The star. (Reynoldsville, Pa.) 1892-1946, 1895-01-16

WORKING UP SENTIMENTS APPRo-
PIRATE TO THANKSGIVING.

ors-Finaiiy Engrossed on Cream Col
ored, Git Edged Paper and Signed.
The concoctiou of that timo honorod
document, the Thanksgiving proclama-
lion, which sails forth annually rs the
impromptu expression of tho national
executives religious gratitude, is the
terror of the state department. Every
year it is called upon to produce some-
thing new in that limo, and its efforts to
say the same thing in different way,
to avoid If possible verbatim copying
Of last years letter, is ono Of the vener-
able jokes of tho diplomatic grcenroom.
About the first or second week of No
vember, everybody knowing that the
day falls on the last Thursday of that
month, the chief clerk or some assist
ant secretary suggests that it is time to
think about the proclamation.
The chief clerk accordingly runs
down the list Of drafting clerks, ascer-
tains which of Uncle Sans servants is
at the time basking in innocuous desue-
tude and dispatches to the delinquent
by messenger an order to get up draft
for the proclamation.
This rouscs the clerk from his lethar.
gy He rises to the situation with alao-
rity. His first inspiration is to turn out
paper different from its predecessors.
The second arrests the divine afflatus
What on earth can he say that has not
been said?
He writes the word whereas" and
pauses. In despair, at length he turns
for help to tho classics-that is, he con-
suits what Van Buren, Tyler and Fill
moro have said in past years and makes
that q groundwork for draft This
embryo proclamation is then sent,
through the chief clerk, to tho assistant
secretaries.
The first touch up tho document re.
ceivc5 is tho insertion Of lot of capital
il S for deifcation, which the clerk has
forgotten in tho throes of composition.
Then an assistant secretary, finding it
'remiss in pious fervor, proceeds to in
sort piety with red ink marginal notes.
Thus the word prayer is followed by
"songs Of praise, and tribute of graf
itude" is bracketed after worship SO
long, so faithfully has this servant of
the people discharged this self appoint
ed task that he is known in Office par
lance as the "divine invocator. "
Thus revised the draft proceeds to
some other grand mogul of the diplo-
matio greenroom, who finds that now
that tho Deity has been duly attended
to something complimentary is due the
nation at large So carets, in blue PEN
Gil, insert ''our prosperity and great
ness, the "labors of our people" or
'our marts of trade and traffic"
This tricolor draft is now handed
around again and encounters an official
in new vein. His lunch did not agree
with him. He is in penitent mood.
Seizing a pencil, he adds that we have
not been visited with swift punishment
for our shortcomings.
Another handles the document and
finds that it is too general, fails to iden-
tify the year, so he brings in few
master strokes in purple indelible pot.
hooks alluding to tho deadly march of
pestilence," "afflictive dispensation"
and fury of the elements"
The document now seems to meet the
iequireIiel's iea,i r's i. Is sen. 70 an engross'
my oielA' "no Prooeeus 70 iecie seoun-
uuii aVonu, iiAo M nuB cierh making
up piesoiipVioh' Ahere are rules 10 DO
ooselvou' iuies as invIoiaole as tnose
suNeinns 'ne oa,A ., Hngianu' "A GER
O"ih oioahi oo.ofeu Siio eugeu paper Is
~ s9u en,,;aho al eiao1raeoiy n"1s oilaien'al .itie
5 S our'snou %n nun way uowl .he page IN
Uia oeiIi"n oapi,ai script announcing
1rn;toS a'on Ssaro" :, ~ ~ .ne rresiuent OF the
ou oeae' .., 'ho orisinai whereas
4n" 49,. ev ~ ns .u"y .a NsoiS'i'uueS ourihg
'''J poSto,as saa0u,S " - 'nu TO- u'.'Ie ait
49, s;ao " ia ptope. uishi'y, the
,naur , N,y naIong How i. - " 'oo'sen.a,ieie inc
Ila ILL., ooto.n;,Iou. I~ i,.,un' n5, . wh,on crawl
stauS;,'. -, a. %i o'ei 'i'o sieee' ny
b;as 80 .S,,;,a. bm nin nuau' stunning on 'ne
;ts % nt1nost s thp n.s suesSlhs pulIip 70
- .s s' 'no oneioSsihs c,erA ao ias1
o,,ans iao,.,. iespoo'aoio anu oec-
ne suhrn;ts ~ ~ ~ .... 49,
uaau.Siia % no ~ " :ne oniet cierk
1900 ,a.. .. ho "ss "a ner'ous eus-
for [ onathar CON- Nv ~ S,Ne ~i.n 'equss'