davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
Evening star., 1912-11-24

ness left him too delicate for the enjoy
ment of outdoor sports. and so he spent
his time in reading and study.
When five years old. young William
became the ward of his uncles, who lived
in comfort for that time. To their dis
satisfaction the lad chose Pilgrim asso-
ciates, but some say that young Bradford
was attracted to the new religious order
who in after years became his second
wife. While travelling in Amsterdam he
first married Dorothy May, a maid six
teen years old. who lived only long
enough to see the waters of the new
world in which she was unfortunately
drowned. For a young man this gov
ernor was possessed with means and cul-
ture far above most of his companions.
To have stood the test as leader OF such
a company of religious zealots and yet to
that Bradford was endowed with singular
qualifications.
Not only did his first term as governor
meet with popular favor. but he was
continuously nominated as the chief ex-
ecutive of the colony, and would have
been governor for the rest Of his life had
it not been that he got OF by Emporium
ity" for few years rest in 1888. He
filed eight objections to his reelection
a rather striking contrast to the modern
method of conducting a campaign.
Bradford was a man who preferred a
quiet chat with friend to an ostenta-
tious display of his Official position.
though he was escorted to church every
Sunday by Capt Standish and his small
company of militia He stood among the
Pilgrims without peer. and 1t was with
sad hearts that his associates fired the
volley over his grave at Burial HiH In
the spring of 1857. There was no funeral
ceremony nor eulogy, but the life OF the
Evening star., 1912-11-24

THE First Thanksgiving
/ Feast to Go Down in
History Pilgrim Fathers
Had Harvested Their First
Crop and Had Filled Their
Store use With Good
Things to Eat-Leaders of
the Stalwart Band x Gov.
Bradford and His Work.
The Women of the Colony
Elder Brewster and Miles
Standish-How Peace With
the Indians Was Arranged.
Evening star., 1912-11-24
Sword SWaII0WerS.

LFRED G. VANDERBILT was dining
"A at one of those New York hotels
where everything is garishly sumptuous.
new and vulgar-one Of those overgilded,
overcarven, overmarbled hotels where
instead of the ripple of laughter the
gurgle Of soup eating alone is to be
heard.
Mr.. Vanderbilt, looking about him at
the solemn, fat. bediamoned diners on
every side, said. with smile:
TT is evident that a great many of
Ahese persons were born with silver
knives in their mouths
Evening star., 1912-11-24

hands of the women of the family, who
for days before worked quietly to pre-
pare feast, and the deep RELIGIOUS gloom
which pervaded the household during
by the sunlight of the we'll cooked
Thanksgiving dinner. A well fattened
turkey at one end of the table and chick
en- pie at the other were the principal
artic es on the Tenu of the Well-lo-do
mans Thanksgiving feast. The middle
class had the chicken pie and small
turkey. while the poor feasted on the
pie alone. But every table. rich or poor,
had a fowl of some kind and usually a
pitcher Of cider to wash it down. A pie
rade of pigeons. too. was a favorlte
Thanksgiving dish Strangers were made
welcome and not even a tramp was
turned away. Unfortunately, this hos
pitality seems to have been based on a
superstitious fear of bad luck rather
than a genuine case of charity.
In colonial days in Rhode Island and
Connecticut venison or bear meat was
substituted for turkey, and at one
Thanksgiving feast a rather curious in
cident occurred. which was duly record
ed in a newspaper published at that
time. 1t seems that while Thanksgiving
feast was in progress it was learned that
the deer which was being served had
been shot on Sunday.
The diners. thereupon, stopped eating
and held council, which ended by
sentencing the Indian who killed the deer
on I'VE Lords day" to be punished by
receiving thirty-nine lashes, also that
he must return the money he received for
the animal. Their conscience being sat
isfied they proceeded to finish the dinner
by eating all that was left of the venison.
1t was such instances of religious incOn-
sistencies which caused a well known
divine to say in one of his masterful
Thanksgiving sermons delivered a few
years ago: In our day Of liberal theology,
expanding Christian unities and organ
ized charities, we Of later Yankee gen.
Grafton can never fully know how. to our
ancestors. that old and single Thanksgiv-
ing day of the year was worth the whole
fffty-two Sundays. and how 1t tempered
the fierce doctrinal heats of a hundred
and four sermons
About the middle Of the last century a
new custom was introduced-that of max
ing Thanksgiving calls. and for a time
it rivaled New Year day in this respect
In those days Ward McAllister and Peter
Marie were the beauX, and they set the
Evening star., 1912-11-24

