The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1892-11-18
HISTORIC FEASTS.
EARlY THANksGlVlNGS AND THE
EVENTS WHICH LED TO THEM

Jhe fiigr1ms Eirst 10 Nelebrate tns
Festival in America with Massasoit "a,
! Their Gues.--A Curious Long Island
| Custom.
We wonder how many boys and girls
know the facts which we shall tell them
about this holiday. How many, for in.
stance, can tell in what year the day was
first observed? TO recall tho circum.
stances Of the first day Of Thanksgiving
may serve to remind us Of how much
more we have to be thankful for than
had those early pilgrims. History tells
us that of the 102 emigrants that landed
on the bleak and rocky coast OF Cape
Cod bay in the winter Of 1920 almost
half died before the following winter
fairly set in. Today in our comfortable
country and city homes we cannot even
imagine the sufferings of the survivors,
both from destitution and the inclement
weather, which they were not prepared
either as to clothes or habitations t.
brave. The most of the brave people
were no. Injured to hardships. Among
them were gentle and delicately nur.
tured men and women.
They stakcd and laid out two rows of
huts for the lnineteen families that com.
prised the colony, but within the first
year they had to make seven times more
graves for the dead than houses for the
living. Notwithstanding all their trials
and hardships these bravo founders OF a
great and glorious race had so much for
which to be thankful that they had 10
appoint "an especial day on which to give
especial thanks for all their mercies."
So they agreed among themselves
that, since their prudence and fore
thought had been so wonderfully blessed
of God, they would send out four men
hunting that they might rejoice together
in special manner after the fruit of
their labors hail been gathered. Ac-
cording TO the historian. barley and In
dian corn were their only crops; the
peas We're not worth gathering, for, rs
we feared, they were too late sown.'
This was under the good Governor Brad
ford. Tho four men who went hunting
brought in as much game as served the
company for u week. The recreatiors
of the day consisted &C the exercises Of
their arins-Massasoit, the Indian chief,
and ninety OF his men coming among
them for three days, during which time
they were entertained and feasted by
the colonists, the Indians killing and
bringing TO the feast five deer. This
was ii 1G2l and was tie beginning of
Thanksgiving day in America.
The next New England Thanksgiving
day was in July, 1923, which had been
appointed day Of fasting and prayer on
account OF drought. While the people
were praying rain fell abundantly ard
the governor appointed it instead day
Of thanksgiving. II June, 1852, Gov
ernor Winthrop, Of the Massachusetts
Bay colony, invited the governor of
Plymouth colony to unite with him in
day Of public thanksgiving because the
action of the British privy council had
been favorable to the colonies. In Mas
sachusetts Bay colony old records show
that days of Thanksgiving were ap-
pointed in lCG2, 1884, 1887, 1888 and 1880
and sometimes on more than one day in
the same year. IN Plymouth we find
mention Of one in 1851 and again in 1868.
In 1850 it seems to have become IN an.
nual custom.
During the revolution 1t was annually
recommended by congress; then there
was thanksgiving for peace in 17s4,
and in 1889 President Washington rec.
commended a day of Thanksgiving for
the adoption of the constitution. In
1913 there was ono for the suppression
Of insurroction, and in April, 1915, the
president appointed a day of thanks-
giving for peace. In New England,
during all this time, however, annual
proclamations were Issued by the gov
ernors Of the various states officially
recommending the religious observance
OF the day, where indeed it became tho
principal social and home festival of the
year.
During the war of the rebellion Pres
ident Lincoln appointed special thanks
giving III 1862 and 1868, and a national
proclamation Of annual thanksgiving
was issued in 1868 and 1864. Since that
time the president, as well as governors
and mayors, have issued such procla-
nation annually.
One OF the most remarkable thanks
givings on record was the custom in
Southampton and Easthampton, Long
Island. Montauk Point, consisting of
about 5000 acres, was owned by numer-
GUS proprietors in those two towns. They
used it as common pasturage for their
stock. The time for driving the flocks
home for the winter was fixed at a
meeting by the town council, land it
came," says the historian, "to be a rule
from the period beyond which the
memory of man runneth not that the
Thursday of the week following the re-
turn Of the cattle from Montauk should
be observed as day of Thanksgiving.
But Thanksgiving is older even than
the United States. In many countries
there have been from time to time
thankful hearts. IN Holland the first
anniversary Of the deliverance Of the
city of Leydcn from the siege, Oct. g.
1915, was kept as religious festival Of
Thanksgiving and praise. In the English
! church service the 9th of November is