Omaha daily bee., 1898-11-20
HOW OUR FATHERS REJOlCED
Thanksgiving Was Less Emphasized in
Territorial Days.
GOV. SAUNDERS FAILED TO PROCLAIM
Day Was Later Observed by Large
Union Services, In which Pas-
tors of Community
Participated.

There was a time when Nebraska's
prairies were barren and blistered and the
dry sand drifted and smothered the little
vegetation that the drouth had spared. The
hot winds rustled ears that were withered
long before they ripened and the farmer
gazed on his desolated acres and wondered
how he should feed his wife and children
through the long winter and whether he
would have courage to try again when 1t had
passed. He who had nothing to sell could
buy but little and the country merchant
sat at his desk and worried over bills pay
able that were insistent and bills receivable
that were empty Of promise. The jobber in
the big city felt the pressure and his en-
ployes experienced the reaction as he
clipped his expense to meet 1t. And then
the church bells rang and some Of the
people congregated to thank God that it was
not worse.
Next Thursday the bells will ring again
and invite the people to render tribute for
a measure Of o%mnipotent bounty unsur-
passed in their recollection. National
triumphs unequaled in the history Of the
world, a successful exposition that has
turned the eyes OF the country to Nebraska,
magnificent hnrvests and work and plenty
for all. The prospect would have filled the
churches in the drouth times. Whether the
fulfllment will inspire a grateful renem-
brance in the human heart Is no: so certain.
But there are always the faithful who
render their thankful offerings alike In
storm and sunshine and for these the usual
services will be held in the local churches.
Tho others will be too busy to go to church
and take their prosperity as they did their
troubles, as a matter OF course.
Thanksgiving q New Thing.
Thanksgiving day in Nebraska Is not the
venerable institution that 1t has become in
the New England states, where 1t has
gathered antiquity through $50 years.
While some Of the pioneers may have so far
remembered the customs of their eastern
homes as to provide the customary feast
there Is no record Of any official celebra-
ton of the day in the Territory Of Nebraska
until 1863, when President Lincoln issued
the. first general Thanksgiving day
proclamation. Even then this was not sup
plemented by the customary second by the
! chief executive Of the state. At that time
! the people west Of the Missouri were wait
ing breathlessly for news OF Grants VIC
tory over Bragg near Chattanooga and here
in Nebraska great preparations were IN
! progress for breaking ground for the coz
| struction of the Union Pacific railroad,
WHICH OCCuTTeu u low uoyc w NhAy
Governor Saunders did not issue a procla-
nation and his failure to do so melted the
following editorial which appeared IN the
Nebraskan of that date:
HASN'T Proclaimed.
why hasn't Alvin proclaimed? Tomorrow
Is Thanksgiving day. A.. Lincoln has issued
his proclamation. setting it apart as a day
OF national thanksgiving. Why hasn't A.
Saunders followed In the wake OF A.. Lin
coin?
when the great central orb sets out on
his diurnal round certainiy every smaller
satellite should Its revolutf n,
though eccentric its orbit be. Otherwise tho
machinery gets out of motion, threatening
disaster to all objects. terrestrial. mundane
and human.
Who knows that our political system may
not be knocked into pi ny 'h!' failure Of
Alvin to proclamate. 1t portends dire mis-
fortune to this woe-bestricken planet and
particularly to that portion comprised within
the dominions Of the said Avn.
1t seems to us that q proclamation from
his excellency a. this time would have been
peculiarly appropriate. II Alvin can't
spread himself now, when can b.: Have not
the elections all gone union? Have not The
holes? Is there a vile rattle left on one
Of their snaky and p~izenous narratives? Aid
is not a political victory over these snakes
Of more consequence than a military triumph
" i OuI IL
We will not review the military situation
to show that Alvin should have proclamated.
Alvin knows he ought to have done 1t jus.
to please Old Abe" II for nothing else. II
q "copperhead" governor hal refused to do
1t or through negligence hal let Tie opp Dr.
tunity slip 1t would have been sufficient
cause to have impugned hls LOYALTY.
Well. since Alvin has failed US let us al
vote ourselves duly thankful. happy aud he
vout upon the principle that ''small fayCrs
are thankfully received"
Service q Success.
This Ia the only reference to Thanksgiving
which exists in the Omaha papers Of that
and several succeeding years. One of the
early Issues Of The Bee contains a reference
to the Thanksgiving services Of 1872. which
are the first elaborate exercises that seem
to be on record. On this day there were
services at Trinity cathedral conducted BY
Rev. A. c. Garrett, and others at st. Bar
nabas, where Rev. J. Pinkney Hammond Of
hciated. But the big event OF the day was 4
union service at the First Presbyterian
church, which must have been a whale
judging from the array Of clergymen who
participated. Several Of these are quite
prominently connected with the religious his.
tory Of the city. while the names OF Others
have become unfamiliar. Those who actually
participated In the services were: Rev. G.
D. Stewart. Rev. C. McKelvie. Rev. H. W.
Kuhns, Rev. James Duncan. Rev. g.. ".
Cue, Rev. G. L. Little, Rev. Ira c. Bill
man. Rev. A.. F. Sheriff. and Rev. Thomas
McCague.
In the next year the services were held
in the Methodist church. and on this &C.
casion they were made the occasion for
raising a fund for the assistance OF the
needy people Of the city. This feature was
repeated quite frequently in succeeding
years. and since then there has been blu,
little change in the outward form Of local
observance. -
More recently It has become customary
to hold many Of the Thanksgiving day
services on the Sunday Immediately pre-,
ceding the holiday. For this reason the
spirit of thankfulness will prevail In man,
Of the churches. today. and the discourscs
will refer to the tribute that Is due fol
the unexampled prosperity Of the year.
TRIBUTE 10 DEAD LAWYERS