The Prince George's enquirer and southern Maryland advertiser., 1920-11-26

served and smiled, women always smile when
a dinner is a success. The few children of the
colony clung to the womens 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 cleared and the
men rested their backs against stun1ps to let
digestion have its way. But the Indians who
hadn't inherited digestions, decided it 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 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
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 a clear space leapng,
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 cele-
bration of Thanksgiving has become national
custom Its observance grew gradually and not
until the Civil were our national Thanks
giving proc1amations 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 13 Roger Sherman, sec
onded by John WitherspOon, moved that Thursday,
December Is, be selected as day of thanksgiving.
This Roger Sherman is unique in our history In
he }S fhc on1v ma who signed all four
Of the Great Documents: Articles Of Associa-
ton. 1774; Articles of Confederation, 1775; Dec
laration of Independence, 1776, and Constitution.
1857
The official growth of the Thanksgiving Day
observance was quite gradual The Massachu-
sets Bay Colony officially designated such cele-
bration in 1880, Connecticut followed example in
1899 and the Dutch of the New Netherlands in
February, 1914.
The day of observance varied. of the
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 as 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 lust six months as the nfst fresIoSnt oI tne
United States.
This document is couched in an exalted strain
that should bear its message anew to every Amerl-
can today. After brief preamble, the proclama-
tion says:
"Now, therefore, do recommend and assign,
Thursday the twenty-sixth of November next to
he devoted by the people Of these states to the
service of that great and glorious Being who Is the
benefcient author of all the good that was that is,
or that will be- That we may then unite in rem
dering unto Him our sincere and humble thanks
for His kind care and protection of the people of
this country previous to their becoming a nation;
for the signal and manifold mercies and favorable
nterpositions 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 are blessed and the means we
have of acquiring and diffusing knowledge, and,
in general for all the great favors which He hath
been pleased to confer upon US.
"And also that we may then unite in most
humbly Offering prayers and supplfcations to
the great Lord and Ruler of nations and beseech
Him to pardon our national and other transgres
sions: to enable us all, whether in public or
private stations, to perform our several duties
properly and punctually; to render our national