Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1889-11-23

serene and elevating joys to an overwhelming
circle. until today its observance is universal
throughout the length and breadth of our
great land. Two other Presidents had each
proclaimed a general Thanksgiving day for
special occurrences, as, indeed Lincoln him.
| self had previously done. But they we're moi
in the spirit of the rare old pilgrims who es-
| tabished the festival a day Of thanksgiving
and praise to God. not for any special blessing
but for all his constant mcrcies and gifts. II
was not, therefore. until 1868 that from purely
New England institution Thanksgi living day be-
came national festival OF rejoicing. univer-
sally celebrated from the pine forests OF Maine
10 the surt-washed shores of the Pacific coast
Looking back in retrospect over the quarter
| OF a century that has passed since then, We fino
that Thanksgiving day has been rarely prolific
| IN important events, and that the sweet New
England festival has been signalized by joys and
sorrows OF more than passing moment during
that period. and by many occurrences of grea
importance to our nation, and even to mankind
| at large.
THE CLOSE OF THE WAR.
When the people of the country sat down tc
their Thank giving dinner in 1864 in compi
ance With President Lincoln's second recon-
mendation they were devoutly thankful tia
tnU cruel civIi was near,y over. Grant was
encamped before Richmond Farragut. having
up the last confederate port but one, aud Sher
man was cutting the confederacy in twain by
his famous march from Atlanta to the sea.
PRESIDENT JoHNsoN's THANKSGIVING.
When Thanksgiving day dawned in 1865 the
war was over. President Andrew johnson
recognized the fact, appointing Thursday, De
cember 7. as Thanksgiving day instead OF the
last Thursday in November according to usua
custom. and advising the whole people to give
thanks that they had been delivered from the
scourge of civil war. An additional cause toI
Thanksgiving that President johnson haC
previously issued proclamation restoring tc
the people of the north the privilege of the
writ of habeas corpus-the citizens defense
and safeguard suspended during the war.
IN 1866
Thanksgiving day, 1866 found the country
excited over the Fenian movement to free Ire
land and events in Mexico. In the affairs OF
the latter country the United States had begun
to take hand against the French usurpers
News came on Thanksgiving morning thai
OaIted states troops had crossed the Eic
Grande to occupy Matamora5 and that the
usurping emperor, MACMILLAN, was about tC
iCs ave the country. though never permitted &c
Il SO. rs the Mexicans shot him in the follow.
ing year.
\ general rain storm prevailed throughout q
large portion of our country on Thanksgiving
day, 1867. interfering largely with the celebra-
ton OF the occasion. The most remarkable
event of the day was the completion by Weston
the famous New England walker of his Ion,
tramp from Portland. Me-, to Chicago, Ill. he
entered the latter city at 9 o'clock on Thanks
giving morning, having covered the distance
l,300 miles-between the two places in just
twenty-five days. He WAS welcomed by the
mayor of the city. brass band and so 600 peo-
pie, and was given reception, afternoon and
night, at the Crosby opera house. His per-
Torrance was considered the most wonderful
pedestrian feat on record up to that time.
Nothng OF national importance occupied the
public mind on Thank sgiving 1863 but on tn al
OF 1869 the whole people were rejoicing over the
victory won by Walter Brown OF Portland. Me,
over j. II. Sadler of London. England, on No
vember 10 of that year, in an international
sculllng match on the river Tyne in the latter
country.
THE fRANco-PRUssIAN WAR.
The Franco-Prussian war was the absorbing
topic of conversation on Thanksgiving day
1910. The old time lecture associations were
then in the heyday Of their glory, and many
large audiences all over the country listened
| that Thanksgiving night to lectures from tile
late Charles Sumner and others on THE Great
Duel Between France and Prussia"
Thanksgiving day, 1871. was remarkable for
the bitter cold weather which prevailed over a
large portion of our land. At many points in
the northwest the mercury fell from so to 20
degrees below zero, while at many places in
New England it marked from IS to 20 degrees
below. The great feature of the day was a
prize fight between Jem Mace, the famous
gypsy ex-champion of England, and Joe Co
burn, an Irish American pugilist, for the cham
pionship OF the world and 1000. 1t was fought
at Montgomery station, near Bay st. Louis,
Miss. and was witnessed by 500 spectators.
Neither man seemed anxious to fight, and after
they had spared for three hours and thirty
each other the referee declared the mill a
draw.
THE BOSTON FIRE.
The great heart of the nation was throbbing
with sympathy when daylight broke on Thanks
giving morning, 1872, for with the dawn came
the Geographic announcement that nine bodies
had been recovered from the smouldering
ruins of the fire which had nearly DESTROYED
the city OF Boston on November Ii, and that
nineteen of its supposed victims were still
missing. Over the wires flashed also an uI-
favorable report of the condition of Horace
Greeley, the famous journalist who had been
the democratic candidate in the preside II tinl
election of that year and whose death was
momentarily expected at Tarrl town, NY,
where he expired at $50 o'clock on the follow
Ing evening.
soRRowING IN 1873.
Many heavy hearts sought in vain for some
day in 1873. The financial panic of that year
had paralyZed many forms of industry. Con-
sequently not d few OF those dependent upon
them for their daily bread. who but few years
before had been i'll comparative afluence, now
found themselves idle and almost destitute
Still the news received that Thanksgiving morn
ing that the threatened war with Spain over the
seizure OF tine American vessel Virginius by the
Cuban authorities had been averted by the
Spanish government acceding to the demands
OF the United States was cause for rejoicing
When the next Thanksgiving came in 1874 the
effects OF the panic were still being felt in many
places. The eyes of the nation were turned in
particular to the coal regions of PENNSYLVANIA.
out of $4,000 workers in that section all but
1000 were then idle. Outrage and murder
were common, general lawlessness was RAM
pant and a great riot SCENE imminent
The whole nation united in mourning on
Thanksgiving day, 1875, at the bier OF Vice
President Henry Wilson, whose remains were
then lying in state in the Capitol at Washing
ton, he having died suddenly on Tuesday, No
vember %.
THE CENTENNIAL.
The nation had passed its Tooth birthday
when it celebrated its next Thanksgiving in
1876. The whole people were in a state of
political ferment There had been a presi-
Dental election and no one knew whether
Hayes or Tilden was to be the next President.
In 1877 the great annual holiday was un-
marked by any special event attracting gen
eral attention, but that of the following year
was somewhat saddened by the news Of an
ocean disaster which had occurred on the pr O.
vious day. The German steamer Pommerania,
from New York, sank OFF Folkstone on the