The Lambertville record. [volume] (Lambertville, N.J.) 1872-1968, 1899-11-15
THANKS OF THE PAST
STIRRING EVENTS RECALLED BY
TEEMlNG HlSTORY'S PAGES


TEEMlNG HISTORY'S PAGES.
How Fate Has Continued the Pill
grims' Practice Thankful for
Peace--A Cardinals Thanks-Notcs
of the Special Day.
Thanksgiving Day, 1899, should be
chiefly celebrated in recognition of a
years abundant material prosperity.
The people, highest and lowest, are
glad of Il chance to thank God for His
great and manifold blessings.
1t is a singular fact that Washington,
as well as being the first President,
was the first to suggest II continuance
of day of Thanksgiving.
Two other Presidents had proclaimed
n Thanksgiving Day for special occur
rences, as, indeed, Lincoln himself had
done, previously, but they were not In
the spirit of the rare old Pilgrims who
established the festival as day Of
Thanksgiving to God, not for any spe-
cial blessing, but for all His constant
mercies. 1t was not. therefore, until
1863 that, from purely New England
institution, Thanksgiving Day became
a. h''Nioii'li itSNiNti VI i'JpiNAhsHs hii''NA
sally celebrated from the pine forests
of Maine to the surf washed shores Of
the Pacific
When the people sat down to their
Thanksgiving dinner in 1864. in com
pliancc with the second recommends
ton, they were thankful that the Civil
War was nearly over, and President
Andrew Johnson appointed Thursday,
December 18th, as Thanksgiving Day
instead of the last Thursday in Novem-
Der, according to what had always
been accepted as the usual custom.
Thanksgiving Day. 1866. found tho
country excited over the Fenian move
ment to free Ireland and the affairs in
Mexico, where the United States had
begun to take hand against the
French uSurpers. News came on
Thanksgiving morning that the United
States troops had crossed the Rio, the
usurping Emperor Macmillan, was
about to leave the country, though new
er permitted to do So as the Mexicans
shot him in the following year.
The most noteworthy incident Of
Thanksgiving Day, 1867, was the COM
pletion by Weston the famous New
England walker of his long tramp
from Portland, Me, to Chicago, Ill. He
entered the Western city mt o'clock in
the morning, having covered the dis
tance-l 300 miles-in just twenty five
days. n
The Franco TrusSian war was the
absorbing topic on Thanksgiving Day.
1870. The old-ti lecture association
We're then in the hey-day of their glory
and many large audiences all over the
country listened that Thanksgiving
night to lectures by Charles Sumner
and others on The Great Duel Be
tween France and Prussia"
The nation was still sorrowing for
the victims of the great Boston fire
when Thanksgiving Day for 1872 came
In. An unfavorable report of the con
dition of Horace Greeley. who had
been the Democratic candidate In the
Presidential election Of that year, and
whose death was momentarily expect
ed at Tarrytown, y. Y, was received
early in the morning. The following
evening he died.
Many sorrowing hearts sought in
vain for some reason for thankfulness
in 1873 The financial panic of that
year hal paralyzed many forms of in
dustry, and there was much pryation
and suffering.
The whole nation united in mourning
on Thanksgiving Day, 1879, for Vice
President Wilson, whose body was then
lying In state in the Capitol at Wash
ington. he having died suddenly on
Tuesday, November Odd
Our country had passed its Tooth
birthday when it celebrated the next
on Thanksgiving Day. 1879. for Vice
In a state of political fermeut. There
had been n Presidential election, and
no on knew whether Hayes or Tilden
was TO be the next President.
One OF the saddest THANKSGIVING
Days our country has ever known was
that of 1881. The people were mourn
Ing for President James A. Garfield,
who had died by an assassn's bullet
In the preceding September The trial
or Guiteau, his murderer, then going
on In Washington was adjourned fer
the day.
Another ocean disaster was the prin-
eipal Thanksgiving Day incident of
1882. On that morning the ocean
steamship Cedar Grove struck the
lodges off Cape Canso. and many lives
Were lost. Nothing OF THANKSGIVING
Days Is worthy of special mention in
the years 1883 and 1881. but that Of
1888 was again day of mourning for
the nation, for with Il came the news
that Vice President Thomas \. Hen.
bricks had died ut his home in Indian
apolis, Ind, on the preceding evening
Quiet and uneyeutful were the
Thanksgivings of 1886 and 1887. while
that of 1SSS Is memorable principally
for the fact that by direction of Car
dtnal Gibbons the Roman Catholic
church then celebrated the occasion for
the first time as religious festival.
Thanksgiving Day, 1891. found the
American people greatly excited over
the outrages that had been committed
n short time before that upon the sail
ors of the United States steamship Bal
timore by Chileans in the streets of
Valparaiso. and 1t seemed as though
war We're inevitable.
The Senate Committee appointed to
Investigate the strike in the Carnegie
Steel Works at Homestead, Pa. one
of the most noted labor disturbances OF
this century, was In Pittsburgh taking
testimony on Thanksgiving Day, 1892
On the day before Henry C. Prick.
manager of the Carnegie Company. had
confessed to the country that he had