The New York herald., 1920-11-25
In the Fourth Century OF Thanks
giving Day.


ish about these beginners of the
American Thanksgiving Day of 1921.
They made no profession of original
ity or the invention of anything new.
They were as generous In their ac-
acknowledgement Of what the Indians
furnished for their feast as they were
to their former hosts for their "cour-
teous entreaty" received while In the
Dutch Republic.
The red men taught the white how
to cultivate maize, to make sugar from
maple sap, to visualize the clans by
treading them up and out Of the sea
beach and, not least for economic sue
cess. to raise tobacco. Dear Lady
Nicotine" enabled the Pilgrims to send
as a present to their Dutch friends
on Manhattan a fine sample of fuel
for the pipe. In fact tobacco was
their first paying crop for export.
1t is true that WASHINGTON IRVING
and common tradition here distort
chronology and history for legend, but
it is BRADFoRD's record that In the
North the Pilgrims were the first
raisers of tobacco. In all probability,
besides the American Thanksgiving,
1t was they who introduced the after
dinner luxury of the cigar.
1t is highly probable also that, fol-
lowing the turkey and possibly cram
berries, and certainly without regard
to cuticle red or white, the feast
ended In a smoker, followed by COM
petitive target practice between mas
ters of the bow and the blunderbuss.
These pious folks followed another
and very laudable gastronomic Dutch
custom which during their ten years
stay in Leyden they had seen and
enjoyed. The besieging Spaniards in
1874 were considerate enough to fur
nish Leyden with an occasion for
Thanksgiving Day. This was fixed at
the very sensible date Of October 4,
instead of Thursday in late No
vember. After WILLIAM the Silent
had cut the dikes at Delfshaven and
sent messages of cheer by the carrier
pigeons to the besieged, the Iceland
Water Beggars drove their cannon
boats up TO the city walls, over which
they tossed loaves and dried herring.
These brave rescuers wore on their
caps a silver crescent, called In Dutch
a Half Moon, with an inscription
showing preference for the Turk
rather than the Spaniard for their
ruler. After this symbol of valor,
daring and freedom was the ship of
HENRY HUDSON named.
1t was the enterprising boy GIJs-
BERT CoRNELLIsoN who climbed out
early In the morning over the wall to
find that the Spaniards had evacuated
every one Of their camps and their
fifty -four forts. Over the fires was
stewing the huts-puts, Anglicized az
hodge-podge. It was this rngout of
meat and vegetables smoking hot but
still untasted which furnished a free
dinner on October 4, the day of de-
liverance. 1t made a fine addition to
the dry ratlons brought by the victo-
rious Beggars. The exact spot of the
initial rescue and loaf tossing Is
marked and the original water gate
and masonry are still kept in repair.
Near by stands the modern Hall of
Archives, In which are more contem-
porary documents of the Pilgrims,
maids, swains, fathers and mothers.
with their signatures, than In all the
British Isles
At once the Dutch made October
Thanksgiving Day by going 10
church. Both the date and It's sig
uificance are still celebrated, with the
eating not Of turkey and cranberries
but Of the Spanish stew. After
church all the brides and bridegrooms
of the previous twelve months ride In
a gala procession Of carriages through
the city Of Leyden. In New Neither.
lands Thanksgiving Day was also
regular function announced by proc
lamation and observed In both public
and private life.
Did these newcomers TO Plymouth
get used to the biting OF of grain
that grew on cob which was NOT
edible7 Did they fasten their incisors
too deep In the cob, as Is done at first
by most English tasters Of the
luscious cornl AS for the cranberry,
who Of them visualized the future to
behold an American annual crop OF a
million bushels7 Who could foresee
the bogs Of four States blushlng with
the crimson globules, a small library
of literature concerning the berry, and
even an association of breeders and
defenders Of this indigenous deicacyi
And what Of the turkey which fur.
nished poultry yard at the very
doors Of the Pilgrlms2 Unafrald of
man, these majestic birds came with
and without invitation. And what of
the friendly competition between the
Dutch oven which fhe immigrants
brought over and tho Alrouuuin cook.