Evening star., 1927-11-20
UR Pilgrim forefathers were
the originators of Thanksgiv-
ing day. their historical feast
at Plymouth in 1921 inaugu.


~ at Plymouth in 1921 inaugu.
rating the custom, but Abra.
ham Lincoln was the one who saved
the festival from extinction.
For about half century previous
to Lincoln's first Thanksgiving proc
lamation, groups of Americans in diff
ferent States sporadically observed
day of thanksgiving for bountiful har-
vests and local prosperity. The United
States as Nation did not celebrate
Thanksgiving previous to the Civil
War days.
The country was bisected faction
ally by an internal conflict. The Union
had won a notable victory at Gettys-
burg. This. with other events favor.
able to the Government. led President
Abraham Lincoln to issue proclama.
ton to all Americans to remember
and reverence with profound graft.
tude Him whose will, not ours. will
evermore be DONE"
This act of Lincoln's unquestionably
harks back to a crude log cabin in the
prairie country, where the courageous,
uncomplaining wife of a .stalwart pio-
neer lay dying. She had sacrificed her
life to the hardships OF civilizations
Westward advancement.
abraham she cried, in a voice
barely audible. A boy clothed in rags
who later rose to become Presi-
deh-answered the summons.
II have not had much to make me
happy" said Abe's mother with a sigh.
II have not had much to make me
happy" she repeated, 'far less than
some folks have had. but my voice has
| never failed to rise in praise whenever
| feeling of thanksgiving has come to
me. Abraham Lincoln, you have my
heart. / am thankful God gave you
| to us. Love everybody, hinder no.
body and the world will be glad some
| day that you were born. This is a
| beautiful world to the loving and be.
| lieving. I am grateful for life. for
everything, but more than all else be.
| cause you have my heart"
| 1incoln's mother through her IA
F., nous son is thus the savior of Amer.
ica's Autumnal festival of thanksgiv-
| ing. For when the Illinois railsplitter
occupying the White House national.
lied the tradition Of Thanksgiving. he
paid direct homage both to his de-
ceased mother and the bleeding coun.
try which he loved 90 well.
| One year later Abraham Lincoln is.
sued his second Thanksgiving day
message to the United States, and on
that occasion designated Thursday,
August g. as the holiday for thanks.
giving. That proclamation asked our
citizens to render the homage due to
the Divine Majesty for the wonderful
things He has done in the Nations be-
half and to lovoke the influence of His
Holy Spirit % subdue the anger which
has produced and SO long sustained a
needless and cruel rebellion"
1t was not until 1863 that Lincoln
selected the last Thursday in Novem.
ber as Thanksgiving day, an official
choice which the succeeding Chief Elk
ecutives from then to now have sane
toned. The following year Lincoln
wrote his last proclamation of Thanks
giving. Subsequent to his assassina
ton, the observance. of Thanksgiving
was neglected for one year. until Pres
ident johnson was finally prevailed
upon to revive the national holiday.
During the boyhood of Lincoln wilt
turkeys. prairie chicken and quai
were abundant in the country where
he lived. Abe and his father were as
expert In hunting those game birds as
they were in telling sturdy trees and
converting them into rails for snake
fences. Lincoln was fond of both the
dark and light meat of the wild tur.
key, and at the first Thanksgiving
dinner In the White House a plump
chestnut-fattened turkey was the
"piece de resistance" on the menu
Here again Lincoln aided in the trans
mission to posterity of the memories
of the Pilgrims original Thanksgiving
feast, for when Gov. Bradford of the
Plymouth Colony set aside a day ia
celebrate the 'ingathering" of the in
itial American harvest, he ordered four
of the best hunters to take their flint,
lock fowling pieces to the woods and
not to return until they could "brins
home the bacon"--or rather plenty OF
wild turkeys.
Since the naturalization of Thanks
giving as holiday and religious festi.
val in these United States, the turkey
has OccIlnied the center of the table