Phillips County herald., 1922-11-23
had FEAST OF
SPANISH STEW
Brave Burghers Of Dutch Town
Of Leyden Held Thanksgiv
ing in 1874.
Governor Bradford Has Testified That
the Pilgrims Followed "the Laud-
able Custom Of HeIiand''-Prop-
er Tribute to Red Men.


after the laudable custom of Hol-
land" is Bradf0rd's own description
Of one of the many functions and even
Institutions introduced into America
and set to work at Plymouth. There
was nothing exclusive or selfish about
these beginners Of the American
Thanksgiving day of 1921. They made
no profession of originality or the in
vention of anything new. They were
as generous in their acknowledgement
of what the Indians furnished for thcli
feast as they We're to their former
hosts for their courteous entreatX' re
ceived while in the Dutch republic.
The red men taught the white how
to cultivate maize, 10 make sugar from
maple sap, TO visualize the clans by
treading them up and out Of the ~.
beach and. not least for economic sue
cess. to raise tobacco. Dear Lady
Nicotine" enabled the Pilgrims to
send as present to their Dutch
friends on Manhattan a fine sample OF
fuel for the pipe. In fact, tobacco
WIS tuCit lbay NfoP AOA tAl'ott
II is true that Washington Irving
and common tradition here distor,
chronology and history for legend, hui
1t is Bradfo us record that in the
North the Pilgrims were the first rails
ers of tobacco. In all probability. be
sides the American Thanksgiving. ii
was they who introduced the after
dinner luxury Of the cigar.
1t is highly probable also that, fol
owing the turkey and possibly Gran
berries. and certainly without regar,
to cuticle red or white, the feast end
ed in n smoker, followed by competi
tive target practice between masters
of the bow and the blunderbuss.
These pious folks followed another
and very lau,lnble gastronomic Dutch
custom which during their ten years
stay in Leyden they had seen and en
joyed. The besieging Spaniards in
1874 were consderate enough to fur
nish Leyden with an occasion for
Thanksgiving day. This was fixed at
the very sensible date Of October T.
instead Of Thursday In late Novem-
her. After William the Silent had cut
the dikes ut Delfshaven and sent mes
sages Of cheer by the carrier pigeons
to the besieged the ICELAND Wafer
Beggars drove their cannon boats up to
the city walls. over which they tessesl
loaves and dried herring. These brnve
rescuers wore ON their caps silver
crescent. called In Dutch Half Moon.
with an Inscription showing preference
for the Turk rather than the Span
lard for their ruler. After this sym.
Dol Of valor. daring and freedom was
the ship Of Henry Hudson named.
II was the enterprIslng boy Gijsbert.
Cornellison who climbed out early In
the morning over the wall to find that
the Spaniards had evacuated every one
OF their camps and their 81 forts. Over
the fires was stewing the huts-pufs.
Angllcized as hodge-podge. II was this
ragOut Of meat and vegetables smoking
hot but still untasted which furnished
u free dinner on October 4, the day of
delivernnce. II made fine addition
TO the dry rations brought by the vlcto
rlous Beggars. The exact spot Of the
initial rescue and loaf tossing Is
marked and the original water gnte
and masonry are still kept In repair.
Near by stands the modern Hall ~
Archives, In which are more confc.n.
porary documents of the Pilgrims.
maids. SWANS, fathers and mothers.
with their signatures. than In all the
British isles.
AZ once the Dutch made October 4
Thanksgiving day by going 10 church.
Both the date and It's Significance nfe
SIN celebrated. with the eating not VI
turkey and crnnbcrrics hut of the
Spanish stew. After church all the
brides and hridegrooms of the previous
II months ride In gnla procession of
carriages through the city of Leyslrn.
In New Netherlands Thanksgiving
dny was also regular function mn.
Douneed by proclamation and observed
In both public and private iIfe.
Did these newcomers TO Plymouth
get used TO the biting on Of grain TINT
grew on cob which wns not edible:
Did they fnstcn their inclsors too
deep In the cob. ns is done ut first by
most English tastcrs ~ the luscious
cornf A. for the cranberry, who of
them vlsunlized the future 10 behold
an American nnnuni crop Of q million
bushels7 Who could foresec the hogs
Of four states blushing with the erin.
son globules. a small library of liter.
ature concerning the berry, and even
IN association Of breeders and defend.
err of this indigenous dclicRcyf
And what II the turkey which fur.
nished poultry yard VI The very door.
of the PIIgriinsf unnfrnid ~ man.
these majestic birds came with and
without Invitation. And what II The
friendly composition between The
Dutch oven which the immigrants
brought over and the Algonquin cook.
Ing holef No doubt the folks ~ both
red aud white skins were strenuous ri.