The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1888-11-29
THE ANNUAL HOME FEAST
Thanksgiving with all Its Essentials
of Good Living and Happiness.
Dealers Busy in Meeting the Demands for
Turkeys and Other Luxuries of the Season
How the Day viii Be Observed.

AnauhsSisiuR ucallnRs mOnopollZeQ the az
teution of grocers, yesterday. those to whom
the richer trade goes aud those whose supplies
are sent out to any one who has the money to
pay for them alike enjoying the extra demand
caused by the annual feast. Baskets, packages.
bundles and hampers of goods. but none without
the essential turkey. were piled up in many
places waiting delivery. while to it every minute
was added some other basket, package, bundle
or hamper. All were neatly marked or num-
oered, and the clerk or porter would only
wait long enough to see that whatever it
was reached the spot to insure correctness on
the part Of the drivers. 1t was in the midst of
such hustle as this that the lady taking out her
memorandum called the attention Of a clerk and
said; al want first, nine baskets."
What use will the lady make of these bas-
ketsf' the reporter asked the proprietor of the
store as the clerk went to fill the order.
She will have each filed" he replied. with
q turkey, celery and cranberriss. The tempting
eatables will be sent to the employees of her hus-
oands store. We are filling many orders of
that kind. So is every other grocer. Manu-
lecturers buy largely in that way for their
workingmen. Many limit the purchase to a
turkey, but others add cranberries, while some
complete the three essentials for a Thanksgiv-
ing dinner by adding celery. No Thanksgiving
dinner can be given without turkey, cranberries
and celery. There are employees, too, who
have oysters to add further richness to their
feasts. Occasionally a very liberal purchaser,
who wishes to make the annual dinner of those
who have worked for him faithfully as
luxurious as possible, buy confections,
fruits and nuts. That gives q feast of elaborate
details. but whether it is the turkey alone or
the turkey with all the fnishings, the act Of
giving goes a great ways in making Thanks
giving one Of general happiness"
"That is the sentiment; now for the cost"
was suggested.
"Oh. it is impossible to tell anything about
that. We cannot even approximate. it for the
custom or the well-to-do in sharing with those
VINO for the sake of economy would deny them
selves Thanksgiving Injuries if they had to buy
them, is incl easing. This year it costs q little
more to put up a Thanksgiving basket. Turkey
Is higher, a cent or a cent and q half moro
tnau last year. 1t was poor corn crop in 1887
that causes this advance in price. Cranberries
are good and at about the Same
price they commanded last season. There is no
change in celery except that it is better. Celery
raisers are getting stalks almost to immaculate
u VIC ulbc tucJ y II mOIO
crispy. hence the more delicious. We do not
sec any drawing in of purse strings. Our Gus
toners generally are not compelled to econo-
nize. but / hear of nothing in the trade from
other grocers TO lead me to think that there is
not as much money spent this year as last in
the way of preparing for the feasts of To- NOR
row.
While the grocer looks at Thanksgiving
In the matter of dollars and cents, the
sentimentalist and the religious would throw
II Nc 4-I
teal The former allows himself to speculate
on why the turkey is the emblem Of the day.
he knows the bird in that character has
come down through the generations from 1921,
when the first harvest was gathered by the
plymouth colonists. 1t was a time for thanks
giving. and in order to give the general feast a
special flavor. Governor Bradford sent four men
out cunning for wild turkeys. This was on
Oct 3, 1921, and the four men brought
In several hundred Of the birds
particularly described. But Thanksgiving has a
more remote origin than among the religious.
They place it at the old Hebrew feast of Taber-
nacles. but the day occasionally appeared in the
European calendar along in the sixteenth cent
ury. and perhaps earlier. The first anniversary
OF the delivery Of Leyden, Holland, was OBJ
served BY a thanksgiving, Oct. 3. 1915. In 160S
the Pilgrim Church, exilsd from Holland, went
TO England, and twelve years later sent off the
Maytiower colony to New England. The recon-
mendation of a days public THANKSGIVING was
mainly confined to New England until after the
war. Since 1865 the President of the United
States has annually issued a proclamation of
thanksgiving, which is generally observed. but
to a very limited extent in the South; but the
day had been observed there before the war, as
in 1858 thanksgiving proclamations were made
by the Governors OF eight of the Southern
States. For the first time the Catholics will
observe the event this year as a religious day.
Several weeks ago Cardinal Gibbons, of Balti-
more, issued an encyclical letter to the bishops
of this country indorsine the action of the Presi-
dent and Governors in setting aside o special
day for thanksgiving.