The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1901-11-28
Tie time that a few Of US have been here,
Ec haze built seven dwelling houses and

we have built seven dwelling houses and
four for the use of the plantation. aud
have made preparation for divers others.
We set the last spring some 20 acres OF
Indian corn and spread some six acres OF
barley and pease, and, according to athe
manner of the Indians, we MANFRED our
ground with ,herrirgs, or rather shads,
which We have in great abundance, and
take with great ease at our doors. our
corn did prove we'll. and. God be praised,
we had q good increase of Indian corn,
and our barley indifferent good but our
pease not worth the gathering, for we
feared they were too late down. They
came up very we'll and blossomed. but the
sun parched them in the blossom.
Our harvest being gotten In our Coz
ernor sent four men OH fowling, that SO
we might after a special manner. rejoice
together after we mad gathered the fruit
of our labors. They four in one day killed
as many fowl as, with a little help beside,
served the company almost week, at
which time, amongst other recreatlons'
we exercised our arms. many of the IN
dams coming amongst us. and among the
rest their greatest king. N1assasoyt, with
some 90 men, whom for three days we
entertained and feasted; and they went
out and killed five dee. when ,they
brought to the plantation and uesto"eu
on our Governor and OH the captain. anu
the Others And. although it is not al
ways so plentiful as it was at this time
with US, yet by the goodness of God we
ere SO far from Want that we WISH you
partakers OF our. plenty"
The exact date of the Thanksgiving is
not known, but from the -act that it was
an open-air feast it's evident that 1t
must have been observed in Indian sum-
mer. From this feast, which has been
called an evolution Of the old English
harvest festivals, the present day custom
Of gorgng ones self on Thanksgiving day
may Very well have sprung. but the APP
nointment of special day for thanks
giving is a custom of longer standing
than that. From time immemoriaI the
gods have been thanked for success IN
battle, and even after the Pilgrims
thanked the Lord that they were alive
many Of the set days of Thanksgiving in
America We're for the favorable
issue of combat A closer parallel
OF Our Thanksgiving Day is the
old Hebrew feast of tabernacles. or the
feast of ingathering at the end of the
year. Moreover, before the Pilgrims
landed in America the civil authorities
in Europe occasionally recommended the
observance of a day of Thanksgiving.
such as that at Leyden, Holland, on Oc-
tober s. 1915. the first anniversary Of the
deliverance of thatacity from siege.
For many years after the first Ply.
mouth Thanksgiving, Tie day was CD
served in America only at irregular int,
walls and for speciai reasons. Among The
famous early observances was that OF
1923. In July of that yeas. 2 DAY OF .ha'.
Ing and prayer was appointed because OF
a drought. and rain coming during the
prayer the Governor proclaimed a day IF
/ Thanksgiving which was observed w IN
religious exercises. The arrival OF sup
plies from Ireland in 1851 changed &, st
day in CharlestoWn into Thanksgiving III
similar way. In 1852 Governor Win
throp, of the Massa chusetts Bay Colony,
recommended day Of thanksgiving on
account of action of the British l'rty
Council favorable to the colonies. MANY
other special observances might be noted.
but it was not until 1850 that the appoint
ment OF thanksgiving day became an
annual custom. The later Of these APP
pear to have been more nearly related to
the New England Thanksgiving Day CT
after years, in that they were given fer
successful harvest. During the RcEc-
| luton day OF thanksgiving was annu-
ally recommended by Congress, and in
1854 there was a general Thanksgiving FOR
the peace: but after that there was no
national appointment until lIS3, WHch
Washington recommended a day Ct
thanksgiving for the adoption Of the
Constitution.
In 17e5 and 1916 Thanksgiving Davs
were appointed by proclamation Of tie
President, the first by Washington flr
the suppression Of insurrea.lG1, AMI tic
other by Madison for peace. but for many
years the observance remained largely
a New England custom, annual procla-
nations being issued by the Governors.
1t was adopted by New York as an an
nual custom in 1917 and by Virginia in
1855. while in 1855 thanksgiving proclama-
tons were issued by eight Governors OF
Southern States. AS an annual national
institution, Thanksgiving Day dates tack
only to the Civil War, when. in laC2 and
1855 President Lincoln issued procIama-
lions recommending special thanksgiving
for victory, and in 1853 and 1854 a. na.iol-
al proclamation Of the annual Thanks
giving Day. Since then the President
and the Governors Of all the States have
regularly issued Thanksgiving proclnna-
tions.-Springfield Republican.
Mr. kafion PreA--t