The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1898-11-25

SlIlCl ODStINdICe III lnlS city yesterday
In all the churches services of n
special nature were held in honor of
the day and these services were as
n rule of a more than ordinarily i'm
pressive nature. because this year
Thanksgiving Day has a deeper signi
ficance to the American people than
any since the close of the dark days
Cf tho civil war.
In nearly all of the sermons delivered
and in the prayers offered up in the
churches for the welfare of the coun-
try some reference was made to the
recent war and to the glorious victor
les that followed the American arms
wherever they went. The general sem
timent of those who referred to the
matter was that a special Providence
seemed to watch over the Americans
in their righteous battle for humanity.
1t was fitting the clergymen said that
al this time when God has showered
uFon the union of states such num-
crows blessings and when he had open
ed up to "a great people an almost
unlimited field for earnest endeavor
in the way of uplifting the human
family. that they should breath an
| earnest prayer of Thanksgiving and a
suppliCation for the strength and wis
dom necessary to meet the new duties.
SOUND or THE SLEIGH BELLS.
For the first time in years the merry
Jingle of the sleigh bell was heard on
the streets and the fea thery flakes of
snow that filled the air gave an aspect
to Thanksgiving that for years past
had been sadly missing. 1t was ideal
Thanksgiving weather according to the
old inhabitant, who insisted with some
warmth that a THANKSGIVING without
snow was simply not Thanksgiving at
| all That we have had many such
! of late did not disturb his fixed i'm
| preston, only convinced him that even
| Thanksgivings are not what they used
| to be.
Although the snow caused some an
! noyanCe during the afternoon which
| deepened into n positive inconvenience
! at night there were few complaints
! by almost everybody the snow was
| hailed with great delight and they
| laughed with evident glee as they
! trudged through the increasing accum-
ulation of natures mantle.
| After the morning church services the
| social features of Thanksgiving Day
came out in strong relief. During the
| afternoon innumerable dinner parties
| We're held and at night the various
social events We're largely attended.
Large crowds thronged the theaters,
afternoon and evening. The Lyceum
broke all previous records in the mat
| ter of attendance. THE Geisha." Il
| pretty Japanese opera. was the attrac-
tion. and the large audiences that saw
| it afternoon and evening We're
delighted. Standing room. and
only "a limited amount of that
| was to be had at the Academy of
Music in the afternoon, and at night
people were turned away in droves.
The same condition of affairs prevailed
at the Gaiety.
SUSPENSION OF BUSINESS.
There was a general suspension of
business throughout the city All the
public offices were. of course, closed
ANA after the noon hour it was impos-
s'ble to gain entrance into any of the
| bus ness houses.
All of the mines of the Delaware
and Hudson Canal company in the val
ley were closed for the day. as well as
their shops of all kinds. The Delaware
Lackawanna and Western mines
worked, but the shops of the company
We're closed. Both the mines and steel
mills of the Lackawanna Iron and Steel
company worked as usual, but at the
shops labor was suspended for the day
Nearly all of the manufacturing es-
Establishments of the city We're closed
for the day.
Dinners were provided for very
large number Of poor families by char
table organizations of the different
city churches, and the contributions of
the school children of the city brought
cheer to many a fresde, where cold
and hunger would otherwise have beer
the sorry attendants of Thanksgiving
day.