very short puffed sleeves. a baby wais,
and a beautifully sheer hand-embroidered
white linen kerchief.
Accompanying the costume are huge
tortoise shell back combs. a colonial fan
whose fragile sticks indicate the owner
was much given to flirting" of 1t. and
a pair of the cutest of blue silk shoes.
Grandmothers who love to tell how SEN
sibly their grandmothers used to dress
should take one look at those blue slip
pers and keep silent. The heels are
teetering and almost midway the sole.
they have tiny buckles and bows and
suggest highly polished floors. curtsies
and the minuet.
But not all the magnificence was display
ed by femin nifty in those days, nor all
the Thanksgiving feasting done in New
England. From the family of Mary
land line famous for governors the mu-
scum has obtained a typical masculine
dress coat and waistcoat worn 'on high
days and no days when the state was
young. In it a gallant cavalier doubtless
went as guest to many a Thanksgiving
day dinner two centuries ago.
The coat is of yellowish green "shot''
silk, and made on the modern frock order,
with many plaits at the back where the
waist Is joined by covered buttons. A
typical Robespierre collar finishes the
neck, and turn-back cuffs complete the
sleeves. Frills of yellowed real lace are
In the case beside the coat. These latter
ones adorn the neck and sleeves. With
it was worn the pale vel ow satin wa ST
coat, whose binding Of heavily hand-em-
broidered silver and gold tissue braid Is
a work OF art and a marvel OF patient
stitching.
In pathetic contrast to these visions
Of plenty and elegance is the scene con-
jured up by the sight Of George Wash
ington's camp outfit! The entire co-lec-
tion of pewter pans. dishes. knives. forks
and spoons can be put into the trunklike
affair that was really the forefather to
the automobile lunch hamper During
the four years Of the revolution the ia
ther of his country was not always near
a farmhouse or SO situated that he might
spend holidays with friends or even un-
der a roof. That dreary winter at Valley
FORGE was one of dire privation. And
from this little camp outfit Washington
ate one Of his Thanksgiving dinners.
The iron toaster Is intact and reposes
as II waiting a fresh slice. The various
bottles for medicines and seasoning flank
1t at either side. and the plebeian table,
ware-the cutlery with black painted
handles and the most unattractive OF
pewter dishes-indicate that Thanksgiv-
ing then was a day for being glad one
had escaped lesser evil rather than of ap-
probation for present blessing.
Gradually the turkey has come to have
Evening star., 1912-11-24

fashion as to who was who in society by
calling at these particular homes man
named Turner. of whom little is known,
seems to have been among the favored.
for the society columns of the newspapers
of that period give interesting accounts
of the Thanksgiving revels held at his
home in lower 9Th avenue. 1t seems that
on Thanksgiving day he served a par
ticularly seductive eggnog which was
slipped through a straw. A box OF the
finest cigars was offered to the guest who
could drink three of these eggnogs.
Tradition has it that Ward McAllister
was the prize winner on several occa-
sons.
Evening star., 1912-11-24

and Elizabeths and four AIMS Such
Christian names as Love. Wrestling, Re-
solved. Fear. Humility and Remember
were born OF the religious characteristics
of the people. One OF the first babies of
the new world received such an American
name as Oceanus on account Of his being
born on the sea, while another infant was
called Peregrine, because his parents
were wanderers.
Among the fragmentary records Of Ply
mouth no family gives the impression OF
being as troublesome to his neighbors as
that of John and Eleanor Ellington, who
were put aboard the Mayt1Ower by un-
friendly adventurers for some secret pur-
pose. BY the time the governor knew OF
their presence hey were too far out at
sea to put back. but the "ruftiany fellow.
as he was called, must be given credit for
the sturdy works he did for the colony
during the first winter.
Two of the most human instances re-
ported In Plymouth history were the DO
ings Of the Ellington sons. Little John
nearly wrecked the Mayflower by shoot
room where there was half cask OF
loose gunpowder. Francis Ellington,
his brother, aroused the colony some
months after by wandering off into the
was lost his parents thought that he had
perished from hunger, but friendly In
dams found him and he was later re-
stored to the white men. who secured the
woods in a searching party. When these
Pilgrims visited formerly unfriendly
tribe in their efforts to find the boy they
made peace with the Indians and estab-
lished trade relations, thus making a
happy ending to their hunt for the lost
lad.
The senior Ellington was the first man
punished in the colony. He refused to
obey the command of Capt. Miles Stand
ish. whose word was law. For this Of
fense Ellington was "convented before
Evening star., 1912-11-24

