Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1921-11-23
THANK SEWING.

InankS 40 we give LUZ SniSS'
The early and the latter rain,
For flocks and herds, and fruit and
flowers,
And boundless fields of shining
grain.
Thanks for the peace that with us
dwells,
For love of neighbor and of friend,
For long tried laws that left their
shield
And all our happiness defend.
Thanks that we weep not for our own,
Thanks that our homes are fair and
free,
Thanks that we have no foe abroad
And for the separating sea.
Dear Aunt Madge and Friends of the
NJ. b. Column:
Here | am again before the ink on
my last letter is fairly dry, but don't
be discouraged; you know from my
past record that it doesn't happen
often.
During my recent visit to Bluehill.
when l spent nearly two weeks with
Ford. I had telephone talk with
Aunt Madge and she said she would
be glad to have some one else make
the Thanksgiving remarks this year
for the column, but | fear that all will
say her substitute is a failure.
At this time of year, when the har-
vests are gathered in and our cellars
are fun of apples, potatoes and the
goodly store of other vegetables, and
we see the bins of grain, the heaps of
golden pumpkins and squashes. we
should certainly have thankful hearts
for the store of provisions for the
long winter. We get tired of the
| labor of preparing and canning the
various fruits, berries and vegetables
during the summer, but what a salts
| faction when all is done to see the
| shelves full of good things. the
| glasses of shining jelly, the spicy
| pickles, as our reward!
| Perhaps it may make us more
| thankful for our present day con-
| venienccs and blessings it, for little.
we turn our thoughts back to our Pill
| grim forefathers and the privations
| they and their families endured, and
| learn of the origin and purpose of our
national DAY of thanksgiving.
For the origin of this holiday we
| have to thank our Pilgrim forefathers,
| who were the first to set apart day
of Thanksgiving to God for the bless
| ines bestowed during the year. This
occurred at Plymouth in 1921, after
| the harvests of their first year in New
| England had been gathered and for
years it was almost exclusively a
| New England institution. celebrated
Nv, 81 t,yiN
churches and by the gathering at the
old home OF the scattered members of
| the family.
Perhaps it would be interesting to
| glance backward to the time of the
| first Thanksgiving day and compare
the privations of the Colonists in their
| rude homes with the modern con-
veniences OF day, and wonder if we
have even a part of the spirit of real
thanksgiving by which they were
actuated.
The first chimneNs We're built of
Logs and clay, called Gated chimneys-
rude affairs that the settlers built
hurriedly, till they should have time
to spare for more substantial ones of
stone These had inner projecting
Lodges. and on them rested Il bar, from
six to eight feet from the floor called
Il lug pole or back bar. at first of
wood, but as this was apt to burn
through, it was later made of iron
On these hung iron pots or chains
with hooks of different lengths Dot
hooks. trammels, hakes or pot hang
ers. On these hung the pots and ket-
Ties for cooking. Later, when the
huge stone chmncys were built, brick
ovens were made and heated by build
ing a fire in them, which had to be
raked out before the weekly cooking
was placed in the hot oven, in pans if
the owner had them, if not on oak
| leaves or cabbage leaves. A very
long handled shovel. called a slice or
peel, was used to handle the food as
ii baked. Very little tin was used or
known. Candles We're used for light
ing. Each housewife ground her OWN
coffee and spices in mortars, and cloth
for the family clothing was spun
woven and made up in each household
1t was not always easy in those
troublous times, to get the things
necessary for the Thanksgiving feast
so much depended on the success of
the crops. None of the convenient
machinery and farming tools of our
times were at hand to help the Colo
nists in their struggles in clearing
farms from the wilderness, and
fish and plentiful game and the
| corn which the Indians grew and
| taught them to raise kept them from
| actual starvation at times
One famous housewife is reported to
| have made her Thanksgiving mince
! pies with a filing of bears meat and
| dried pumpkins, sweetened with
! maple sugar, and the crusts of corn
meal. AT the first Thanksgiving it is
said the Indians brought five deer to
the Colonists for their feast, and that
year there was also great number of
wild turkeys.
| in spite of the extra work and con-
fusion. every family attended church
on Thanksgiving day, and in cold
weather the foot stove was filled with
hot Goals and taken along TO keen III "a