Courier Democrat. (Langdon, N.D.) 1891-1920, 1893-11-30

mas not ncrceptlhly ucterlOrateu nom
thatlcf lGo1. taking the only authentic
rec6 LAS given ahove-to compete
witl True. later on in the history
OF dle festival. and more especially
in certain localities. it assumed de-
cidedly. auStcre character. But there is
no disputing the fact that the athletic
m.tQle class the horse play-loviny En-
rlisl1nen of Plymouth colony. had their
fun. and plenty of it. two centuries
ago. just as we have it to-day. The
Massachusetts Ray colony. as distin-
SuiShed front that of plymouth. had its
as occasion reQuired-July s. 1890. for
the safe arrival of ships: and February
following for the arrival ot the provis-
ion ship Ambrose. These Thanksgiv-
ingS We're ore: .rcd for AL the plant:l-
tions"-that is. for the little hamletS
that were springin: up around Boston
"a center. In 1862. Il day of pub
liuhe thanksgiving throughout the small
plantaconS' was appointed by the court
in London in recognition of the "m'cy
IF God vouchSafed to the churches of
God i'll Germany and the Pallatinatc"
And so the record goes on Indicating
1hankSgivinSS of various kinds and for
div crS purposes ordered by the local
authorities in the different localities.
The general court of Massachusetts Bay
appointed Il day of thanksgiving for a
bountiful harvest on Oct. 16, 1873, and
this is the earliest official record of
the establishment that was destined to
follow. Until 1646. we may assume
that the harveSts were so abundant
that the people forgot to be thankf full
but in that year, and in 1864 and follow
ing years. the custom was somewhat
irregularly observed. This continued
until 1850, when the form of recon-
mcndation indicated that the autumnal
Thanksgiving had gained recognition
as an annual festival. That it to some
extent supplantcd the English Christ
mas is probably true, for whatever sa-
vorcu of Rome. or even Of epiScopacy.
was held in disfavor in New England
until a comparatively recent date
That Thanksgiving day was. two hun
dred years ago. popularity and generally
observed in England as we'll is shown
by the following passage:
For IludibraS who thought he 'ad won
The field as certain as Il gun.
And having routed the whole troop,
With victory was Il cock-a-hoop:
Thinking he 'ad done enough to pur
chase
Thanksgiving day among the churches
Thus wrote Butler in 1901. during
Oliver trom Wells tenure of power
and it clearly proves that at Il time
when the observance Of the day was
but just beginning to be regularly kept
in this country. the English recognized
the day very generally us one of Joy
| and fcaSting. Other authors of thai
| time might be quoted to similar pur
pose. During the revolutionary pcriot
| Thanksgiving became national. con
GreSS annually recommending Il day t(
bt. set apart for this purpose. but after
the general thanksgiving for peace il
| 11S4 the custom was omitted until tho
adoption of the federal constitution il
| 11S9. when Washington. ut the Sug
gcstion Of congress, appointed Thurs
day, Nov. 2G. for national observance
| This was given at New York on Oct
3. and although the proclamation wa.
distinctly for political rather than fol
agricultural blessings, it was fixed fo
the orthodox the last Thursday in No
vember. and it may be taken as thu
pioneer of presidential t.hankSgivin.
proclamations. BY this time the fes
tival had attained regular official rec
ognition throughout New England. ant
the governors of the different state!
sent out their proclamationS. whicl
were duly read in the pulpits Of thei
| respective churches. usually on the
Sunday after their receipt, as well Il!
OH the appointed day. In most Of TIT
New England states the Congrcga
tional was the established church,
but other denominations fell into lin,
without marked opposition, and in tn,
same year Q7S9) the Protestant Epis
copal prayer book recognized the all
thority of the civil government in the
matter. AS the West was general.
settled from New England the Thanks
giving custom WAS perpctuated in mos
Of the new states. but it did not OBJ
tain recognition in the South unit
1858, when eight Southern governor:
sent forth proclamations much aftel
the New England model, and much t.
the diStaSte of some of the more VIC
lent opponents Of yankee ideas.
Then, in 1862, President Lincoln rec
commended special days for thanksgiv
ing, and since the civil war the practice
has assumed the regularity Of otticia
routine, and may be regarded as a nj
tional institution.
The great distinctive feature OF
Thanksgiving is now, us it has beer
for many years, the roasted turkey
bathed in a rich carminc dye of cram
berry. Mincc pic. for Il long period o.
years a feature of Thanksgiving din
ners, has Of late fallen into stage Of
''innocuous desuetude,' so to speak. A
| least, this is the case in the West anC
South. But amoug Westelners of New
England the mince pie is still kept W
as the last item on the bill Of fare
However, the turkey and the cranber
rics are the chief features.