Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1905-11-30
SERVICES IN SCHOOLS
THANKSGIVING OBSERVED BY
TEACHERS AND PUPILS.
Spirit of Giving Encouraged - Exer
cises Held in Commemoration
of the Day.

Thanksgiving exercises or a practicdi
character were held in all the public schools
yesterday. For several years 1t has been
the practice to encourage the spirit or CIV
ing at this season OF the year, and the pre-
sentation of the gifts of benevolence in
many buildings was yesterday made part of
the celebration.
In the high schools the packages began to
arrive early in the morning; in the graded
schools the donations piled up after the
noon recess. Everywhere the utmost good
feeling prevailed, and every child presented
something Wherever there is hah In the
building appropriate songs and recitations
were made. and where no general assem-
bly, was possible under the direction of the
special teachers exercises were held in the
class rooms. In the Johnson school. Mount
Pleasant, scenes from the Merchant of
Venice" were given and in the Jefferson the
following program, typical of the efforts In
all the buildings. was rendered before some
900 or more pupils:
Song Thanks to Thee" by the school:
responsive recitation on the history of
Thanksgiving by Stuart Dewey, Alleene
McQuay Jacob Flax. Mable Neitzey, Harry
Berman. Mildred Miller, Florence Barker, Ed
gar Koogle and Lael Rose; recitation. The
First Thanksgiving, from story in the
Evening Star, by Jacob Flax; song.
THANKSGIVING Joys" by the schools; reel
tation, "Our Thanksgiving" by Barbara
Niegand; recitation. John Whites Thanks
giving" by Lael Rose; anthem, Landing
of the Pilgrims by eighth grade pupils;
recitation, "A Thanksgiving Selection. by
John Carpenter; song, over the HIS by
the schools.
The children sang with enthusiasm. espe-
cially when enumerating the Thanksgiving
Joys, and applauded the speakers with vim.
The most interesting sight was the entry
of the pupils into the hall. Every child as
he passed over the stage dropped into one
or other of two immense hampers gift,
potato, an onion, an orange, lurnlp,
sweet potato or an apple, and the hampers
were soon overlooking. Down stairs an
immense heap of vegetables groceries OF
all kinds and fruits made the corrldor
look like a provision store.
Not a school in the District. but had made
ats Offering.
For Special Purposes.
In many buildings the contributions were
gathered for special purposes. and sent to
institutions of the pupils own choosing,
such as the Bell Home missions and hos
pitals At the Central High School money
was collected to be distributed through the
associated charities. About a third of the
school buildings gave their supplies to the
Central Union Mission, the greater number
turned them over to the associated chari-
ties.
At the division centers of the charities
and at the Central Union Mission all the
afternoon wagonloads of provisions came
in from the schools. The Associated Chard-
ties alone employed twenty wagons to col
lect their share and the mission had nearly
as many. Eight division agents of the As
ISOLATED Charities in Georgetown, the west
end, the central. northern, northeast, east
ern. southeast and southwest centers were
kept busy all the afternoon and evening as
sorting the goods Cabbages, celery,
grapes, apples, breakfast foods. hominy.
canned goods. preserves pickles. soup.
cornstarch sugar. tea and coffee filled the
rooms and overfowed into the corridors.
Volunteers from all over the city, dea-
conesses from Rust Hail. ladies interested
IN particular families and the poor them
selves were on hand TO assist in distribut-
ing the contributions. A force of volunteers
gathered the apples and potatoes and tur-
nips into barrels, the sugar. tea and coffee
into bins and the periShable goods into
baskets to be sent out Immediately. All
that was not needed today to make the poor
comfortable was stored away to be dis
sributed as 1t is needed.
At the Central Union Mission the school
contribution, large as 1t seemed, was but
part of the total donation Gifts came In
from the c.. A. r., the Womans Relief
Corps. the Confederate Relief Association,
the navy yard. government printing office.
bureau of engraving and printing and many
of the government departments
More Than 700 Baskets.
More tnan seven DdShelS luil Oh
provisions. We're sent out yesterday from
the mission. and today from l to O'clock
at least four hundred being dined
That all these provisions may really go to
the deserving. baskets are being sent out
to those whose names have been Endorsed by
the Associated Charities, the pastors the
various relief corps and responsible indi-
viduals.
One of the most touching proofs that the
spirit OF giving had invaded all the pupils
in the schools shown DIT the Central
Union Mission. 1t was small package
containing some child's lunch There was
no thought TO exact a contribution from
any child in the schools. and many could
give only an apple or an onion but this
child, either by circumstances or forgetful-
ness, had brought nothing and rather than
not give something went hungry through
the day.
AT Congress Heights School.
At Congress Heights school Wednesday
afternoon the pupils of the third fourth and
nth grades united In a Thanksgiving pro-
gram which the children thoroughly en-
5oyed. Lack of room prevented invitations
being sent to parents and friends. There
were many Thanksgiving songs and reel
tatons appropriate TO the occasion
Those numbers deserving special mention
heAN u uldiosut ny Two tpupllS OF
the fifth grade). mother and daughter. In
costume; a chorus of five ffth-grade girls
who sang Kentucky Babe" with turkey"
verses added, and last, a little Pilgrim
Thanksgiving play. by three girls and seven
boys of the third grade. OF the boys five
were Indians Massasoit and his braves and
two Puritan men, the Governor and John
Alden. OF course Priscilla was one of the
ladies. The play was in two scenes, the
first telling of the governors decree, and
introducing the ladies in their quaint cos
tunes In the second scene the Puritan
men. In their broad-rimmed, high-erowned
hats and large collars and cuffs. divided
attention with the Indians who came in
with a whoop TO present the gifts to the
white men and partake of their hospitality
around table set with good things for
feast. And real Indians could scarcely
have looked more like themselves than did
the young braves, with their war paint and
feathers. blankets, beads, tomahawks, bows
and arrows, etc.
This play. with the dialogue was so good
that they were repeated for the benefit
of the seventh and eighth grades and some
parents who were just coming from the en-
tertainment and exhibition of the sixth