The New York herald., 1878-11-29
Pow Thanksgiving Day Was OBJ
served in New York.
sfEACR AND PLENTY REIGN SUPREME.
The Saerificial Turkey Disposed OF After the
Most Approved Fashion.
THE POOR GENEROUSLY CARED FOR

Thanksgiving Day observed yesterday through
out the city with more zeal than is usually shown IN
its observance and although the celebration was de-
void OF any novel features il generally acknowl-
edged be exceedingly hearty in every respect Few
business places open during the day. and down
town many OF the cigar stands were closed
But for the appearance Of fantasticals and
masqueraders. in various dsguses the streets would
have worn throughout the entire day Sabbath AS
pect. and even these displays too few and far
between make any approach to the carnival scenes
in cities where holidays more frequent and more
heartily observed.
With Thanksgiving Day is home institution.
1t is particularly day of feasting at the family
board. and prescribed has it become not only in
its forms but its dishes. that the turkey and not the
eagle may be said to be national bird. Every
body says turkey Thanksgiving Day, just as in
England everybody devours plum pudding on Christ
mas 1t would be interesting table OF statistics If
the number of turkeys consumed in this city this
holiday could be accurately procured, but it may be
assumed that at least turkey eaten yesterday
for every in the a5T 727 in the city directory
In the churches the day was, Of course, generally
observed will be seen from the HERALD's reports
this morning. while the charitable institutions.
both public and private. overfowed with feasting
snd thanksgiving. On Blackwell's and Randalrs and
Wards islands the day day OF good things, and
the convcts in the Penitentiary almost forgot
they were convicts while they were at dinner. The
Five Points Mission, the New York Juvenile
Society, the Children's Aid Society, the Sol
aiers' Relief Association the Eleventh Street
Lodging House, the New York Infant Asylum,
The Newsboys Lodging House, St. Barrabas' House.
fhe Home for the Friendless St. vincent's Home for
Boys, the Wilson Industrial School, the Thirty-ffth
Street Lodging House. the Colored Orphan Asylum
ne all ar1ra IA,
almost everybody who applied for them. and for
day in the year at least it not necessary for any
cne TO go hungry. 1t is wonderful story which the
HERALDs columns tell after every Thanksgiving of
the feeding of the poor.
The theatres, of course, in full blast, most Of
them giving matin1es and all of them evening per-
forInance vtiie the sporting fraternity found the
day fitting FOR matches of almost every kind.
In Westester county there two attempts at the
old-fashiond game of Hare and Hounds while the
Queens county hunt also made this day. There
were, besides rowing matches, pigeon matches and
athletic games at number of localities within easy
reach of the metropolis, and everywhere it ap-
parent that tho entire population of the great city had
ceased to labor and was intent on enjoyment. The
only thing which in any way arred the pleas of
the day the dark. lowering and threatening sky
which hung like weight of dependency the
delights OF the national Thanksgiving With bright
ana crisp clear the national
would have had better flavor; but, all things
sidered the day which brought joy and com
fort to mary a heart. and the Thanksgiving OF 1873
viii be long renembc,ed for its simple pleasures and
agreeable associations.
The thousands Of and women who have come
under tho care of the city government, whether by
reason of moral. mental or physical unsoundness.
were not forgotten in the general festivities of the
day. They had in some cases, more than usual
liberty of person, in others. additional religious
services. and in every instance varied
and liberal MONDAY meal On Monday last
the Commissioners of Charities and Correction pur
chased some fourteen thousand pounds OF poultry
7,5oo of turkey and $500 of chicken. This vast
amount was distributed among the various city in
ptitutions Manhattan Backweils, Randall s.,
Wards and Harts islands, the allowance to each
being regulated by the number Of inmates and their
general physical condition. the quantity allowed 70
hospital being proportonately less than that sent to
the Workhouse and Penitentiary.
TONES
At the Tombs the odor Of turkey and chicken
broth caused the features of criminals accustomed
the planest Of prison fare relax into express
sion o pleasant anticipation, and the various officers
remarked the unusual prevalence of something Ike
good humor among the wretches intrusted to their
The prisoners numbered 201 men. IA and
~ boys. IN the morning Chaplain Beker held SERVICE
preaching appropriate sermon from the last
OF the last PsalInsLet everything that hath breath
praise the Lord" Hymns and popular songs were
sung by preacher and choir, the Red, White and
Blue receiving enthusiastic The pris-
oners allowed extra half hours liberty at
noon. aud at o'clock sat down to dinner con-
sistrrg of between three hundred and four hundred
pounds Of poultry, prepared with vegetable concom
ftAnts in two immense cadrons. Their pleasure
was undisguised and the knowledge that Christmas
fpa
in no wise detractesi from the present enjoyment.
AZ the Jefferson Market Court prison there were
about forty male and twenty female prisoners at the
Essex Market about ten of each SEX in the Fifty
seventh street prison about twice that number and
nj Harlem seven males and six females. These were
oil provided with turkey and chicken dinner. the
whole amount consumed IN the various city prisons,
hcluding the Tombe, being 65l pounds.
BELLEVUE HOSPITAL
There 675 petients at Bellevue Hospital. and
fhey ate 1000 pounds Of poultry and the usual
amount of vegetable and other food. In the after
leo cream furnished 10 the Inmates az
nearly every ward this refreshment being furnished
BY private charity. In the evening musical enter
tainmeut was given to the patients, the number Of
visitors in the audience being quite large Mr.. w.
hulltgan played on tie piano. Milo. Munier, Nile.
Speaker. Messrs. w. Yates, John Wilson and David
Roach sang. aud Mr.. W. Halliday performed on ,the
violin. The Macdonald ulee Club sang several selec-
tions, and altogether the entertainment gave great
pleasure both 70 the invalids and their friends who
were present.
In the Homeopathic Hospital on Wards Island.
there 152 male and 253 female patients; In the
Insane Asylum gsl male ipmats; In the Hospital on
Raudalis Island, 3sG male and 1876 female patients;
In the InfaIts' Hospital, l3B male, lGy female pa
lients: Branch OF Workhouse, on Harts Island. Dr3
male 20 female inmates; Branch of Lunatlc Asylum,
D. female patients and Hart's Island Hospital 167
male and li3 female patients. Ia these institutions
the remaining 5000 pounds of poultry provided by
the Commissioners Of Charities aud Correction
eaten at the dinner tsbie. The whole number Of
enters in all the institutions thus provided for was
n little over 900 and the number OF pounds pro-
yided, before stated was l4,Ou0
BLAcKwEIL's ISLAND.
The day enjoyed much as their condition
would permit BY the unfortunate inmates Of
the Charity Hospital Blaokwel's Island, where
there are 1000 patients the numberof either sex being
about equal. The regular dinner, for which l.3O0
pounds OF poultry had been allowed by the Commis-
sioners took place at half past eleven o'clock Then.
from twe We 10 O'Clock, religious services
held and at the latter hour Literary and musical
of