Montpelier examiner. [volume] (Montpelier, Idaho) 1895-1937, 1920-11-19


a dinner Is success. The few children Of the
colony chung to the womens skirts and looked In
awe at the Indians who had come in full regalia
-pIumed 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 digestlons decided 1t was time
to dance. So they yelped 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
bride by proxy, led out his company of twenty
soldiers and drilled them before the Indians.
The little band went through Its maneuvers and
climax fred a 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 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 anu the
colonists peeled off their jackets and contested
for the honors. Evidently no records were low
cred for the official score books have nothing IN
them concerning this meet y.
In the course OF three hundred years the cele-
bration of Thanksgiving has become national
custom. It's. observance grew gradually and not
until the Civil were our national Thanks-
giving proclamations issued with annual recur-
renee The presidents general thanksgiving
proclamation Is now supplemented py ulal VI Hs
governors of the states.
Tn 1874 the thanksgiving recommendation took.
for the first time the form and name of q procia-
nation. On September ID Roger sherman, sec
onded by John WltherspOon. moved that Thursday,
December Is. be selected as day OF thanksgiving
This Roger sherman is unique in our history in-
asmuch as he is the only man who signed all four
IL the Great Documents Articles Of Associa-
ton 1774: Articles of Confederation, IT'S; Dec
laration of Independence, 177o. and Constitution.
17S7. WY 4,atz.4 yG
The oa1clal growth of the Thanksgiving Day
observance was quite gradual The Massachu-
satts Raw Colony officially designated such cele-
S.at,or IN 1esO. Connecticut followed example In
1890 and the Dutch Of the New Netherlands in
February, 1914. sa,
ooIonlos holding their Thanksgiving as early as
Tnlv and others an late as February; but, BY
degrees It came to the great harvest celebration
tbns preserving the true significance OF the nrst
Thanksgiving Day. -.
~ observed by the whole nation was the twenty
- 81 November, 1885, which George Washing
+ouanrocIaImed as a day for rendering the thanks
~ mo neoue to Heaven for the good fortune tina
Oas theirs at that time. washington nad Deen u
eaca inst six months as the first President OF tn
United States
.r6,s document is couched in an exalted strall
49, shouId bear its message anew TO every Amerf
cas TODAY After brief preamble the Drociama
W uNToVs therefore, I do recommend and assign
r.,,-sdav' the twenty-sixth Of November next, f
- devoted by the people Of these states TO Tn
oe-tce Of that great and glorious Being who Is th
fanaHcient author Of all the good that was that Il
Os sho+ will be. That we may then unite IN reE
" 80 INTO Him our sincere and humble thank
n 0o. gs kind care and protection Of the people Q
~. III. country previous to their becoming nation
~ s,onaI and manifold mercies and favorabl
10. o Of His providence in the course an
aSaIysIon of the late war; for the great degre
- .-aocuIIIty. union and plenty which we hay
.. ~ u" Snsoved: for the peaceable and ratloni
SIM n which we have been enabled to establis
matt. OF government for our safety an
H,ness and particularly the national one no
'nst,tnted for the civil and religious ber
- hicb we are blessed and me means Y
WIN " acquiring and diffusing knowledge, an
nav onera for all the great fayors Which be nal
u ss- n,aased to confer upon us
8 nApd also that We may then unite IN mo
,,,hIv ofgering our prayers and snpphca.ions
nnln n.aas ford and Ruler Of nations, and besee'
IN, 80 nardon our national and otner uanseEe
IN L.nn.. n enable us all, whether ID psDle
e sl0ns to statIons. to perform our several duti
4 prsa arsv and punetuaIiy; to render our nation