The herald and news. [volume] (Newberry S.C.) 1903-1937, 1904-11-25
THANKSGIVING SERVICES.
Rev. S. H. Zimmerman Delivers an
Excellent Discours to Repre-
sentative Gathering.

ing religious services, held yester-
day in the opera house, and in which
the several congregations of New
berry united. The morning was
clear and beautiful-a marked con-
trast to the wintry unpleasantHess of
Thanksgiving Day one year ago, and
a large gathering, representative of
every denominationh same together
to listen to the eloquent words of
the preacher and to render thanks
unto the Lord. A fitting order of ex-
ercises was carried out, including
prayers by Revs. J. H. Graves, J. L.
Williamson, scripture reading by
Rev. G. A. Wright, reading of gov
ernor's proclamation by Rev. w. L.
Seabrook, Orphanage offering in
charge of Dr.. E. P. McClintock, and
benediction by Rev. N. N. Burton.
The sermon of the occasion was
delivered by Rev. S. H. Zimmerman,
of the Central Methodist church. 1t
was a discourse Of great excellence
and was strongly placed before the
minds of the people.
Mr.. Zimmerman took as his text
Psalm 34:l, "I will bless the Lord at
all times. Praise shall continually
be in my mouth" His theme was
the "Habit of Thankfuness." The
speaker began by enforcing the
truth that it was better to think Of
the duties of life than to recount or
review the blessings of the past year.
The newspapers, he said, kept the
people in touch with the mere facts:
the progress and prosperity of the
country. The imperative thing was
the attitude Of the people toward
these facts and toward the duties OF
the hour ''In little log hut nearly
three hundred years ago there was
little gathering which represented
the citizenship of the country; a
little square hut with one story, and
battlement instead of roof, with
six cannon mounted at the foot. Be-
low it in the valley were few cot
tages representing the homes Of the
people of the country. The May
flower had just returned to England,
and in spite of the travail and toll
and hardship there was not single
member of the colony willing to go
back with the returning vessel. They
had turned their faces to new world,
they were inbued with the spirit Of
Almighty God, and they were de-
terr1ined to build on this continent
government wherein all men should
have civil and social and religious
liberty. In that little cabin, in 1851,
Governor Bradstreet called the peo-
pie together to give thanks to a
merciful God for His manifold bless
ings. Doubtless they thought Of
the endless sacrifices. Of the back
sets. of the misfortunes, of the graves
of loved ones over which the waving
wheat had grown. natural protec-
ton from the Indians. doubtless they
thought Of their poverty and trouble;
but did they come together to con-
sole each other or to weep over the
n1isfortunes OF life? Instead. they
gathered together under the shadow
of the guns and thanked God for put
ting his almighty care around them,
and afterward they had feast. The
rugged soldiers with Miles Standish
had been sent out to gather the
necessary meat, and after securing
the country side they returned with
an abundance of flesh. and of wild
turkeys. There the least was
spread. And that was the first
Thanksgiving service and the first
Thanksgiving turkey in the history
of the world"
The speaker continued and gave
the explanation of the true meaning
of the day. He showed that glance
into the pages of history would
prove the custom peculiar to this