Oxford eagle. (Oxford, Lafayette Co., Miss.) 1876-current, 1922-12-07
OF YE old TYNE.
Humorous Description OF Thanks
giving Celebration
Some Difference Between the Observ.
ance of the Day Then and the
Festivities of Today.

From picking the stuffing out Of .
wild turkey to kicking the stuffing out
of wild football player, Thanksgiving
day observance has undergone a de-
cided change, even within the ken OF
the present writer, who, at that, is
quite old enough to gain permanent
home among the mummies at the Me-
tropolitan Museum of Art, Roy K.
Moulton writes in the New York Eve
ming Mail. There were days away back
in Puritan times when people had a
lot to be thankful for and enough
sense to be thankful for it. 1t is still
true that portion of our great metro
politan population find time to render
thanks in the old-fashioned style, but
the rah-rah Thanksgiving, has been
with us some twenty years now, and
it seems to be gaining momentum.
In the old days they used to leave a
platter strewn with the bones Of wild
turkey, and now it is the general Gus
tom to leave the gridiron strewn with
arms, legs, ears and other more or less
important impedimenta.
The history of Thanksgiving day
used to be set down by the church
clerk. and now it Is set down in jazz
by the sporting writer, all OF which
goes to show that civilization is NOV
ing. though we can't always decide
which way.
We OIde Tyne Thanksgiving.
know We all men by thefe prefentf:
"That /, Makepeace Wharburton,
governor, do nominate Thurfday, yel
twenty-fixth of November, to be q
day of Thanksgiving and a day of pray
er in remembrance Of the great bleff-
ings we have received during the paft
year. All and fundry of the popula-
ton are ordered to attend fervice and
profoundly render thankf for peace
and PROPERTY or pay penalty on the
pillory, the ducking fool or the ftocks.
"MAKEPEACE WHARBURTON,
Governor"
Those were the days of real Thanks
givings. Peleg Prouty did not have to
20 to butcher shop and barter his
soul. his house and lot and his Ford
for a turkey. He kissed his wife, Pru-
dence, and the kids good-by for maybe
the last time, and set forth for wild
turkey. He carried over his shoulder
an S5-pound blunderbuss with sprin-
kler attachment on the muzzle which
would scatter shot over a fair-sized
township and would kick Peleg for a
goal when 1t went off. If the Indians
got q bead on him first it was good
night turkey, and If he got bead on
them first the sprinkler attachment en-
abled him to put the raspberry on
eight or ten of them at once.
If Peleg got home all right with the
wild turkey they had Thanksgiving.
If he didn't they had funeral.
The family would 60 to church In
the morning and arrive there with sew
eral arrows sticking through their
clothes and hats, and after good old
Elder Hudnutt had preached for four
hours and a half and finally stopped,
| the congregation had something to be
thankful for.
When the feast was ready, Peleg,
his wife, Prudence, and the children,
Steadfast, Charity, Prosper, Faith,
Cromwell and MILESTONE, seated them
selves about the table, the room would
suddenly Ill with smoke for the reason
| that there would be an Indian sitting
On the chimney top trying to smoke