Fergus County Democrat. [volume] (Lewistown, Mont.) 1904-1919, 1910-11-29
The Day Is Fittingly Observed in
Union Services at the Methodist
Church.
INTERESTING ADDRESS
Large and Appreciative Audience
Listens to Rev. Van Slyke-Much
to Be Thankful for.

The observation Of Thanksgiving
day in Lewistown this year was
marked by the general participation
OF the whole community. The peo-
pie of the city, as whole, fully
realized that all had much for which
to be thankful during the past year
Business interests have enjoyed a
year Of prosperity; crops have been
good; railroads are bringing us in
closer touch with the outside world;
the population of Lewistown has ex-
panded and increased to greater ex-
tent during the year just past than
It has during any two years Of the
citys existence; the civic and sanitary
conditions have been greatly i'm
proved, and the general forward
movement along these lines insure
even greater advancement in the flu
ture; the moral and Christian condi-
ton of our community, through the
medium Of the churches and other
similar organized efforts, have been
elevated to higher standard, and
the general good citizenship of this
community today stands second to
none These, together with the many
apparent good things that the future
holds out to us, are among the fac
tors that made Thanksgiving so gen
eral in Lewistown this year.
All business houses and Offices
were closed during the day, which
was given over to devotion and rest
Union services were held at the
Methodist church, and the excep-
tionally large attendance was another
testimonial on the part of our peo-
pie Of the general desire to offer
franks Rev Van Slyke delivered
the address, splendid effort, which
was fully appreciated by the large
gathering present.
Following is portion of the ad-
dress
Psalms 116:12.
'What shall | render unto the
Lord for all his benefits toward me?"
The writer of this psalm here cele-
brates the deliverance from extreme
perils by which he was favored and
pledges grateful acknowledgements.
This twelfth verse contains the
question of an honest heart seeking
to give value in return for the bene-
fits obtained.
The law of the world, as we'll as
the law of human nature, is to de-
mand something in exchange for SER
vices rendered. So | stop for mo-
ment and look around me.
lat the material blessings.
First, see the broad, rich valleys
with their marvellous producing prop
critics, and their sparkling streams OF
water; | see the broad wheat fields,
just shorn of their beautiful golden
harvest; ! see the rugged mountains
covered with their forestry of green
standing silently and majestically
pointing toward Heaven. | turn my
eyes upward, and ! see the blue
canopy of heaven as it stretches out
over the empty places of the North
the tropical countries of the South,
the rugged mountains of the West
and the rolling hills Of the East ]
see the sun shining forth in all its
splendor to give heat and light by
day; and the moon in its beauty sur
rounded by the ethereal blue studded
with millions OF stars to give light by
night and | ask, "Where came these? p
Surely some one has done great SER
vice for mankind
I turn to the first verse OF the
Bible and find written there, "In the
beginning God created the heavens
and the earth
Surely God has done great service
for man in giving him this beautiful
place of abode which it is the priv
lege of all to enjoy.
Second. ! look for a moment at our
own nation, and it seems to me it
has been blessed as never before, in
the past year. Other nations have
had their calamitics, but we have cs-
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