The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1888-11-29

beating cheap drums and whooping an
reoklehsly ah 30 many young hayageh,
Boys In maRlts and outre costumes Woull
salute him with Gimme q penny, mister
And no might over aee q squad on hpphr'
emily we'll 20 do men marching M lrfegn'
lar order and conducting themselves llRe
trampa,
10 sum II up In one aenteneel Brook,
lm alone, OF all places In tho United
States, celebrates Thanksgiving Day ~ q
heather festival, And the custom u
peculiarly local 20 Brooklyn, II has not
oven crossed Ia full strength 10 New
York city, though some Of In influence II
dIseernlblo therel and u n barely notice.
able In tho mnaller cities and towns on
Long Island, And what Ia stranger sun,
IL IL a very old local custom, and lta origin
Ia. AZ the historians Of Ireland say, "loht
In tho mlata Of a hoary antiquity"
The phrase "heathen festival" IN the
preceding paragraph must not DO con
atrued as u terra Of reproachi u u simply
meant TO imply q celebration like That OF
Ohrlatmaa Ia the west and south, And
20 explain these variations OF local Gus.
tom, q bit OF history Ii In order, Ah oil
elamIoal scholars know, II Ii only by &C.
cldont that some sections Of the Christian
world observe Christmas IN tho anniyor'
aary OF Chrlht'a birth. Tho day waA eele'
bmtod Ia Italy for u thousand years or
moro before the Christian era, II was the
day OF the suns return from hln most
! aouthern point In tho heavens, tho day
when tho people closed accounts for tho
old year and started on q new 0noi no all
rigid rules we're relaxed, the most auhierc
smiled on tho general loyity ana " was u
| day OF rout and rovol, OF maak and mum
merry, Of foasting and giving glfu and
general social equality.
Through all the changes OF 3,bOO years
the old custom has n%urylyodl and In more
than half tho Christian world today
| Christmas IL practically a 'hoathon fcntl'
val" celebrated Just about 10 II was In
Italy 800 u. O., except that gunpowdor
has been Invented and tho turkey dis
covered since then. Brom southern Nu'
| rope the custom foatOd unchanged 70 the
aouthorn bolt Of the United htatoa, and
from England 20 Virginia and the border
| atatoh north and SOUTH no, while New
EnRlandOra assembled In tholr churches
! Tor FORENOON hufNlCo on INV wy N"'
| peopIo OF Indiana, Illinois, Kentucky and
adjoining states were firing anylla, pop
ping arocraokors, drinking oggnog, shoot
Ing at a mark, having running and wrea'
Ting matches, pitching quolte, and got
ting roady for a big dinner Of fresh pork,
chicken and sausage, with whisky before
II and plenty OF "Jeomoa rivcr' tobacco
after H.. Further south tho slaves were
allowed unlimited license and rcyel, and
no work was done till after Now Years,
80
We'll, oil that Christmas 10 TO tho boy
| Of tho southwest, all that July dth rs TO
all American boys, and u good deal that q
school holiday II to most boys, that IN
Thanksgiving day 20 the boys OF Brock
Ign, In tho afternoon. A gentleman
spending his first winter In tho city In
| 1887, said 10 me rocontlyi
''When | descended from tho droono
avenue station Of tho elevated road NJ
9 D. IN. | was amazed AT being surrounded
by u crowd Of half.grown boys In masks
and fanclful costumes who boldly do
mandod tho gift Of u penny oaoh and on