The Birmingham age-herald., 1919-11-27
.297TH ANNIVERSARY .OF PLYMOUTH ROCK THANKSGIVING ID BE OBSERVED HERE
Distinctive Fervor to Work First Thanksgiving Serv- ices in the Churches
 After Troops Re-
 turn Home
By EUGENE TRAVIS


 To mansions in the skies, I'n bid farewell to every fear
 And feast on turk. and pies. Why, it's the climax of the year,
 The highest time of living.
 Til naturally it's bursting cheer
 Just melts into Thanksgiving.
 Just 2s7 years ago today. Miles stand ish and the coquettish Priscilla in tea gown of pussy willow taffeta, were cast ing googly eyes across a handicapped table in Plymouth Rock cabaret.
 The weather was fine, the Thanksgfv- ing affair was an open air proposition and Pilgrims and Indians fell to as the venison and wild turkey. Of course, only few of Birmingham s pioneers recall the vivid details of this celebration that took place within few blocks of where the old Mayflower had cast anchor.
 HOPE FOR CRISP WEATHER At 12:0 o'clock this morning. E. c Horton, the weather shark, was uncer- tain asS to the probable trend of today s elements. But as old Sol broke forth with few santing rays late yesterday, the expectant hope prevailed as The Age Herald went to press that the day will be clear and crisp and Jupe Pluvius beat it back to Mobile.
 Gentle and Jew, Catholic and Protes- tant, Greek and oriental bolshevik, news paper men and prohibitionists all cele- brate Thanksgiving Day today in the Pittsburg of the South. It's one world wide holiday and the observance ex- tends to Petrograd, Potsdam and At lanta, Ga. Business generally will be suspended today in Birmingham.
 It is the second Thanksgiving since the armistice and end of the world war, and with practically all Jefferson coun- tvs soldiers at home, except those sleep in gover there, there will be @ distinc- tive fervor in today's church services. The postoffice will follow the usual custom in curtailment of mail delivery and collections, banks will close, the city hall will be deserted, the courthouse silent and the streets are likely to be even more quiet than upon the average Sabbath.
 Cafes and hotels have prepared eiabo- rate and lavish menus and there was brisk demand last night for tables. STORES BUSY YESTERDAY Tn the market sand grocery stores yes terday sales were unusually heavy. Tur- ! key, chicken, game, seafoods, celery, mncemeat, nuts, fruits, cranberries and similar Thanksgiving delicacies were Sn eager demand and some places diminished their stocks almost to zero. l The home observance this year prom ises to be@more general in Birmingham
 than ever bafore
 There will be one public institution | that wifi remain open today-the public
 library The library is open every day | in the year Sundays and holidays, and ! today will be no exception to the rule People who desire to spend quiet hour
 reading will find the doors open from l9 o'clock this morning until o'clock tonight
 While history discloses that in 1922
 year afte rthe Mayflower landed, Pris- ciila washed the dishes while Miles Stanish. Eddie Winslow, old Chief Massa- soft and a few other denizens of that day stood around and burned up Vir-
 gnia tobacco. the party enjoyed it's
 first Thanksgiving, in reality Thanksgiv- l ing dates back to 157S.
 l "Parson" Wolfall, who was in New 1 foundland in April of that year, called
 the people together for Thanksgiving service and feast.
 THANKSGIVING IN 1907 | Tn August, 1907. the Popham colony on the coast of Maine celebrated Thanks 1 giving at Sagadahoe with dinner of venison and barbecued bear l But at none of these affairs did the
 cook lady and biscuit shooter have as ] hefty job as did Priscilla in that Ply
 mouth Rock cafe. Priscilla not only l baked the beans-and she spilled some for
 John Allen-but she prepared, from the cookbook of an Indian chef clams fish and oysters in addition to venison and
 wild turkey.
 The Mayflower bunch invited the 1n-
 dans over and, as the Atlanta papers
 would say, nice time was had by all After dinner there were field athletics
 and the roofing was as boisterous as | that to be heard this afternoon when Alabama bucks the Mississippi A. and M 1 There never will be a Thanksgiving dinner. however, like the one given in Connecticut in 1713. The pious citizens made the occasion sort of municipa affair. They had bought few ceer
 from an Indian profiteer when the deacons discovered the venison had been slain on the Sabbath. By this time the lyenison was steaming in platters on the l community table.
 l They halted the festivities and called | off the fox -trOttlng untll the lHuidH Cul- brit could be found Then they applied 3s lashes and hit it back to the neigh borhood hotel and devoured the dinner lock, stock and barrel
 THE FIRST PROCLAMATION ! Governor Bradford of Massachusetts Issued the first executive proclamation for Thanksgiving in 1893.
 l It was around this time that public in dignation arose over the extravaganza oi l Henry VII in stuffing a bedtick with feathers upon which he might repose ir lsuper-elegance.
 | George Washington issued Thanks giving proclamation to the continental army in December IS, TIT. Congress took similar action in September. 17S9. It was fl years after the Plymouth l Rock Thanksgiving dinner until the first newspaper was>published in America. 1 The death rate at that time was one out of every r persons. Quite diff l ference as compared with the Birmine
 ham mortality rate of last week. Il. per 1000 population.
 They didn't have any Thanksgiving
 piano music until 1717 And there was nc anaesthetic to give in a case of acute
 Thanksgiving indigestion until 1s44. Five
 years later came the first sewing ma
 chine.
 There was no coffee for Thanksgiving l. e..