Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1911-11-30

towering stacks are the best indica-
tion of the days surcease from labor OF
the toiIing throng, and in the ation s
capital the closed doors of all of the great
departments and bureaus of the govern
ment, and the silent schools, give ocular
evidence of the observation by all the
people of the season Of introspection and
retrospeetion, whereby the blessings of
the past year are passed in mental re-
view.
Cause for Thanksgiving.
And truly has the nation cause for
thankfulness. All over the broad land,
from Atlantic to Pacific and from the
great lakes to the gulf. prosperity has
set the seal of appreciation upon the la
bors of mankind. These United States
Of America are at peace with all the
world. and the past s,year- hsas added
merely its quota to l6e st6ssness ~ the
land OF the free and the home of the
brave
Comparisons are not necessary to as
sure the American citizen that his lot IL
cast with the favored people of the globe;
comparisons serve only to accentuate the
causes for thanksgiving in this country,
where liberty is the inherent right Of the
individual and of the masses. In the old
world a holiday like this would be little
less than d misnomer. Labor nowhere
receives the wage and nowhere lives so
We'll as here. All Europe, too, IL engaged
in watching with eagle eye lest the war
clouds spread far and widely from the
coasts OF Africa. where the Italian is
seeking to overthrow the Turk in what
may become that most dreaded Of san
culinary struggles. the jehad, or holy
war.
World Has It's Troubles.
From other parts of the world there
come stories of other wars and of famine
ana of pestileAce. China, even now, is
III the throes of internecine- strife, and
the press reports for weeks have been
iled with stories of successes f1rst on
one hand and then on the other, with the
Young China revolutionists capturing and
sackine Manchu stronghoids. and Of
nanci:us wrecking whole cities. while the
helpless inhabitants escape as best they
NAY from massacre.
Thus. while much of the other half Of
the world goes on its iron-stod way,
tIanpling the weaker brother under foot
and gazing with envy at that which il
cannot possess by either force or right.
this nation. now in the one hundred and
thIrty-fifth year of its freedom from mo-
narcliial yoke, goes on in the path of its
destiny. ever more populous and ever
more energetic in advancing the health,
comfort. peace and happiness Of its
PEOPLE.
In this enviabfe condition the nation
comes TO the observance of Thanksgivine
Day, 1911.
The First Thanksgiving.
History has it that the first Thanksgiv.
ing day was observed in this country al.
most three centuries ago. The Pilgrim
fathers at Plymouth. in 1921, set aside q
day upon which all members of the ther
struggling colony should gather together
and give thanks for the bountiful harves
which had been arduously won from tn,
soil and stored in the granaries agains
the rigors of winter. The giving Of thank.
was repeated often during that and tn,
ensuing century: Congress recommended
days of thanksgiving annually during tn,
peace did President Madison in 1915
Washington appointed such day in 1883
after the adoption Of the Constitution, ant
in 1195 for the general welfare of the ma.
ton. Since 1863 the Presidents have al
ways issued proclamations appointing tn
last Thursday in November as Thanksgiv
ing day.
In Washington, as well as in all of tn,
other cities and towns and hamlets Of tn
country. all chapels, churches and cathe
drais today swing wide their doors. wei
coming the members of their congrega
MAons as they gather together to Civ
lited voice to paecns of praise to TIL
Ier of us all for His continued benefi
Turkey Crowns the Feast.
In homes all over the city, as well a
in homes all over the land, time -honore,
custom is being observed by the crowninl
of King Turkey as the chief factor Of tn
feast-for the people on Thanksgiving da
give best expression to their appreciation
of the bounties of the year by partakin
most heartily Of the products which tn
ripening season has brought to then
Just when the turkey. pride OF the barn
yard and Thanksgiving day. first wer
linked together on.y tradition tells.
has been written that q wild gObbler wa
the special gastronomic prize OF the hrs
Harvard Thanksgiving feast. But whetf
0,onfinIed on T,Wentieth Pagel