The Republican journal. [volume] (Belfast, Me.) 1829-current, 1871-12-07
Letter From Boston.
Correspondence of the journal.
ROsToE Dec a 1871

1
THANKSGIVING,
the dear, old-fashioned, delightful day,
handed down from eye ancient time" by
universal custom, has come and gone. A
little more windy, frosty and freezingly
cold than the Thanksgiving of these later
days are want to be, and more like unto
those of the years agone, where sleigh
rides, and skating parties were closely
allied with turkey and plum pudding, and
both were synonymous of this merriest of
festal days. The day preceding came in
with snowy, cloudy, windy morning,
and departed IN clear and freezing even
ing. As the mercury fell the prices of
poultry rose, SO that those who came late
to buy found heavier demands upon their
purses But the additional four cents per
pound seemed in no wise to discourage
or dishearten the throngs of purchasers.
The reigning thought appeared to be
''Thanksgiving day comes only once in year,,
and with a recklessness worthy better
cause they launched forth the crisp notes
and jingling coppers, that effected quick
transfers of all the dainty delicacies and
traditional belongings of regular New
England Thanksgiving dinner, from mar
ket to kitchens. Many, with souls I'M
doubtedly softened by the suggested
flavors and appetizing aroma of cranberry
| ia and oalarv min Nd
goose, remembered that BLESSED is he
who considereth the poor" and realized
their highest enjoyment of the day in
providing an ample and delicious dinner
for their less fortunate neighbors; so tits
to be believed that very few. If any, with
in the limits of this large hearted city
were obliged to resort to the shift of the
man who said "we thought we would
have a plain dinner to-day as always to
eat roast turkey and plum pudding makes
one sick"
| During many years it has been the GUS
| tom in Boston for the Chief Of Police to
issue a fowl proclamation several days
preceding Thanksgiving, which always
resulted in the accumulation. at the differ
ent police stations, of generous supply
of poultry and other provisions, or the
money with which to buy them. These
have been dealt out by the trusty guar
| dams of the peace with strict impartiality
to the applying poor. But this year the
supplies and funds thus contributed were
considerably smaller than heretofore,
owing to the discovery, that in majority
OF cases, the articles were not received by
| the really deserving and appreclative poor,
they being in most instances, as the police
officers themselves assert, too pround to
submit themselves to the degrading and
humiliating investigations that always has
to accompany the gift. This is the poy-
erty that ''walketh not in rags" but ever
surrounds itself with decency and self-re-
spect-much more to be respected and
oftener to be helped than the crouching,
subservient, shame faced poverty that is
so frequently to be seen. 1t is pleasant to
know that some new way is to be devised
by which worthy cases may be properly
| attended to. The closing Of schools,
banks, newspaper offices, government de
partments, and a general suspension OF all
kinds Of business, together with liberal
amount Of church going, parties, balls,
and theatrical amusements constituted the
| observances OF the day The inmates of
the State Prison were RECALLED with their
annual dinner OF poultry and other good
things, the different firms employing con-
Wet labor furnishing liberal supply of
| fruits.
| EXECUTIVE CLEMENCY.
Thanksgiving is annually marked in
Massachusetts by the liberation of two
| State prisoners, if two are to be found de-
serving the Executive clemency. The
| two liberated last Thursday We're David
Aldrich, lad of eighteen, and Il man
| named James O'Brien. The latter has
| been in prison five, the former four years
| This case Of young Aldrich was peculiar
| one, and has always elected much sympa-
| thy from those conversant with the facts.
| He was employed by man in Methuen
| Mass, to work for him at a stipulated
price; but upon settling, the man refused
to pay the boy az much as agreed upon by
two dollars a month This reused Young
| David, then only fourteen years old, to
the highest pitch of anger and resent
ment, and finding himself unable to OBJ
| tain Justice he determined OF to wait but
to take vengeance into his own hands,
and accordingly set fire to the mans barn,
| thinking with the unreasoning spirit of
anger and boyhood that the man would
appear and put it out before it had burned
much, and that he would only lose a little
and be a good deal frightened. But alas
for his calculations, the fire spread, con-
Stunning not only the barn but the house
and other attached buildings, and the boy
was Immediately arrested, tried, convicted
and sent to State Prison. His unhappy
| condition, youth anG uniformly good con-
duct soon made Warden Haynes his firm
friend, and it is mainly through his ex-
ertions that that this young Jack Cade is,
after four years OF confinement, again at
liberty, it is to be hoped "a wiser ii a
sadder boy"
A CHANGE OF OFFICIALS
at the State Prison is another of the much
talked about events of the week Warden
Haynes. whose name has become almost
world renowned, for his kind and humane
policy toward convicts, and fer his many
improvements in prison discipline, is call
ed upon by Governor Clafin. suddenly
and without warning to resign. Like an
honest man he demands to know the
reason why, but is briefly told there is
none, save that he has occupied the posi-
ton some fourteen years, and His Excel
lency thinks the time has come to appoint
| opofhor I, lat Al,