The Idaho Springs siftings-news., 1913-11-22

and curious history and did
originate entirely with the Pill
grims Plymouth, for Thanksgiy-
qAa ing days mentioned IN the B
@%fSH be-days set apart for giving
~ VI thanks to God for special
~ N mercy. These days OF fast and
Is A prayer were 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 1905 in London
brought the common sentiment OF Thanksgiving.
4 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 inhammable material found
cealed In the vaults underneath th1 building. The
plot discovered and the traitors
cuted. In consequence of this deliverance the
day was ordered to be kept as "a public thanks
giving to Almighty God every year that "un-
feigned thankfulness may never be forgotten. and
that all to come may yield praises TO Gods
divine majesty for the same" All ministers
ordered to prepers thereon, for which special
forms were provided, This annual thanksgiving.
together with established later May %.
abolished in 1893 In England, for both had
fallen into disuse For several years afterwards,
however. these days were 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 for the recovery OF the late King
Edward, then prince of Wales, from typhoid
fever.
The first thanksgiving the American CONT
nent was held by English minister named
Wofa and celebrated off the coast OF New
foundland. This pious man accompanied the
Frobisher expedition which brought the first Eng
lish colony to North America. The log of the
ship gives the record of the days observances
and tells how Monday, May 2s 1875 aboard
the Ayde, the men received communion, and how
Minister Wolfall in a sermon humble and
~ 1t
ance in these dangerous places This was the
first Christian sermon preached in North Amerl
can Again in 1907 there was similar
service held at Sagadahoc-a little village
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 Its
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 a day
for prayer and rejoicing over the penteous 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 1878, when that city was delivered from
a siege So. the entire colony began their pous
preparation for what proved to be the gayest
Thanksgiving the colony 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
to search for game for the feast. Many
fowls shot-in fact enough to meet the
wants of the colony for a week Wild turkeys
predominated 1t seems that the turkey made
its appearance early in the history OF Thanks
giving. The day selected December 13 (old
style). At the dawn OF that day small cannon
was fired from the hill and a procession
formed the beach, close to where the
Plymouth Rock rests Elder Brewster,
ing his ministerial garb and carrying the Bible
led the procession It moved solemnIy along
the street The walked three abreast, with
Governor Bradford in the There
long service in the meeting house. and after it
was over there was dinner-and such a din
ner had never been known in the colony, for
apart from the savory turkey and other wild
fowl. the had done their share in pro-
viding good things from the limited supply at
their command. The most dramatic incident oc-
CURED when the dinner in progress, for
II by magic 80 friendly red men. under King
Massasoit, appeared, carrying launches of ven-
day heightened into days, for the psalm
singing and feasting. interspersed with
Dances continued several days
After that Thanksgiving days took on q differ
ent aspect and occurred at any season. some
0mes twice year, or sometimes year or two