HE first Thanks
giving was at hand.
but the busy won-
en- of seven little
houses knew not
that they were pre-
pairing a feast to
go down into the
history of a repub-
lie of 100000 of
people. The Pill
grim Fathers had
been harvesting
Evening star., 1912-11-24

cozAg sZIQ0e<sg ana
Zzeozllla7 oc1 cula1xHZzzza

but an unimportant part on the menu OF
the very rich and the very poor. A few
thin. anemic slices are served to the
multi-millionaire and a few thlnly cut
bits to the children of the pauper. But
the great in-betweens continue to enthuse
like children over the go den brown.
steaming hot fragrance of the Thanksgiv-
ing bird.
History tells us that in the early days
in some Of the Protestant colonies there
was a puritanical hatred of Christmas,
as 1t was known as a relic of popish
mummery and when a day of thanks
was set apart such "superstitious meats
as baron Of beef, boar's head, plum
pudding and mince pie. all redolent OF
memories Of the ancient feast. were
pie. The colonists were SO pleased to
celebrate Thanksgiving In this fashion
of feasting, especially after they were
compel ed to listen to long sermon.
Thanksgiving days-sometimes for reason
Of victory over the Indians, then for the
arrival Of a supply ship or bountiful
harvest.
Usually the day set occurred in August.
especially If 1t was in thanks for the
declared it to be an annua! and lega!
holiday, and all the New Ensland
CO onies followed her example. In those
days Thanksgiving In It's religious char
actef was ralQcT curious. OH OIc SluC
was the minister whose duty seemed to be
to predict the most direful things. and his
sermons consisted of warning to the peo-
pie Of the awful things to come. while on
the other hand the people were told to
rejoice and give thanks on that day even
though the pit yawned on the day before
and the day to come. The whole thing
was a paradox. for the wives were COM
PEELED to stay home and prepare the din
ner, yet they were soundly berated by
the ministers for being absent.
Many Of the sermons aimed at the
preference for the flesh pots over spir-
itual things. but after the discourse the
preacher frequently went to dine with
one Of his parishioners and enjoyed the
dinner prepared by the mistress of the
house, whose absence he had comment
ed on in the pulpit an hour before. The
sermons seldom touched on fasting. but
they included the political topics of the
day, whether local. state or national On
one occasion at Thanksgiving service a
federalist pastor in Connecticut played:
"And. o Lord, endow President Jeffer-
son with a goodly portion of Thy grace,
for Thou. o Lord. knowest that he needs
it,
The festal trait of the day at that
time seems to have been entirely In the
Evening star., 1912-11-24
able leader had been lesson with many

able leader had been a lesson with many
chapters.
Next to the importance OF placing a
capable man at the head Of affairs Of
government. the Pilgrims considered that
1t was necessary to choose some one OF
efficiency to be the leader of their re-
iigious life, and to this honor they called
Elder Brewster. In the whole settlement
no one was more loved than this colo
mist. History notes him as q born teacher
and q man we'll learned for his time.
From youth he had had the advantage OF
seeing and talking with many people OF
his native land In England his father
had charge OF the post near Scrooby.
In those days such position had MOTH
ing to do with q post as We know 1t, but
was rather a place where travellers ana
the royal messengers changed horses be-
fore continuing on their journeys. People
from all over England dined and slept at
the inn kept by young Brewster's father.
and SO the boy met many people OF prom
inence and learning. While still youth
Brewster attended Cambridge University.
which was then like our modern high
school, and there 1t was that the boy
came under the influence Of the new re-
ligious thought
After a short attendance at Cambridge
the young man accompanied Master Da-
vison, an envoy to Holland. as his Sec
retary on the continent There Brew
ster slept every night with two great
keys under his pillow-the keys Of two
Dutch cities which had been temporarily
given to Queen Elizabeth.
Evening star., 1912-11-24

