Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1915-11-27
FOR THE CHILDREN
Angeline Schoech on
The First Thanks
giving Day

A long time ago 6OIIe pcopAo Ii I1.te
land were harshly treated because they
worshiped God as they wanted to and
not as their king wanted them to. SC
they resolved to go some place Wnere
they could worship as they wished
Therefore they fled to Holland.
But it did not suit them because they
wanted to be loyal to their country but
worship God as they wished. Thell
children were beginning to take up the
Dutch ways. So they went back &c
England and got some more men ano
women and started off in two ships
the Speedwell and the Mayflower.
They started for America, the only
place they could go where they coulo
worship God as they wished. They had
not gone very far when the SpeedWel
sprung leak and they were abliged tc
go back and have it fixed.
They started out again and they hao
gone about three hundred miles ano
the Speedwell leaked so badly that they
went back again.
A few Of the party now gave 1T up
The rest, one hundred and two men
women and children got in the May
flower and started off again. The
weather was so bad and the wind high
that It was nine weeks before they
came in sight of land. 1t was Cape Cod
far from the Jersey shore they nae
started for. They turned southwark but
the wind drove them back and they
were obliged to seek shelter behlnc
Cape Cod.
| The county round about was such
poor place for a settlement that the!
. sent parties out to look for Dettel
plate to settle. One of these parties un-
der Captain Miles Standish entered
harbor so attractive that they dec1dec
to settle there. So the Mayflower with
all on board set sail for the place.
A few days before Christmas in 1926
they began the building Of town call
ed Plymouth. AS usual with all new
settlers the winter was hard WIFI
them and before spring half of then
died. But the rest were steadfast anc
led by William Bradford and Miles
Standish, they got along.
One day an Indian walked into camp
and surprised the Pilgrims by saylns
Welcome" He had learned 1T from
some fishermen. His name was Same
set
BY and by he and four other COM
panions paid another visit to the Pill
grims. One of these mems name was
Squanto. He knew how to talk English
having been taken over to Englanc
once and being sent back again. he
showed them how. to plant corn ano
told them to put a fish In each hill &c
fertilize the ground. Squanto also tolo
the Pilgrims TIT his chief, Massasoit
wished to pay them visit. So a meet
ing was appointed and when the CHIEF
came everything was ready for him
They took him to Governor Carver ano
after making a treaty that they would
always help each other they smoked the
pipe of peace and he left. After that the
lr ans passed in and out Of the village
at will.
They ate and drank so much that
their stock of provisions grew rapidly
less. Edward Winslow then took it upon
himself to tell the Indians that they
were to come to the village only when
they bore messages. Squanto soon be
came a great favorite with the Pill
grims. He taught the boys how to trap
and told the Pilgrims to plant their
corn as soon as the whiteoak leaves
were as big as mouse ear.
The colonists now worked hard plant
ing their crops over the graves Of the
dead companions, so the Indians would
not find out how, many had died But
their provisions were growing SO small
that they were afraid they would wear
out before their crops ripened. About
all they had to eat was shell fish and a
few grains Of corn day.
1lC w iI1ISI lldo OSSi ~ Nohlp SeiiN
the summer started out so dry that
they were afraid that they would die
for want Of rain.
So they set a day on which they
would fast and pray for rain. A few
of the Indians who had heard that they
were going to pray for rain watched the
sky anxiously and when it clouded over
and gentle rain began to fall they re-
marked in awe struck tones that the
God of the white man had surely heard
their prayers.
Their corn grew and rpened and they
had an abundant harvest SO the Pill
grim fathers set day on which they
would feast and thank God for his great
deliverance. They invited some Indians
They brought venison and the Pilgrims
supplied turkey and pumpkin pies
Then they danced and played games
for three days. They called it Thanksgiv-
ing Day. 1t spread all over and we have
it to this day.
Angeline Schoech, Blakesburg, Ia.
Helen COrrigan of OttumWa