Polk County news-gazette. (Benton, Tenn.) 190?-191?, 1913-11-20

originate entirely with the Pll-
!. J. !: !: E:
grims at Plymouth, for Thanksgiv-
oGS&&aA ing days are mentioned in the BIZ
G6DSVf&Se ble-days set apart for giving
M n W. thanks to God for some special
ny ~ mercy. These days of fast and
E# prayer were customary in England
before the Reformation, and later
the Professionals appointed certain days of praise
and thanks for various blessings. The discov-
cry of the Gunpowder Plot in 1905 in London
brought the common sentiment of Thanksgiving
A scheme had been formed to blow up parlia
ment house on the 5th of November, the first
day OF the session Great quantities of gunpow-
der and naammable material found con-
cealed in the vaults underneath the building The
plot was discovered and the traitors were exc
cuted In consequence of this deliverance the
day was ordered to be kept "a public thanks
giving to Almighty God every year that "unS
sfsisp6q hankfllpess may never be forgotten. and
that an agesstc come may yield praises to Gods
divine majesty for the same" All ministers were
ordered TO say nrepers thereon, for which special
forms were provided. This annual thanksgiving
together with one established alater on May 49,
was abolished in 1888 ia England. for both had
fallen into disuse For several years afterwards
however, these days were recognized in New
England By tla EnIss0Ea Eliifrh On account OF
tts place In their church calendars England
continued to have special days appointed for Civ
ing thanks. and as. recently as 1872 there was
day selected for the public to offer prayers of
thanksgiving for the recovery of the late King
Edward then prince of Wales, from typhoid
fever.
The first thanksgiving on the American cont
nent was held by an English minister named
Wolfal and celebrated off the coast of New
foundland. This pious man accompanied the
Frobsher expedition which brought the first Eng
lsh colony to North America. Tho log of the
ship gives the record OF the days observances
and tells how on Monday, May %, 1873, aboard
the Ayde, the received communion, and how
Minister Wolfall in sermon gave humble and
hearty thanks to God for his miraculous deliver
ance in these dangerous places This wassthe
first Christian preached in North AmeTi-
waters. Again in 1907 there was similar .,
service held at Sagadahoc- little village on
the coast of Maine. There is little record OF
this thanksgiving except that it consumed only
a few hours of the day. after which the people
returned to their labors.
The great American Thanksgiving day had it's
origin in the Massachusetts colony in 1921, and
Gov William Bradford, the first governor of that
little band of sturdy pilgrims, sent out the first
Thanksgiving proclamation setting apart day
for prayer and rejoicing over the plenteous har-
vest OF that year. The Englishmen recalled their
Guy Fawkes thanksgiving, and the Dutch remem-
bered hearing their ancestors speak of the great
day of praise and prayer held at Leyden, Hol-
land in 1873 when that city was delivered from
q siege. So, the entire colony began their pious
preparation for what proved to be the gayest
Thanksgiving the colony ever knew, for. after
the first one, which lasted several days. the
Puritan Thanksgiving meant long sermons long
prayers and long faces Governor Bradford de-
termined that the initial Thanksgiving should be
celebrated with no little ceremony and that
feasting should play part in the occasion. His
tory tells us that he sent out four men, who
were to search for game for the feast Many
fowls were shot-in fact, enough to meet the
wants OF the colony for week. Wild turkeys
so II seems that the turkey made
it's appearance early in the history of Thanks
giving The day selected December 13 Told
style) At the dawn of that day small cannon
was fired from the hill and a procession was
formed near the beach, close to where the
Plymouth Rock now rests Elder Brewster, wear
Ing his ministerial garb and carrying the Bible,
led the procession as 1t moved solemnly along
the street The men walked three abreast with
Governor Bradford in the rear. There was
long service in the meeting house, and after 1t
was over there was a dinner-and such a din
ner had never been known In the colony, for,
apart from the savory turkey and other wild
FOWL the women had done their share In pro-
viding good things from the limited supply at
heir command. The most dramatic Incident oc-
CURED when the dinner was In progress, for as
IL by magic 90 friendly red men, under King
appeared, carrying launches Of ven
,on as an addition to the feast Thanksgiving
lay soon heightened into days, for the psalm
singing and feasting interpreted with war
iances, were continued several days
After that Thanksgiving days took on differ
mt aspect and occurred at any season; some
lines twice a year. sometimes year or two