II A N K SEWING
DAY! And in the
jails and hotels
and the boarding
houses and man
sions Of America
there is supposed to
be a Thanksgiving
dinner with turkey
and era n b e TT y
sauce. People too
poor to buy these
features Of t h e
Evening star., 1912-11-24


could have been more welcome than he.
for through him the Pilgrims were to
make treaties and converse with the red
men. Souanto had crossed the Atlantic
four times. Hunt had carried him to the
old world as a slave. he had lived in
England three years. had come to New
foundland with Capt. Dernier, returned tn
England and then found his way back To
America as early as the spring of 162l
This Indian proved strong tie between
the native and the settler. When the
white men wanted to intimdate un-
friendly tribe of Indians they had Squan-
to circulate some such report as that
they had the plague imprisoned under
one Of their cabins.
Squanto assisted as interpreter in trad
ing transactions with several tribes OF
Indians. but the most historical incident
of his life was his announcement 10 the
men Of Plymouth that the chief Massasoit
awaited on a nearby hill to treat with
them. 1t was at this Indians suggestion
that Winslow. who went out to meet the
savages. carried such acceptable presents
to the chief as copper chain, knives
and earrings. as well as pot or
strong water and biscuit and butter.
BY these gifts Massasoit Immediately be-
came the white mans friend
That great chief with painted red face
and oiled hair wore a few rare animal
skins, for he was In the prime Of life
and needed but little clothing. His neck
lace of white bone beads and the long
knife hanging from his neck distinguished
him as the great leader of the tribe. he
seated himself on a green rug and cush-
ions on the floor. That was the first in
ternational conference held in New Eng
land and from 1t resulted peace between
the Indian and white man. which lasted
for forty years. or until the leading men
of that day had all passed beyond tha
strife Of this world
Evening star., 1912-11-24

In Holland. Brewster saw that the peo-
pie were more prosperous than in his own
country. He admired the rich farms.
stately churches, fine brick dwellings.
clean cities and free public schools. He
saw that the judges were Independent OF
the executive Of the land and that, instead
Of every effort being applied to the sup
Evening star., 1912-11-24
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sc EzIeY< <arSe

glass feet. Celery was placed In a huge
round glass vase and ornamented the
center Of the table. The massive cut
glass and china general salt cellars
horror. but the colonists thought them
very effective.
Wine glasses were used in the gayer
states OF Maryland and Virginia, whose
settlers were mostly cavaliers Of Eng
land, 1t must be remembered. In the
Copp collection these wine glasses have
remarkably thick. stubby stems. Some.
meant for cordials Of home make, are
slender and dainty in the body but sup
ported by a stand not likely to be knock
ed over.
The squashes. hominy and parsnips.
sweet and white potatoes. the roast pig
serves and pickles were all placed on
the table as one course There was no
makeshift possible In such times. A din
ner service had to be extensive and COM
used at such a dinner than today-it was
In the silverware that the shrinkage Is
perceptible.
Drinking glasses were either very thick
and round with clumsy stands or straight
and unornamented In any way. And in
the early days most OF the knives and
forks. spoons and cream pitchers and
sugar bowls were OF pewter.
After the soup course and the roast pig
the luscious home-cured ham was al
most forg otten-the turkey was brought
In by a grtnning servant. or by one Of
the family. Gravy boats were placed
beside the noble bird and then the mas
ter Of the house did the carving.
4
NH,,c~.1. 80
of the sort Of horn-handled. curved-blad-
ed knives and strong-pronged forks with
which he did It. Everybody got taste
Of white meat and everybody ate until
eating became an effort. The more times
one was helped the more popu-
lar one became with ones hostess. And
afterward there were tranquil talks.
prayer, II a minister happened to be
present. and then the trip homeward.
When visiting on Thanksgiving day first
came into vogue most people went horse
back. And 1t is to this period that the
majority OF the quaint costumes shown
at the museum in the colonial collection
belong. Maidens fair who attended these
trolley cars undreamed of-rode on pill
lion placed behind the saddle OF q male
relative or dance.
Over at the museum there Is . very
with the sort Of full hood one always
associates with Little Red Riding Hood.
It u trimmed In . shade Of red plush not
especially harmonious with the hue OF the
garment, but what sets 1t apart as not OF
this generation are the tiny Sits at either
side Of the waistline.
-
These were 20 fashioned that the wearer
could reach out her arms. clasp the noble
gentleman ahead Of her about his waist
and yet not expose them to the cold. Al
though two hundred years have elapsed
since some colonial belle wore this wrap
to q Thanksgiving Spread" 1t 10 still In
better condition than the evening cloak
OF many OF last winters debutantes.
With It the daughter Of q famous Mas
sachusetts household wore q dainty blue
corded silk empire gown. Not even the
shade haR hAAn " fY1oo hA
Evening star., 1912-11-24

