The Norfolk weekly news-journal., 1911-12-01

/ us to stop in the rush and strenuos.
/ ity of these modern days and reflect
! on how far We have Travelled since
. our forofathers set the pace for us
ana established this unique day
/ which has now become national in
. It's scope. We too, have reason for
/ rejoicing and praise to the Giver of
all Good. In fact. our morcies are
I so multifarious that We are in great
, danger for that very reason, of for.
letting all His benefits.
+ Let us consider a few of the many
that could be enumerated. We
+ should be thankful that our lot has
been cast in the Greater America of
today rather than in the smaller
America of day before yesterday.
contemplate the difference, Go back
/ just one hundred years and mark the
change. Ponder the contrast i'm the
bill of fare for THANKSGIVING dinner,
4 Then, only the things that grew right
about the New England homes that
D celebrated the day, could be enjoyed
/ The best able of the people of that
, day could not have had for dinner
many of the dishes that the ordinary
| families OF the land enjoy today, as
a matter of course. There were then
no means of transporting fresh fruits
and vegetables from sunny climes
and preserving foods so that they
! would keep and could be used at any
time OF year. Moreover, there were
| no people living in the Texas, the
J Florida and the California from which
! we draw such delicious supplies now.
Again, in the preparation of the din
ner, the housewife of that time had
| no gas or electric range or even the
| modern Cookstove. There were no
friction matches, no refrigerators. no
Ice cream freezers, lemon squeezers.
double boilers or paper bags in which
TO do so many excellent cooking
stunts. There was neither granulated
sugar, baking powder, yeast cakes or
hundred and one things which are
now considered household necessities
for everyday use 1t took longer to
so from Boston to New York than it
does now to cross the continent. and
modes of travel were very tedious.
There were no steam RAILWAYS. no
electric street or trolley cars, no rub
Der boots, coats or blankets. All
clothing was home-spun. A stove. a
bathroom quinine, chloroform. or anv
one of hundred drugs-all were nm
known. There We're but few news
papers of the most mediocre charac-
ter and the men on the western from
Tier IN Indiana or Tennessee were
obliged to wait six weeks before they
heard of President Madison's mess
age to congress. 1t is hard for us to
realize this. When we compare it
with the world of comfort and luxury
and convenience which is a part of
our existence today, it certainly
ought to be a cause for profound and
sincere gratitude that we have been
given so goodly & heritage.
Three more reasons for rejoicing
need emphasis.
America is in this year, 1911, al
land of plenty. The harvests have
been abundant, labor has been busily
employed at renumerative wages, our
industries have prospered, our bust
ness men have made gains, the cattle
on our vast plains have multiplied
and our mountains have given up
great stores of gold, silver and other
precious metals. With all this, plenty
of health has prevailed in increasing
and wonderful manner throughout all
our borders.
We are enjoying great national
power, such as the United States has
never before so fully realized. With |
in the borders of the Greater Amer
lea, which not only stretches across a |
continent from PASSPORT to San Fran
cisco, and north and south from the
wilds Of Koochiching to the waters
of the Gulf of Mexico, but includes |
Porto Rico, Panama; goes across the |
Pacific, and on it's way incorporates
Hawaii and the Philippines, and turn
ing north holds in its grasp the ice
bound land Of Alaska with it's match.
less wealth. there is everywhere a |
loyal devotion to the flag which |
stands for national strength and |
unity. 1t is hard to conceive of the
comfort and prosperity and reverence
for national authority which every
where prevails among the one hun
dred million people which pay loving
and hearty allegiance to the great
republic. In those ancient days to
be a Roman was to be greater than
a king. In these modern days to be
an American citizen is to be the most
exalted ruler and sovereign that the
sun has ever shown upon. Not alone
is this power shown within the coun-
try. The world everywhere respects
and honors the stars and stripes. No
other nation in ancient or modern