Askov American. [volume] (Askov, Pine County, Minn.) 1914-current, 1919-11-27

Thu brsak,ns waves dashed high
On n stern and rock-b0und coAsts
And the woods against = stormy sky
Their giant branches tossed
"HIS famous poem comes TO
mind with each recurring
Thanksgiving day, and carries
US back 10 1921 when the land
was young and our pilgrim foroears
were laying the first foundation stones
of our great American republic. 10
them belongs the credit Of having cele-
brated the first Thanksgiving day In
New England. but not the nrst IN
North America. Historians remind US
of the fact that in the year 1913 an
English minister named Wolfall con-
ducted q Thanksgiving service on the
shores of Newfoundland. The min
lister was with an expedition under
Frobisher which brought the first Eng
lish colony to settle on those shores.
It was in this pious spirit or graft
tude that the Pilgrims on the "stern
and rock bound coast" of Plymouth
'.praysed God" in sincere gratitude for
the way In which he had delivered
them from all the dangers Of the deep
that the MayflOwer had gone through.
We of the luxurious plenty of our day
would feel that we had little for
which to be grateful if We had no
more than the Pilgrims had on their
first Thanksgiving day. Dangers known
and unknown encompassed them round
about, and their days were filed with
hard labor, while their fare was of the
plainest and the future was uncertain.
But they had stout hearts in which
hope ran high. OF the American
Thanksgiving one historian says:
1.-THE annual celebration, as We have
1t in its present form, is essentially Of
American conception. The settlers of
jamestown. the Dutch of New York,
the Pilgrims of Plymouth, and the Pu-
ritans Of Boston were in every respect
devoutly religious people. They were
cOrnerstOnes in the great temple Of
republican government on this side of
the Atlantic. The first written consti-
tuition in all history was an American
document, in that it was written in the
cabin of the Mayfower on Saturday,
Nov. IL, 1920, as that unique craft
swung at her anchor in Provincetown
harbor, the first six words being In
the name OF God, Amen This phrase
laid the foundation stones of our
western civilization. These men
brought but little with them, but left
much to posterity. II this were the
only thing they left us, the American
Thanksgiving day, their names would
be immortalized. 1t gives joy to the
humblest Of peoples. On the follow
ing autumn there was held 'grande
thanksgiving The most condensed &C.
count of this 'grande thank sgiving' can
be found in Il letter written by Ed
ward Winslow, sent to friend in
England, as follows: Our harvest be-
ing gotten in. our governor sent out
four men on fowling SO that We might
after a special manner rejoice togeth-
er. after we had gathered the fruits of
our iabors. They killed as much fowl
as with little help beside served the
company about one week. At which
times among other recreatiOns we ex-
ercised our army, many of the Indians
coming amongst us and among the
rest of their greatest king. Massasoit,
with some 80 men. whom for three
days we entertained and Toasted, and
they went out and killed five deer,
which they brought and bestowed on
our governor and upon the captain
and others