The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1930-11-14

had much more spice than now. Years
ago it used to be the thing for house
holders to throw hot pennies out Of
the window to the costumed urchinS.
Then there was a scramble as never
is seen in these days of merely drop
ping cold cash into cap.
However, the researches Of a New
York woman, Esther Singleton, into
ancient Manhattan history recently
disclosed the fact that mumming on
Thanksgiving day has been practiced
in that city for nearly three centur-
les. Under the Dutch, the Dutch Re-
formed church in this colony endeav-
ored to stop popular observance of an
cient Catholic festivals by legal inter-
diction. Shrove Tuesday celebrations
still continued in Holland as "vas-
ten avond"-were found irrepressible
mainly because the children liked
them.
Children persisted in their pre-Len-
ten masquerade. ''They walked the
Streets" says Miss Singleton in her
Dutch New York." carrying the
rommel-pot, pot covered with a
tightly stretched bladder. In the cen
ter was hole through which stick
was damned. When moved up and
down the stick would make a dull
rumbling noise. Children went from
door to door singing Tin Dutch:
I've run so long with the rumbling-pot
And have as yet 60 NO money to buy
bread.
Herring packery, herring-packery,
Give me a penny and I'll go by!
"They wore masks and false faces
and sometimes a devils suit of
Clothes This masking and dressing
up still survives in New York on
Thanksgiving day."
Manhattan's Thanksgiving is now
one hundred and eighty-six years old.
Director General Keift of the Dutch
West India company instituted the
first on March 4. 1913, as a day of
fasting and prayers of Thanksgiving
for temporary cessation Of Indian
outbreaks, excited by tribal resent
ment against the sale of rum by the
Colonists to young braves. Hostilities
were soon resumed, lasted till 1915,
and then on September 6 came anoth-
er thanksgiving day for peace with
the savages."
After the surrender Of the colony
to England generation later and the
final adoption in New York of the
Thanksgiving day instituted at Ply
mouth and Massachusetts, bay. the
New York children transferred their
Shrove Tuesday mumming to the au-
tumn holiday, preserving the custom
among themselves even though their
elders had long lost track of what It
meant and whence it locally derived.
It is also worthy of note that the
state Of New York saw the first OFF,
cial proclamation Of a Thanksgiving
day as an annual custom which has
been observed without interruption for
more than no years. In 1917 Gov.
Dewitt Clinton officially proclaimed
Thanksgiving day, and ever since that
time New York governors have fol-
lowed the precedent. 1t was also fol-
lowed by governors of other northern
states, but it did not become a gen.
eral national holiday by Presidential
proclamation until 1868. The first
Presidential proclamation was issz.cd
by George Washington from New York
city, then the Capital of the nation in
1889. Several later Presidents issued
such proclamations from time to time.
but it remained for Abraham Lincoln
in 1868 to fix the last Thursday in No
vember as the national day Of thanks
giving.
90 By western NswspaDsr unisn.l