Wausau pilot. [volume] (Wausau, Wis.) 1896-1940, 1920-11-23

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 regala
-plumed heads, painted faces and with BOWS ana
quvers 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 time
to dance SO they yelped and jumped and danced
around the delight of the settlers and to the
fright of the children.
Capt Miles Standsh, 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 it's maneuvers and
as a climax fired a couple of salvos from their
matchbox nuskets 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, leaping,
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
cred, for the official 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 We're our national Thanks
giving proclamations 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 a procla-
nation. On September Ii Roger Sherman, sec
onded by John WitherspOon, moved that Thursday,
December 13 be selected as day of thanksgiving.
This Roger Sherman is unique in history in
asmuch he is the only who signed all four
nf no Artic of
tion 1774; Articles of Confederation 1775; Dec
laration of Independence, 1776, and Constitution
1877.
The official growth of the Thanksgiving Day
observance 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, some of the
colonies holding their Thanksgiving as early as
July and others 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 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
theirs at that time. Washington had been in
office just six months the first President of the
United States.
This document is cOuched in an exalted strain
that should bear its message to every Ameri-
today After brief preamble, the procama-
ton says:
Now therefore, do recommend and assign,
Thursday. the twenty-siXth of November next, to
be devoted by the people of these states to the
service of that great and glorious Being who is the
beneficent 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 a 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 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
humbiy offering prayers and supplications to
the great Lord and Ruler of nations and beseech
Hin TO pardon national and other transgres-
sions to enable ALL whether in public or
private stations, to perform our several duties
properly and punctually; to render our national