Meade County news. [volume] (Meade, Kan.) 1900-1918, 1913-11-27
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>~ THANKSGIVING DAY has long
and curious history and did not
originate entirely with the Pill
grims at Plymouth, for Thanksgiv-
eS@&as ing days are mentioned in the BIZ
GW~VfS%e ble-days set apart for giving
M Il w thanks to God for some special
nv ~ mercy. These days of fast and
~ 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 1906 in London
brought the common sentiment of Thanksgiving.
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 inf1ammable material were found con-
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 as "a public thanks
giving to Almighty God" every year that "un-
feigned thankfuness 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 one established later on May 20,
was abolished in 1888 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
IT'S place in their church calendars. England
continued to have special days appointed for CIV
ing thanks, and as 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 on the American CONT
nent was held by an English minister named
Wolfall, and was celebrated off the coast of New
foundland. This pous accompanied the
Frobisher expedition which brought the first Eng
lsh colony to North America. The log of the
ship gives the record of the days obseryances
and tells how on Monday, May %, 1878, aboard
the Ayde, the men received communion and how
Minister Wolfall in a sermon gave humble and
hearty thanks to God for his miraculous deliver
ance in these dangerous places. This was the
first Christian sermon preached in North Ameri-
waters Again In 1907 there was similar
service held at Sagadahoc-a little village on
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 day
for prayer and rejoicing over the plenteous 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 pious
preparation for what proved to 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-
termined that the initial Thanksgiving should be
aIahv tod ufth no nd hat
feasting should play a 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 were shot-in fact, enough to meet the
wants of the colony for week. Wild turkeys
predomnated, so it seems that the turkey made
its appearance early in the history of Thanks
giving The day selected was December 13 (old
style) At the dawn of that day a small cannon
was fired from the hill and 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 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 1t
< was over there was dinner-and such din
ner had never been known in the colony, for,
apart from the savory turkey and other wild
fowl, the women 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 was in progress for as
If by magic 80 friendly red men. under King
Massasoit, appeared, carrying launches of veni
son as an addition to the feast Thanksgiving
day soon heightened into days. for the psalm
singing and feasting, interspersed With war
dances, were continued several days.
After that Thanksgiving days took on differ
emit aspect and occurred at any season; some
times twice . rear. or sometimes year Or two