Rock Island daily Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1886-1893, 1889-11-27
THE AMERICAN FESTIVAL
Rock Island Has Much TO be
Thankful For.
A National Holiday Of Peculiar Local
Importance This Year.-How IL Will
be Observed

Thanksgiving day is sufficient answer
TO the charge that Americans have nc
sentiment. 1t is unique among all the
holidays Of the world for tender and
grateful ideality. And II is not the iso.
lated creature of one exceptional spirit.
IL has had a slow growth. nurtureo by the
genius OF the American people. From
the austere day OF religious worhip In.
stituted by the Puritsns has developed
THIS warm. CHEEKY holiday. with its fsmi
~ reunions. its crowded entertainments
Its monumental sacrifices of Turkey and
mince pie. Religion, mirth and family
affection are mingled in one delicious
aroma
The original Thanksgiving dsy would
never have spread beyond New England.
but as its scope became brosde led and
Its tone softened. its possibilities of pleas
ure became appreciated farther and far
Their away from its original home. Ithss
spread onward until it challenge the su
premscy OF Christmas in the south and of
the Fourth of July in the west. Il is dis.
tinctively national. for it is known eyery-
where within the American borders. and
nowhere else.
THANKSGIVING day was a long tim, in get
ting Itself established Ii is not IN 4, xcJusiva-
" American affair, and was not r,ener,,llv
observed IN the west and south till after the
war Out IN New England it may b. said to
date from the middle Of the Seventeenth
century. Over 5000 years ago Noses in
structed the lsraelites TO keep feast ofrar
they got established in the Holy Land They
called 1t the Feast of the Tabernacles and
Tor eight days, following the close o. harvest.
they dwelt in booths made chiefly Of green
bouGhs and Toasted ON corn. wine. oil and
fruits In the course of time splendid ritusi
Tor this feast was developed, includiu, much
singing in responsive choruses Somewhat
later the Greeks held a nine DAYS feast Of
similar character in which slaves were nj.
lowed 10 take part and all criminals except
murderers The Romans had IA similar feast
IN honor Of Ceres, goddess of grain
The Saxons had Harvest Home.n and
after them the English, which fe ,tival was
observed in a sort Of way in some of the
American colonies. In the year lC9I the Pill
grim Fathers tried 10 celebrate it, but it was
rather gloomy affair. In l62S a ship loaded
with provisions failed TO arrive and Governor
Bradford appointed a day OF humiliation
fasting and prayer, but the expected shin
arrived and so they made it day Of thanks
giving
Ninety Indians, headed by Oh ef Massa-
SOFT took part. In 1851 the Purits ns ran out
Of provisions, and Feb. was nam u as a day
OF fasting and prayer. As in the other case,
the ship arrived, and they had felst instead.
June 10, 1867, there was general service in
all the churches Of New England to give
thanks for the great victory at Fort Mystic
over the Pequots, and on the 18th II October
ioiloWIng general service and fea t. in honor
OF peace aud the settling of some religious
differences. Forty years later Go rernor An
dros ordered the people To give thanks on the
hrst day OF December; but they hated An
dros and did not thank worth a sent. Sew
eral persons were arrested for treating the
proclamation with contempt, but this struck
the home authorities as rather luC icrous and
hls conduct was disapproved
Thereafter Thanksgiving was pretty gem
orally Observed in all England and the states
>ettled 10y her, the governor naming the day
U-orge Washington recommend a 10 con
SresS the naming OF national iay IN 1859.
Tor the adoption of the cons tuition. IL
was done, and the day was generally oh
served la 1913 the proceeding " Is repeated
james Madison appears 10 have issued the
Hrst presidential proclamation on the subject.
ia lsl5, Ia honor OF the return IL peace
FORTY eight years passed befors President
Lincoln Issued the second one in SiS Since
then every president has follow al the Gus
iom and the day is nationally observed al
asst