The Idaho Republican. [volume] (Blackfoot, Idaho) 1904-1932, 1905-12-01
THE DAY In HISTORY
Significant in the United States with Turlev and
Football Began with Lincoln

thanksgiving day, coming with tn,
regularity of a movable feast, is pc
culiar to the United States. Other
countries now and again, as in Grea
Britain upon the occasion of the ju
bllee of the late Queen, have a day
OF thanksgiving, but here, by an un
written law, almost by the general
Will OF the people, and certainly by
the power of custom, Thanksgiving
day comes each year as regularly as
Christmas.
Although Thanksgiving day must be
proclaimed by the president or gov
ernor, and usually by both, and the
time OF year and the date itself are
left to their judgment, so strong is
the custom that the calendars for
next year have denoted the day far
ahead OF any proclamation. On the
last Thursday in November the fig
ures are printed in red. The banks
know 1t will be that day, although
there is nothing but precedent to es-
tablish it; business men know it will
be day of thanksgiving, and never
stop to reason why. The schoolboy.
the football enthusiast, the farmer.
the poulterer, all know Thanksgiving
day is the last Thursday in Novem-
Der.
AS generally observed national
holiday, Thanksgiving day is only
forty-one years old this year, yet it's
history is in a measure of much
greater antiquity. Like many anoth-
er custom, we owe this to those stern
Puritans who separated" and came
to Massachusetts bay to make a last
ing impression upon the social life of
the New World. The history of the
first Thanksgiving day in the Mas
sachusetts plantation has been vari-
ously given. In 1921, it is said, day
of thanksgiving was observed in ac-
acknowledgement of the Pilgrims first
harvest in America.
Those were trying days for the
cOlonists. The winter was one of |
great severity and scarcity. The peo-
pie, we are quantity told, were ne
cessitated to live upon clans and
and ground-nuts and acorns,
and these got with much difficulty in
The winter time. People were very
much tired and discouraged, especial
y with the last batch of bread in the
1ven." Winthrop had early in the
July sent the ship Lion to
England for a cargo of provisions, but
lfter an interval of many months the
'hip was not forthcoming. On the 5th
If February, 1881, while the governor
vas giving "the last handful of meal
n the barrel unto poor man dis
ressed by the wolf at the door, at
hat instant they espied a ship arrived
t the harbor's mouth, laden with pro.
isions for them ALL
A general fast day had been pre-
iously appointed, but the arrival of
he Lion bearing this sorely needed
elief, changed their mourning into
~, and, as Winthrop records in his
day of thanksgiving was
ED in "all the plantations"
Franklin has left an interesting ac-
punt of the origin of Thanksgiving IA
merica, which Is not without his hu.
orous touch, and which, like most of
IS similar writings, is perhaps not as
gracious as it might have been. Z
There is a tradition" he wrote, that :,
the plantations Of New England
e first settlers met with many diff
;ulties and hardships, as is generally
e case when a civilized people at +
mpt establishing themselves in a
lderness country.
Being piously disposed, they T
ught relief from Heaven by A.ying