Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1904-11-24
PEOPLE GIVE THANKS
Services In Many of the
Local Churches.
GENERAL OBSERVANCE
BUSINESS PRACTICALLY sUs.
PENDED IN CITY TODAY.
President and Cabinet Officers Free to
Enjoy Holiday-Feasting
and Rejoicing.
OBSERVANCE

His majesty, Meleagus Americana. the
great American turkey, was today at the
| national capital crowned king of all things
| feathered and toothsome, and the Ameri.
! can eagle, as is his annual custom. has
| stepped down from his throne for brief
| space.
From Maine to California and from the
| gulf to the boundary line, practically. the
| churches are open and the shops are closed.
| ordinary routine business is at a standstili
| and the American people are giving thanks
| for the blessings enjoyed and for blessings
to come. In every city of the land, and In
country hamlets and cross roads villages,
the difference of station and wealth and of
circumstance and environment are ignored
in the Thanksgiving season as on no other
day of the year, and the duty imposed upon
those who have much of giving from their
plenty to those who have nothing, is recog-
nized. And so today, in Washington as
well as in homes all over the county, the
turkey is the piece de resistance of the
feast. The tables of the rich and of the
poor alike groan beneath the good things
of Thanksgiving cheer, the russet of the
pumpkin and the green of the corn are
seen on every side, and the murmur of
whispered heartfelt thanks from church
and sanctuary and from hearth and fire.
side in hovel and palace, swells into
mighty song of praise as ii goes up from
all this broad land
An Ideal Day.
In Washington the day has been ideal,
the air crisp and cool and genial with tue
rays of the late November sun.
The government departments and the big
stores were, Of course, all closed, and the
down town section looked deserted during
the early morning hours. The cars that
center in the business part of town and
that are usually crowded inside and ont
during the morning rush were practicaliy
empty today, but all over the uptown sec
tion the streets leading to the various
places of worship were filed with church,
goers. After the morning services GOOD
proportion of the city's population seemed
| to migrate to the suburbs and out into the
country, to stroll about and visit and raise
an appetite for the first big dinner of
| the year. The usual Thanksgiving crowd
| went to the Geological Park, most of the
visitors expressing desire to see the col
lection sent to President Roosevelt by the
King of Abyssnfa, which has not yet ar
rived.
The day was observed by the wealthy
and the well-to-do in the usual manner,
and the poor were well provided for. Those
of the citys unfortunates who have no
homes or who do not possess the where
withal to purchase Thanksgiving cheer
were provided for by public and private
charities.
Ample provision was made for those who
wished to enjoy the holiday away from the
home firesde. All of the theaters held spe-
ings of the week are of genuine holiday
merit. Besides these performances others
will be held in the evening as usual. The
Library of Congress was visited by big
crowd. For the greater part of the day the
Halls of the Ancients New York avenue
near 18th street, was open to the public
without charge for admission. In fact, ac-
cording to custom well established those
whose business it is to amuse Others are
having anything but holiday today. In
stead they are using their time and energies
to prevent portion of the general public
from having a dull time.
Gave Thanks in Their Home.
In nearly all of the homes of Washington,
where families gather for the Thanksgiv-
ing feast, little prayer of Thanksgiving
was offered. This was observed even in
homes where the saying of grace is not Gus
tomary, and in the main was sincere and
from the heart. And pity should be ex-
pressed for the man, who when his Thanks
giving dinner is brought on the table-the
twenty-five pound turkey and luxuries ga
lore--bows his head for a moment and
mumbles the old mockery of grace:
Heaven bless the four Of us,
Thank the Lord there's no more Of us
And by the same token the man who looks
over his family of twelve, and then at the
meager supply of corn beef and cabbage
on the table and murmurs "the thanks of
Uncle Jasper"
.Good Lord. amt so foolish as to kick and groan
amt eompiainin' awful that there amt no
blessed fowl.
I've got a dozen mouths TO feed and not a lot to
eat,
But I'm bettin' that the little bit viii taste
almighty sweet.
I'm surely mighty thankful that we all can gather
here,
Same as last Thanksgiving, and that there amt
tear As
To drop for ones that's missn' for one that's
got to go
Away from this here good old earth 10 some place
we don't know;
Ard If ain't got food enough to my appetite
That surely beats t'other way clean out of sight"