port of an aristocracy, influence was ex
erted for the good of the masses. Ever
though this Pilgrim went back to his OWL
land later on and received the post which
his father had held with the income o,
5000 q year, still he was not contentec
with life In England.
1t Is said that Brewster was financially
able to give frequent entertainments te
the whole Pilgrim flock in the neighbor
hood Of ScrOoby. In the new world tn.
same happy condition of affairs as existed
in Holland. For nearly ten years HI
preached twice on Sunday to his flock
History records that In his sermons the
leader had a good delivery. and was plain
deliberate, eloquent, emotional and con
vincing. This strength, combined witt
his cheerful disposition, was just what
such band as these religious wanderers
needed.
Brewster did not hesitate to tell other:
their faults, or call the attention Of one OF
his flock to the breaking Of a blue law
yet he was loved, and he was sympathetic
with the trials of his people. AS a lin
guist this religious leader excelled the
average man Of learning in Europe al
that time. He wrote an English gram
mar. acquired fuency in Dutch and
French and even spoke in Latin. His
library in Plymouth contained sixty-fou1
volumes Of Latin and other scholarly
writings as well as 211 English books
With such a library it is probable that tht
elder was often called upon to suppl.
reading matter to his flock who still lovee
everything English.
OF the 100 who attended the first Serv
ice in the new world almost nothing !:
known of half of them. but their name:
proved them to be truly English. There
were twenty-nine Johns, ten Edwards
twenty Williams, twelve Thomases, ter
Marys and the same number of Sarahs
Evening star., 1912-11-24

Bradford. only about thirty years OF
age when he came to the new world. was
a man who had read deeply and
had gained a reputation for fine letter
writing. AS linguist he was as well
acquainted with Dutch as with his ma
tive English. Cotton Mather said that
he managed French while he mastered
Latin and Greek. but of all studies he
preferred the reading Of Hebrew. for in
that he imagined he heard the voices of
the old patriarchs The young govern
or's knowledge OF history. theology and
philosophy may be partially attributed to
lhe fact that during his youth long ILL
The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1912-09-05
BREEDING OF POTATOES.
Possibilities That Have Been Overlooked
What Experiments Show.

Farm and Fireside, an agricultural
journal published at Springfield, O., says
While animal breeding is at present a
far more important industry than plant
breeding, the possibilities of plant breed
ing are the greater, owing to the larger
number of individuals involved and the
shorter time required for a generation,
and is now receiving considerable atten-
ton from the scientist and farmer. The
potato is one of the staple farm crops
particularly adapted to experimental
work in this line. The propagation is
entirely by budding or asexual methods,
thus troubles due to crossing, or dangers
of unintentional Decentralization are
avoided
The method that appears to give the
best results in actual farm practice is
that of selecting 4 number of the best
obtainable tubers and cutting each into
four pieces. These are planted in four
hills that are marked in such a manner
that they can be distinguished at any
time. When harvested, the product of
each of the four hills units is placed hi
a paper sack and labeled. These sacks
are then weighed, the number of market
The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1912-09-05

able tubers counted, and examined for
imperfections of any kind.
The seed for the second crop is select
ed from the best yielding units, with
consideration for size and shape of the
tuber This process can be kept up in
definitely. After the best seed has been
selected for the breeding plot, the re;
mainder from the best hills may be used
for multiplication plot, where CONNER
cial seed is grown. The characteristics
that should receive attention, aside from
increased yield, are the number in the
hill. which should be such as to give a
medium sized tuber, with the increased
yield, the shape and smoothness of tbs
tuber, and the ability of the plant to
resist disease and insect enemies.
Four years work under these meth.
DDS have shown some interesting results.
There appears TO be correlation be.
tween high yielding hills and resistance
to disease and to the ravages of the
potato beetles. Fifteen per cent. is a
conservative estimate of the actual in.
crease in the field crop due to pedigreed
seed This does not take into considera-
ton the increased quality of the crop.
The ground used for a breeding plot
should be in the same state of filth and
fertility, and the character of the soil
should not vary. The crop should hs
planted, cultivated and fortified in the
same manner as the field crop. excepting
that, of course, the seed must be planted
by hand to insure accuracy in the rec
ords.