Montpelier examiner. [volume] (Montpelier, Idaho) 1895-1937, 1913-11-21
TL1LUWuIEITI IKNUHTU VIII
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-D thanksgiving DAY has a long
and curious history and did not
originate entirely with the Pill
grims at Plymouth, for Thanksgiv
G%aM ing days mentioned in the BIZ
49, UI@&e ble-days set apart for giving
M M thanks to God for some special
@ IN mercy. These days of fast and
SN~a6% prayer were customary In England
before the Reformation, and later
the Protestants appointed certain days of praise
and thanks for various blessings. The dscov-
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 9th of November, the first
day Of the session. Great quantities of gunpow-
der and infiammable material were found
cealed In the vaults underneath the building The
plot was discovered and the traitors we're exc
cuted. In consequence of this deliverance the
day was ordered to be kept "a public thanks
giving to Almighty God" every year that "un-
feigned thankfulness may never be forgotten, and
that all ages to come may yield praises to Gods
divine majesty for the same" All ministers were
ordered to say prepers thereon, for which special
forms were provided. This annual Thanksgiving,
together with established later on May 20,
was 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 on account of
Its 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 English minister named
Wolfall, and was 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
ohiu O1u he 0f thn dnyio Ohan 1roc
and tells how Monday May %, 1878, aboard
the Ayde, the men received communion and how
Minister Wolfall in a gave humble and
hearty thanks to God for his miraculous deliver
in these dangerous places. This the
first Christian sermon preached in North Ameri-
waters. Again in 1907 there similar
service held at Sagadahoc-a little village
the coast of Maine. There is little record OF
this thanksgiving except that 1t consumed only
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 EngIishmen 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
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
were to search for game for the feast Many
fowls shot-in fact, enough to meet the
wants of the colony for week. Wild turkeys
predominated so 1t seems that the turkey made
its appearance early in the history Of Thanks
giving The day selected was 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 solemniy along
the street The walked three abreast with
Governor Bradford in the rear. There was q
long service in the meeting house. and after 1t
was over there q dinner-and such din
ner had never been known In the colony for,
apart from the sayory turkey and other wild
floyd, the women had done their share in pro
Wong good things from the limited supply at
their command. The most dramatic incident oc
CURED when the dinner in progress. for as
If by magic 30 friendly red men. under King
son as an addition to the feast Thanksgiving
day soon heightened into days, for the psalm
singing and feasting interspersea with war
dances, were continued several days.
After that Thanksgiving days took differ
times twice year. sometimes year or two