Arizona silver belt., 1903-11-26
LET US GIVE THANKS
The Origin and Development of This
 American Custom.

giving is officially set apart as an an nual national festival, and as matter of interest, suitable for the occasion, we append the following history of the origin and development of thi, American custom
 After the first harvest of the colo nistS of the Massachusetts Bay plan tation, in 1921. Governor Bradford made provision for their rejoicing specially together with feastiug, praise md prayer. The bill of fare for the first Thanksgiving dinner has been preserved and it includes oysters, ducks, geese and turkeys, all wild and supplied by friendly Indians, and the inpalist adds that "SOme of the tur- keys were sixty pounders," Another historian says, "rhe Puritans lasted n spring time and thanked over good orovender in tine autumn The lasts nave become obsolete ; the feastS re- main. Mankind prefers feaSts to lasts, nd mirth tO mourning.
 One authority says that two years ater, in 1923, Governor Bradford ap. pointed day of fasting and prayer, n the midst of season of drought, put a cOpiouS fall of rain coming dur ng the prayers, the meeting was then changed into thanksgiving. Grad Ially the custom prevailed of appoint ng thanksgiving after harvest. These appointments were made by proclama- ion of the governors of the several Iew England states.
 During the Revolution a day of na- ional thanksgiving was annually rec pmmended by the colonial congress, ho first of these being proclaimed for December Is, TIT, week before Christmas day, as a thanksgiving day or the victory over General BurgOyne, yho was diSaS trouSly defeated at the attle of Saratoga. The dat9-a week efOre ChristmaS-waS annually con. inued for the purposes Of thankSgiv- lg until lIS4, Five years then passed ithout any national thanksgiving be. lg proclaimed.
 In 17S9 the proposition for one was efeated in congress by a member rom South Carolina, who objected on le ground that it was uncOnstitutiUn-
 and federal uSurpatiOn of states ghts. President Washington, who commended such a day, after the 1OptiOn of the constitution, took up le matter, and upon his own motion nd authority as chief magistrate, commended Thursday, November }, as a national Thanksgiving day very state except the Palmetto state ,spected the proclamation, and also commended the same date. That iy cOincided with the fourth Thurs Iy of November, and on the prece- snt of the irst president that day IS become fixture for the annual thanksgiving celebration.
 Thus the selection is George Wash gton'S, and it would be most appru 'iate that upon each Thanksgiving " dinner to toast his memor,.
 No fresh proclamation, however, IS issued from the capital until 179J, hen the president again selected the urth Thursday in November for the thanksgiving. Governor of states arly issued local proclamationS be re and after this date, but President 'ffersOn had objections to ordering ligiOus ObServances, and so no na- onal one was proclaimed until Presi- nt NJ adisOn picked up the broken Iks of the Thanksgiving chain by ipointing the fourth Thursday in Dvehber, 1915, the occasion being 8 declaration and treaty of peace st concluded with Great Britain.
 Then there was another interreg- Tn Of presidential prOClamatiOnS, long one. President Lincoln Oclaimed a day of thanksgiving for sguSt 6, 1863, on the occasion of the itim of Gettysburg. He also pro-
 lined another for the following No 'nber. Since that time such proc- nation has been annually issued and
 tom and usage has fixed on the last
 ursday of November as the date. late years, the custom of appoint.
 Thanksgiving day, which was 2 confined to New England states,
 ! become general throughout the ,lntry.
 Sutside of the above history of the and it's obseryances, New York fe has a record of it's ewn. Itis tmed, with some degree of certainty, at a Dutch Thanksgiving day was lclaimed on Manhattan island and g date set was December 20. 1920. trefore, New York might take IS.
 with Massachusetts as to credit
 the origin of Thanksgiving day,
 as the date set was SO close to the