Western Kansas world. [volume] (WaKeeney, Kan.) 1885-current, 1913-11-29


and curious history and did not
originate entirely with the Pill
grims at Plymouth, for Thanksgiv-
oS2s ing days mentioned in the BIZ
A~"f$Se ble-days set apart for giving
Ey n w thanks God for special
~ T mercy These days of fast and
~ prayer customary in England
before the Reformation and later
the Protestants appointed certain days of praise
and thanks for various blessings. The discov-
cry of the Gunpowder Plot in 416O5 in London
brought the common sentiment of Thanksgiving.
A scheme had been formed to blow up parlia-
ment house the 5th of November the first
day of the session. Great quantities of gunpow-
der and infiammabe material found
cealed in the vaults underneath the building. The
plot was discovered and the traitors were exc
cuted- In consequence of this deliverance the
day ordered to be kept "a public thanks
giving to Almighty Cod every year that 'un-
fefgned thankfulness may never be forgotten. and
that all ages to may yield praises to Gods
divine majesty for the same" All ministers
ordered to say prepers thereon for which special
forms were provided. This annual thanksgiving,
together with established later May 20,
abolished in 1888 in England for both had
fallen into disuse For several years afterwards,
however, these days recognized in New
England by the Episcopal church account of
its place in their church calendars. England
continued to have special days appointed for CIV
ing thanks, and recently 1872 there
day selected for the public to offer prayers of
thanksgiving the recovery of the late King
Edward, then prince of Wales, from typhoid
fever.
nent was held by English minister named
|Wolfall. and celebrated off the coast of New
foundland This pious accompanied the
Frobisher expedition which brought the first Eng
Gsh colony to North America. The log of the
ship gives the record of the days observances
and tells how Monday, May %, 1878, aboard
the Ayde, the men 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 the
first Christian sermon preached in North Ameri-
n Sir1li1o
service held at Sagadahoc-a little village on
the coast of Maine. There is little record of
this thanksgiving except that it consumed only
@ few hours of the day, after which the people
returned to their labors.
The great American Thanksgiving day had its
origin in the Massachusetts colony in 1921, and
Gov. William Bradford, the first governor that
little band of sturdy pilgrims, sent out the first
Thanksgiving proclamation. setting apart a day
for prayer and rejoicing the plenteous har-
vest or that year The Enghshmen 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 1878, when that city delivered from
siege. So, the entire colony began their pious
preparation for what proved 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-
Itermined that the initial Thanksgiving should be
celebrated with little ceremony and that
feasting should play part in the occasion His
tory tells that he sent four men who
We're 10 search Tor game Tor the feast. Many
fowls were shot-in fact, enough meet the
waits of the colony for week Wild turkeys
predominated, so it that the turkey made
its appearance early in the history of Thanks
giving The day selected December IL fold
Etylel- At the dawn of that day small cannon
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 it moved solemnly along
the street The men walked three abreast with
Governor Bradford in the rear. There was a
long service in the meeting house, and after it
was over there dinner-and such a din
ner had never been known in the colony, for,
apart from the sayory turkey and other wild
fowl the women had done their share in pro-
iyiding good things from the limited supply at
their command The most dramatic incident ocs
CURED when the dinner in progress for as
II by magic 80 friendly red men, under King
Massasoit. appeared, carrying launches of yeni-
son addition to the feast Thanksgiving
day soon heightened into days for the psalm
singing and feastings fnterspefsed with war
dances, were continued several days.
: After that Thanksgiving days took on a differ
emf aspect. and occurred at any seasons, some
times twice a year sometimes year two
s.,s,.ss 4gISiosuas u