Manchester Democrat. [volume] (Manchester, Iowa) 1875-1930, 1913-11-26


~ the land! AS d latter Of fact it is II
Youngest! Practically eveiy yearly observance OF
patriotic nature is more ancient than the celeDrs
ing Of Thanksgiving day as regular omcial
ceremony.
"a do the. pioneering and another to get the
credit that 1t is no surprise to learn that even
the MayHower band were really not entitled 70
\ ali the praise as original thanksgivers, when
a they have been receiving ever since le2o.: MOI
that there is anything disparaging 70 % ut.eaeo
1 about those stern moralists-who seem 70 nave
been adopts in loading cargo Of furniture tnat
would tax an ocean liner into little SAILING
ship! 81 $ -
.8 They were brave and they deserve the ma
v tion's remembrance. But 10 years before they
slandad AZ Plymouth q group Of future colonists
d had stood on American soil and given thanks a.
their del,v lance from the perils OF the sea-
This WATSON Sunday, August g. 1907, at the is.
land Of Monhegan and an English minister ana
4 priest Jointly conducted q service OF thanks
diving. The twin ships, Mary and John, and the
I. AZ boat Gift OF God found their way to the
island after a long, terrible voyage OF storms
and helplessness. They had neither TURKEY, 1or
cranberry sauce, but there was never AtosF
genuine Thanksgiving day.
y This was along the coast OF Maine anu ye es
Massachusetts has, through all the years. neen
III onored among states as the home OF the nrst
Thanksgiving service.
S or course the Bay state may be said TO nave
i,..deyaloped it and put 1t on paying basis. 10
Massachusetts such a day was set apart Tor es-
5pecial services, continued fasting ana I!sorous
; giving OF thanks almost from tho time tne RI
y grim Fathers first landed. But without meaning
ia IA facetious 1t Is obvious that these common
ss4nse folk never believed in giving thanks unless
they had something to be thankful Tor ~.
hi Thus in 1888, 13 years after the LANDING az
Plymouth the governor OF that stare omcla!iy
appointed a day Of thanks and another IN the
AJtxt->..F 49, vyVnT
year following But then there was 'u I'm =.
three years during which the colonists did NOT
celebrate Why? Certain historians insist II
u vas because they were lean years. II SO, they
!, must have been followed by three rat. ones
as the day was observed regularly untu 1883.
Again an interval Of fateful 13 years and then.
\ IN 1651 the governor once more declared n
/ favor OF Thanksgiving. In 1880 the day was set
apart as an annual state holiday and has been
ever since.
s@l But only New York adopted the practice Of
having such day until well sinto the eighteenth
century 4 AS early as 1914 the Dutch governor
X Of New York issued an official proclamation for
u day Of thanksgiving but it was not follow
each year-varying probably with the governors
4. ideas or the conditions Of the crops. Like the
famous pagan feast OF autumn. 1t originally was
81 meant chiefly as public offering of prayer in.
gratitude for the bountiful output Of grain and
fruits which would see the settlers through the
4 winter. 5s
~ The other states were being more slowly set
tied and in Maryland ana Virginia tneIe was ny
SO much OF a strong religious atmosphere notice
able as d Sdebonnaire enthusiasm for whatever OF
the good things OF life could be had.
The day was observed but not officially And
always. In the south, It was day OF feasting.
From the time slavery entered the land the
Maryland or Virginia colonist pictured Thanks.
giving dinner as a scene Of expectant waiting
diners and a round grinning black face to the
rear Of the huge roast turkey on platter.
About the time Of the struggle Of rs IT came
into it's own as regular holiday and In 1883
was, for the first time. declared a holiday by
congress and so observed: So that, really. It 10
unite : youthful immature holiday after all!