Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1907-11-28
GIVING OF THANKS
IS GENERAL TODAY
Sentiment and Practice of Oc-
casion Made Effective.
SERMONS IN THE CHURCHES
Poor Provided With Dinners at the
Missions.
LEGEND OF THE CRANBERRY
Exercises at Reform School for Boys
and Other Local Institutions.
Work Suspended. >:
LEGEND OF THE CRANBERRY

When George Washington,
President of the United States,
promulgated the first Thanksgiv-
ing proclamation in 1880, from
the National capital, then at New
York, it was addressed to barely
three million people. The procla-
nation of President Roosevelt;
issued several days ago, found a
responsive echo in the hearts of
eighty million Americans, and its
glad contents were carried to the
colonies across the seas. Thanks
giving day, 1907, is being OBJ
served around the globe and under
the inspiration and folds of the
tricolor of Old Glory.
The spirit of 1889, as expressed by
Washington in the words Give thanks
to the great and glorious Being who is the
| beneficent author of all the good that 10
or that will be- found a, full measure OF
expression in this city today, 11S years
after he had penned the prophetic words.
| In church and temple, hall and mission;
in reformatory institutions and the homes
of the rich and the poor. the sentiment
| and practice of Thanksgiving were car
| ried into effect.
Special sermons having Thanksgiving
day and its import as the theme were
preached in many churches, and at the
| request of Cardinal Gibbons the pastors
of the Catholic churches in this diocese
read to their congregations special pray
ers for the authorities. .s...-
The poor this afternoon are being pro.
vided with bonnteous Thanksgiving din
| ners at several Of the missions, and even
the prisoners in the penal institutions
were made thankful by reason of extras
on their menus AT the workhouses Su-
perintendent Zfnkhan varied the prison
fare by giving his wards roast pork, cram
berries and seasOnabfe vegetables, while
at the jail many friends and relatives OF
the prisoners were permitted to carry
them food dainties.
Legend Of the Cranberry.
In connection with the observance Of
the day and its cranberry features Rich
ard c. Adams, a Delaware Indian, now
ative of his people, gave the following
legend relative to the bringing forth OF
the first cranberries by the Great Spirit:
Long ago when the Indian and the
Great Spirit knew each other better, when
the Great Spirit would appear and talk
to the wise men of the nation. and they
would counsel with the people; when
every warrior understood the art of ma
ture, and the Great Spirit was pleased
with his children, long before the white
man came and the Indians turned their
ears to the white mans God; when every
warrior believed that bravery, truth. hon.
esty and charity we've thesvirtues neces-
sary to take him to the happy hunting
grounds; when the Indians were obedient
and the Great Spirit was interested in
that roamed the forests and plains.
''The yah-Qua-whee. or mastodon, that
was placed here for the benefit of the In
dams, was intended as beast OF burden
and to make itself generally useful to the
Indians. This beast rebelled. 1t was
fierce. powerful and invincible: it's skin
being SO tough and strong that the sharp
est spears and arrows could scarcely
penetrate it. The yah-qua-whee made
war against the other animals that dwelt
in the woods and on the plains which the
Great Spirit had created to be used as
meat for his children-the Indians.
Final Battle Fought.
"A final battle was fought, and all
the beasts arrayed themselves against the
mastodon. The Indians were also to take
part in this decisive battle, IL necessary.
as the Great Spirit had told them that
they must annihilate yah-qua-whee. The
battle took place in the Ohio valley, west
of the Alleghenies. The. Great Spirit de-
scended and sat on rock on the top OF
the mountains to watch the tide of battle.
There were millions Of animals. and the
uQ cfndnnQ
were victorious, until at last the valleys
ran with blood. The battlefield became a
great nlire, and many of the mastodons by
their weight sank in the mud and mire
and were drowned. The Great Spirit be-
came angry at the mastodons, and from
the rock on the mountain hurled bolts of
lightning at their sides until he killed all
save one large bull, who cast aside the
bolts Of lightning with his tusks and de-
fed everything, killing many Of the other
animals in his rage. Finally he bounded
across the Ohio river. over the Mississippi,
swan the great lakes. and went to the
far north, where he lives to this day.
'In the Ohio valley there can still be
seen traces of this great battle; bones of
the mastodon and other now almost ex-
tinct animals can be found in the
marshes. There was a terrible loss of
animals that were created for food for
the Indians, and they grieved much to see
it. 1t was then that the Great Spirit
caused. In remembrance Of the day, the
cranberry to come and grow in the
marshes to be used as food it's coat al
ways bathed in blood, in remembrance Of
that awful battle" -
At Reform School for Boys.
One of the prettiest and most impress
sive services of the day was held at the
Reform School for Boys, on the Bladens-
burg road It was given in the chapel,
the interior of which had been pictur-
esquely decorated under the direction OF
Supt. O. E. Darnall The centerpiece was
a great fodder shock, from which pro-
truded the real head Of a real hog. Sur
rounding it were designs in apples. pump
kins, turnips, and other fruits and vege-
tables and flowers. all of which were
grown on the farm connected with the
institution. On the platform with Mr..
Darnall were Mr.. B. II. Warner, Mr.. c.
w. French. Mr.. Francis H. Duehay.
chairman of the building committee of
the board of trustees, and Mr.. Donald B.
Macleod, who has been organist of the
reform school for many years.
After the several hundreds Of boys had