The Austin weekly statesman. (Austin, Tex.) 1883-1898, 1891-12-10
WASHINGTON LETTER.
THANKSGIVING DAY IN AMERICAS
TYPICAL CITY.
Much to Be Thankful For-Athletic Sports.
Columbus Down the Georgetowns at
Football-ANew Battleship-Wom
en- and the Worlds Fair.

Special Correspondence to The Statesman
WASHINGTON, d. c., Dec. 1.-The
Thanksgiving proclamation Of Presi-
dent Harrison met with cordial sup
port and hearty response in this city,
and was not only issued for the peo'
pie but more strongly emphasized by
the personal recognition of the day i'll
the attendance of the chief executive
and his family on the services Of the
sanctuary. The congregations of the
Church of the Covenant and New
York avenue united in gathering at
the latter church, where Rev. DR..
Bartlett preached an interesting
sermon to a crowded audience. The
assembling of the people in Gods
earthly temples was a marked feature
of the day, and the sermons delivered
| in the different churches were preg-
nant with eloquent thanksgivings.
The spirit of charity was largely
manifested, and out of the abundance
ofthose on whom fortune had smiled
during the past year the less favored
were literally remembered. Even
at the Jail, where souls
stained with crime look out
from their dreary cells, and
peer wistfully through the iron bars
even there the spirit Of plenty reigned,
and for one day the spirit Of those
wretched souls were helped to forget
the darkness in which sin has envel-
oped them, and look out into the pure
light of our nations glad day.
The Central Union Mission was one
of the broadcast avenues for the trans
mission of material aid to the worthy
poor. For three years the plan has
been adopted of giving dinners in
each home rather than have the peo-
pie assemble at the mission, and as
the facilities for finding the needy
ones are so great, and the methods
employed so thoroughly practical, the
public response through this channel
is wonderfully liberal-the money
amounting this year to over $1,000, be-
sides stacks Of clothing ndquantities
of provisions. About 400 families
were supplied with real Thanksgiv-
ing dinners; then tickets were dis
tributed to different cafes, and it is
safe to say that two or three thousand
persons were fed through this mission
agency. A touching incident occur
red while the ladies were still hard at
work at the rooms marking the diff
ferent bags and bundles. A poor wo-
man came in and, bursting into tears,
almost embraced one of the ladies as
she sobbed out her thanks for the first
meal she and her family had eaten
for thirty-siX hours. AS people we
have need to give thanks unto God for
his mercy and for the abundant bless
ings showered upon us. Look at
Russia and it's starving millions! Look
at Japan and it's homeless millions! AS
a nation it behooves us to eXclaim
with grateful hearts: "What are we
that thou art mindful of us?"
Hurrah for the Columbias!
| The grand amusement Of the day
was the magnificent foot ball game
between the Georgetown College
eleven and the Columbia Athletic
club team of Washington for the
championship of the district. Butter.
worth came down from the clustered
shades of Yale to take his part among
the G. A. Cs., and was of course the
hero of the day. He came on the field
| looking very natty in his thick white
blouse, adorned with a big blue "Y,'
and received enough applause to salts
fly any reasonable man; but soon the
old doeskin suit that has been so con-
spicuous on other athletic fields was
donned and he Went at his work
with a will. Between 5000 and
| 1000 persons were on the ground, and
while both teams did splenid
athletic work, Columbia won the day,
and the boys are doubtless still
| troubled with hoarseness because Of
the prolonged shouts that made the
welkin ring.
A NEW BATTLE SHIP.
We may count one in the com
pleton of oneof the most notable YES
sells ever launched in America. Invi-
tatiOns have been issued to the presi-
I,dent and cabinet, the chiefs of bureaus
| in the navy department, the naval
committees of both houses of congress,
the naval attaches of the different
foreign legations, and others, for We'd
nesday, December 2. at the Philadel-
phia ship yard, where the armored
ship "New York." will dash like an
imprisoned bird out upon the silver
stream and stand ready to fall into
line when the order for battle is
sounded. She is notable as being the
heaviest weight of metal ever put
atloat in this country, and also the
most quickly built of any vessel of
her class. Special trains will be run
from this city and the occasion will he
one of much interest, for all Ameri-
cans are proud to note the success of
their own artisans.
WOMEN AT THE WORT D'S FAIR.
Mrs. Potter Palmer is now in the
city for the purpose of presenting her
report to the president; she has also
urged upon the state de-
partment important measures for the
advancement of woman's part in this
great work of the Worlds fair. In
addition to the general invitation