Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1911-11-28

Leader
Any definite clain. regarding the orr
gin of Thanksgiving day and its Gus
toTs is somewhat obscure A modern
popular belief ascTites it exclusively
tc our Pilgrim forcfathers, but this
idea is erroneous. II is quite possible
that the original idea may have been
tILernacles" CT feast of the ingather-
ing at the close OF the year. Then
families gathered together, dwelt in
toCths and gave thanks for the bounty
Of the harvest
European history records several not
able thanksgiving Orservances, among
which was thai follow .ng the battle OF
Crecy, when King Edward Ill. issued
oTdels that al bOasting of the valor of
tie English army and all insulting of
the conquered should be restrained, for
ito jod alone was due the praise and
&c Him thanks should be given" AT,
ter t1e Black Prince lad won the de
cisiye battle Of Foitiers. a solemn
thanks giving was pI blicly observed
throughout all En,y.dnd for eight days
Tie destruction OF The Spanish armada
was another occasion for a season of
prayer and Thanksgiving proclaimed
by Gngland's queen. Elizabeth. Prob
ably one of the most notable observ-
anCes in all Europe was the great day
OF rejoicing on Oct. s, 1875, when the
people with songs, and yet with tears,
gave thanks fer tn relief of Leyden.
The Observance Of occasions for
thanksgiving IN their native country
may have suggested the idea to the
early colonis,S but Thanksgiving day
as II is now observed in essentially an
American institution
! 30 definite date can be set as the
first observance of the day in this
country. In 1921 the Pilgrims at Ply
| mouth observed q harvest festival
which, judged by their Puritan GUS
! tu'rc, was net in ally sense a thanks
giving. Several writers. however, claim
II as the proTu.itOr % our own harvest
feast. and state that it was in reality
thu first Thanksgiving II certainly
differs from our modem ideas, in that
no religious service is mentioned, and
n whole weel: was given up to festiv.
ity. The biblical Jewish feast of in.
/ gathering already neItioned or the
harvest home of E. gland may have
/ furnished the motive &c the colonists
! for heir own harvest festival.
Tie first recorded appointment of a
( special thanks living day was in 1923
The previous year lad been a gloomy
and unfortunate Ole tor the colonists
the ,apid depletion Of their store OF
focd supplies and the delay of a ship
bearing fresh supplies greatly intensi
/ fyinS their anxiety Their condition
must have been discuI raging. indeed
for no autumnal thanksgiving was OBJ
served and the coming Of winter in.
creased thaf- SUI, rings. A great
drou'h n 1922 not IcIg after the sprirs
! !lsn:ing threatened he entire settle
meIt with sta walton. AMI in order tc
avert the terrible calamity & day OF
humiliation aid prayer was appointed
ard IN the midrt o. tie solemn obsery,
anco the ram described and proved
real showers Of blessing" The crops
we-a saved Ea' the coiony was spared
the horrors c! star:a, on. Ard so. as
n grateful ad nowtG 9eme1t OF theiI
blessings, ana TO rhuik God with al
their hearts 'Dy the good world and the
F.cd things II f., the first American
Thapkssivius ~aa officially proclaimed
AMI was duly celebrated The people
with one ac'oId gdib'ied In the church