Eagle River review. [volume] (Eagle River, Wis.) 1890-1927, 1920-11-19

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served and smiled, as women always smile when
a dinner is success The few children Of the
colony clung to the women's skirts and looked in
awe at the Indians, who had come in full regalia
-plumed heads, painted faces and with bows and
quivers at their Sides
Dinner finished, tables were cleared and the
men rested their backs against stumps to let
digestion have its way. But the Indians who
hadn't Inherited digestiOns decided it was times
to dance. So they yeped and jumped and danced
around to the delight of the settlers and to the
fright of the children.
Capt Miles Standish, the same who lost a
bride by proxy led out his company of twenty
soldiers and drilled them before the Indians
The little band went through it's maneuvers and
as climax fired couple of salvos from their
matchbox muskets. The Indians cheered Justify,
and crowded around the captain while he at
tempted to explain to them the mechanism of his
blunderbus.
Then, as now, sports were part of the OBJ
servance of the day. In clear space, leaplng,
running and other athletic. games were staged.
The Indians laid aside their fur cloaks and the
colonists peeled off their jackets and contested
for the honors. Evidently no records were low
ered for the official score books have nothing in
them concerning this meet.
In the course of three hundred years the cee
braton of Thanksgiving has become national
custom. It's observance grew gradually and not
until the Civil war were our national Thanks
giving procamations issued with annual recur-
renee. The presidents general Thanksgiving
proclamation is now supplemented by that of the
governors of the states
In 1871 the Thanksgiving recommendation took,
for the first time the form and name OF procla-
nation On September ID Roger Sherman, sec
onded by John Witherspoon moved that Thursday,
December 13, be selected as day of thanksgiving.
h
asmuch as he is the only man who signed all four
OF the Great Documents: Articles of Associa-
ton 1774; Articles of Confederation 1875; Dec
laration of independence, 1916 and Constitution,
1857.
The official growth of the Thanksgiving Day
observance was quite gradual. The Massachu-
sets Bay Colony officially designated such cee-
bration in 1880, Connecticut followed example in
1885, and the Dutch of the New Netherlands in
February. 1914
The day of observance varied, some of rhe
colonies holding their Thanksgiving as early as
July and others as late as February; but, by
degrees it came to the great harvest celebration,
thus preserving the true significance of the first
Thanksgiving Day.
The first officially appointed Thanksgiving
Day observed by the whole nation was the twenty
sixth of November 1889, which George Washing
ton proclaimed day for rendering the thanks
of the people to Heaven for the good fortune that
was theirs at that time. Washington had been in
office just six months as the first President of the
United States.
This document is couched in an exalted strain
that should bear it's message anew to every Ameri-
can today. After brief preamble, the procama-
tion says:
"Now therefore, / do recommend and assign,
Thursday the twenty-sxth of November next, to
be devoted by the people Of these states to the
service of that great and glorious Being who is the
benefcent author of all the good that was, that is,
or that will be- That we may then unite in
dering unto Him our sincere and humble thanks
for His kind care and protection of the people of
this country previous to their becoming nation
for the signal and manifold mercies and favorable
interpretations of His providence in the course and
conclusion of the late war; for the great degree
of tranquility, union and plenty which we have
since enjoyed for the peaceable and rational
manner in which we have been enabled to establish
constitutions of government for our safety and
happiness, and particularly the national one now
lately instituted; for the civil and religious liberty
with which we blessed and the means
have of acquiring and diffusing knowledge and,
in general for all the great favors which He hath
been pleased to confer upon u.s.
"And also that we may then unite in most
humbly offering our prayers and supplications to
the great Lord and Ruler of nations, and beseech
Him to pardon national and other transgres-
sions; to enable all, whether in public
private stations, to perform our several duties
properly and punctually; to render our national