs a whole lot less to heat, and they have to be heated year-round âcause it is so cold all the time.
North Pole City is pretty much like your town. Lots of stores (shops, drug and hardware stores), bakeries, churches, schools and such, which are the places for the Elvesâ parents to work. Thereâs a nice City Hall, a big (by Elf standards) new hospital, a nice library, and of course, North Pole University where I got my first undergraduate degree. Now, because the snow is so deep, almost every adult drives a snowmobile or dogsled to get around. Even though theyâre adults, they canât drive automobiles because theyâd always be getting stuck in the snow. The real truth of the matter is that Elves simply are so short that their feet canât reach the pedals!
The Elf children do a lot of playing outside. They donât play baseball, football or things like tennis. The snowâs too deep. But donât let an Elf talk you into a hockey match or some kind of skiing or snowshoe race. Man, oh man, youâll really be outmatched there. They build a lot of snow forts and igloos and are pretty well able to get the snow to do whatever they want it to do. Lots of boys and girls in Arlington ask me, âAre all Elves Small?â Well, the truth to that is almost all are short. But, do you know what? Thatâs why youâre so lucky. You live where vegetables can be grown … and lots of them. Itâs too cold to grow vegetables up at the North Pole. You see, once the Elves dig down deep enough to where youâd think dirt would be, all they find is rock hard ice.
You see, unlike where most humans live here on planet Earth, the North Pole really isnât a continent like North America, South America or Europe, to name a few. Those places are on actual dirt and rocks, or, as some people call it …âTerra Firma.â All the countries on the Earthâs surface are like where you live. But one isnât! That place is the North Pole up in the Arctic Ocean. Thereâs no dirt or rocks up there … The North Pole is nothing but an iceberg.
Now that may be a new term to you …âIceberg.â An iceberg is nothing but a huge chunk of ice. Scientists have estimated that the ice up at the North Pole may be a mile or two thick and hundreds of square miles in every direction. So you see, the Elves are small because they donât get vegetables everyday like you do. Thatâs why youâre so very lucky.
Oh, I could go on for hours talking about the North Pole because thatâs where I spend most of my time. But Mrs. Claus says I talk too much! But if you want to learn more about where the Elves and I live; where most of the Christmas toys are made and pose for a picture with me too, then just bring your Mom or Dad to Santa Land at Lincoln Square about six blocks north of Cowboys Stadium. Every child gets to sit on my lap for a few minutes, ask me questions, get a free toy to take home and talk with one of my friendly Elves. Photos are only $15, $20 or $25 dollars depending upon the size desired, and the best part is that 100 percent of whatâs paid goes directly to a childrenâs charity known as âA Wish with Wings.â They provide âmagicalâ wishes for little Texans with life-threatening conditions. All this is through the courtesy of the Merchants and Management of Lincoln Square Shopping Center.
The hours when the Elves, Mrs. Claus and Olâ Santa will be there for personal visits may be found on the websites of either âA Wish with Wings,â awishwithwings.org or Lincoln Square Shopping Center, lincolnsquarearlington.net.
