Baxter Springs news. [volume] (Baxter Springs, Kan.) 1882-1919, 1912-11-21

plot had been tried and punished in 1905 1t was
ordered that because of their deliverance the
English people should keep the 5th OF November
every year "as a public thanksgiving to Almighty
God that unfeigned thankfulness may never De
forgotten and that all ages to come may yieiu
praise to Gods divine majesty for the same
The 18th OF November" continued legal tnanks-
giving day for more than two centuries, out IN
later years It fell into disuse, and In 1883 was
abolished by parliament.
Long before the advent OF the pilgrims IN
Massachusetts, all rituals contained expressions
OF gratitude to God for his mercies. In that OF
the Church OF England special prayers were pro
yided for the Sunday service. This service how
ever must be carefully distinguished from the
THANKSGIVING day OF the pilgrim fathers Failure
70 make this distinction has led to the groundless
claim that the Popham colonists were the nrst
to keep Thanksgiving day" In America Inc
service at Monhegan on which this claim Is oaseo
was the regular Sunday service OF the Church OF
England and while It had an element OF thanks
giving the day can in nowise be regarded as a
THANKSGIVING day as that tenn is understood
Contemporary evidence refutes all claim TO the
contrary.
From "A Relation of Voyage to Sagadoc' we
read as follows: "Sundaye beinge the 9Th OF
August, in the morninge the most part Of our hoIl
company of both shipes landed on this Hand
whear the Cross standeth; and thear we heard
sermon delyvred unto us by our preacher, gyvinge
God thanks for our happy metlnge and sane aruall
into the country, and SO returned abord again.
Massachusetts Historical society proceedings
xviii, 1927
The record made in his "Breeches Bible" by
William White who came over in the Mayhower
has far more significance in determining the
origin Of our American Thanksgiving day than
the event at Monhegan The record reads: will
lam White married on ye Sd day Of March, 1920
to Susannah TiIly Peregrine White. born on
board ye Mayaower in Cape Cod harbor, some
Born to Susannah White December 18th. ye six
o'clock morning. Next day we meet for prayer
and Thanksgiving" This meeting for prayer
and Thanksgiving" was not on Sunday, but on
Tuesday The fact that Il was not a part of the
regular Sunday service makes It more nearly &C
cord with our idea of Thanksgiving day than
does the Monhegan event But this similarity
is not sufcient to warrant regarding 1t as the
origin of the American custom.
The prototype of our present Thanksgiving day
is found in the harvest festival at Plymouth in
. 1921 The long winter that followed the estab-
lishment Of the colony had been one OF great NOR
tally and suffering. Scarcely half Of the colony
had survived It. AT one time during the winter
only Brewster Standish and I'VE other hardy
ones were well enough to get about" In. the
spring and summer that followed their fortunes
improved, and by autumn they had cleared TWEEN
ty-six acres and made It ready for cultivation.
This industry, too. had been rewarded by boun-
teous harvest Now food and fuel suh1cient for
the needs Of the approaching winter were laid in.
Then Governor Bradford ordered a Thanksgiving
the hr1t IN America.
Il continued Eosk - letter 70 nFitnd n