Daily press. [volume] (Newport News, Va.) 1896-current, 1908-11-27

EAsVH to the Pacific coast but
Y o. rather anticipating Il" de.
vclopmcnt of an agriC'll
tural empire which must
have arteries of steel, ihcy were
quickly followed by the SINE class
of hardy settlers that hai mGT"d
westward since the early days.
Through the generations that moTc-
ment has proceeded, slowly at first
but ever increasing in speed and
volume. Over the Alleghenics. anon"
the woodland and meadow stretches
Of Ohio and Indiana, across the
prairies of Illinois and Iowa,
through the Wisconsin and Min
nesota forests 10 the valleys Of Da-
kota and on to Puget sound. The de
sCertants of New Englandcrs have al
ways been noticeable in the advancing
tide of hcmc makers and fortunr.hlild-
ers along those parallels Of latitude.
Thanksgiving day as an annual No
vemEer celebration marked by family
reunions and feasting is one Of the
good things that have persisted among
transplanted New England customs. 1t
IS now a national event. most gnncr-
ally honored And the distinguishing
feature Of this feastday is the trag-
edy of that royal fowl. the turkey.
THANKSGIVING day without turkey is
church service without lesson. music,
or bonedction. There are mak"Si:ift
collatiOnS. of course, that pass for din
ncSS with those not to the manner
born, but the sons of the sons of New
England realize their hoI.owness. Not
one Of these but would rather go
through trials by fire and water rath-
or than endure the absence of that
glorious head-picce from the Thanks
giving board.
In the first years of the SOS two
great rival railroad companies wHre
fastening 20 secure for themselves in
eastern Dakota the rich fields of
traffic vet to come into being. EOth
had entered the wonderfully fertile
James river valley from the east, and
as one turned its line nOrthwa!d from
Huron the other turned southward
from Aberdeen. and the near approach
of winter and the close of active orcr-
atoms found the two competing con
struction camps only few miles
apart. With the advance of :he rail
roads or a little preceding them had
come settlers upon the government do
main. and though farmers and wheat
ra:sers were in the van. such noEad-
ic and adventurous spirits as land
agents and TOWNSHIP boomers. traders
and newspaper mon could be discovered
even mere easily. Early in Nov"m-
Der work upon tho railroad lines halt
cd. and the builders retired 10 await
the opening OF spring. At the ierni-
nus OF each road little settlement
had sprung Mp. less than ha'tdoZPn
structures marking the site Ct what
was hoped to b. and already was her
aided as the metropolis of the valley.
Tpon srch situation steadily hut
surely crept the Thursday which tn"
president Of the United States had
chosen as the ANNA! day Of thanks
giving. and at the distance Of only one
short week the fact suddenly cawn,d
uDon the clustered intelligence Of
these two Dakota towns that there was
no. turkey in the great Jim val
Icy north Of Sioux Falls. and that SO
miles Of wiEd-swcpt prairie lay DO
tween . more hopeful field of possible
supply AZ Wa'ertown. near the Mime
sofa boundary. There IS material for
a volume Of adventure in the account
Of the two rival expeditions dispatched
simuIt anaousIy yet with ali secrecy on
q Journey Of hundred and sixty miles
for fowls 10 furnish forth a Thanks
giving dinner. but this story must omit
the details. One party returned hilari-
ousIv successful with the three sur.
keys that eloqucncc. strategy and mon
cv combined were able TO procure In
wa,ertovn. the other. downcast. DO
jected. and pessimistic, came back
empty handed.
To emphasize their victory tho sue.
ccssful town announced rrizr turh"y
shoe, (at which all but Redheld rus'bs,
mon wo-c barred. a turkey dibp"r si
The ho,-i and a grand ball in tho rail
s.aa warehouse. Tbs was calculated