The Olneyville times. (Olneyville [Providence, R.I.]) 1887-1917, 1913-11-21

ders OF the Continental army In 1889 congress
decided to ask the president to issue a proclama-
tion asking the people to suspend work and give
thanks on certain day OF the year. There had
been considerable opposition TO the passage OF
the bill, some OF the reasons given being more
humorous than serious. President Washington
acquiesced in the wishes OF congress and issued
a proclamation appointing November 26 OF that
year the day for the American people to join
in Thanksgiving to God for the care and pro-
lection he had given them in their plentiful
harvest and freedom from epidemics.
From time to time our presidents issued
procamations, but IT was generally left to the
governors OF the states to determine on what
day II should occur Under the administration OF
John Adams two national fast days were OBJ.
served but no real Thanksgiving II was not
until 1915, after three national fasts on account
OF the war, that another national THANKSGIVING
appointed by the president James Madison
This due TO peace with Great Britain After
this there another lull In proclamations as
far presidents were concerned until 1S49 when
President Taylor set day OF fast August the
third account OF the cholera. Meanwhile the
national Thanksgiving day seemed to be dying
out except in the New England states Then
came the Civil war, and the nation was again
summoned to fasting and two such days we're
kept in 1S61-January and September 26-but
IL was not until 1863 that the horizon had so
frightened as to warrant the appointment OF
national Thanksgiving. Immediately after the
Battle Of Gettysburg Mrs Sarah j Hale Boston
woman, wrote TO President Lincoln suggesting a
national thanksgiving and following her advice,
the president set apart Thursday August 6. as
day of praise and prayer" On November 26
OF the year another Thanksgiving was kept
and this was really great festival and observed
in every northern state. In 1864 the gath OF
November kept. After this. with one ex-
ception, our great national day OF thanks has
been celebrated on the last Thursday In No.
vember.
The presidential proclamatlons contain very
little that is original and usually take the
form of an essay. o., In 1898 after the Spanish
American war President Mckinley had chance
TO vary the conventional form by giving special
thanks for the restoration OF peace" This was
just 100 years after Washngton's proclamation.
President Roosevelt who always did original
things. declared that Thanksgiving proclama.
tion could not be made brilliant epgrammati-
cal paper" The proclamation OF the president
stamps the feast with sort OF official character
something possessed by no other holiday. This
proclamation does not make II a legal holiday
It merely recommends that the people suspend
business for the day. special statute in each
state is required to make the day a legal holi-
day. and this has not been enacted in every
state.
The day originally set apart for thanksgiv-
ing, fasting. prayer and religious devotions but
the modern Thanksgiving has become a day OF
iedstlhs anu JOhIy, ana Is mace tne occasion
OF all sorts OF sports and festivities The craze
for outdoor life keeps many from the churches,
although the places OF worship continue to be
filed with "a goody company" who gather to
give thanks to him from whom cometh every
good and every perfect gift"
The turkey is still king OF the Thanksgiving
feast and addition the good things OF the
field and vineyard have been added The famous
pigeon pie, which was a popular Thanksgiving
dish I'm the early part OF the nineteenth century.
is rarely seen in these days. The wild pigeons
which alighted IN great numbers on the buck.
wheat fields. were enticed by a decoy duck with.
in spring net and caught by the hundred
They were kept alive and fattened on grain until
the day before Thanksgiving. when they were
table.
Most Of the old customs OF the day have