Evening star., 1939-11-19
Capitals Celebration of Thanksgiving Day Joined With Spread in
District Once
FOundCause
For Dispute
DiscOntinuance of
Event Met With
Opposition

,, the children, we are told, were
treated to a simple but pleasant
collation., and premiums were given
to 81 children who had learned all
the Commandments. The Y. LEA.
was represented by "Messrs. Rhees,
Marsell and Baird" which probably
meant William j. Rhees, Samuel T.
G. Morsell and Spencer F. Baird.
Mr.. Rhees was one of the founders
OF this worthy organization. Ac-
cording to the city directory, the
Western Hose Company, No. /, was
then located on Twenty-third street
near L NV, and William Riggles
was president OF the company.
| Parties Held.
Coming down to a period that
many OF us recall, it was quite GUS
tom to celebrate the day before
Thanksgiving with Thanksgiving
Eve parties, balls and dancing re-
ceptions, and nearly all of the larger
halls of the city were engaged for
that night.
Before the writer are two dance
programs. One states that it /.
the First Complimentary Dancing
Reception, Musette Pleasure Club,
Marines Hall, Thanksgiving Eve,
1888" For this dance the master
OF ceremonies was Charles H.
Bruhel; ballet master, John j. Ven
cradle, w. Hendley, Frank w. Ven-
able, and Reception Committee, w.
w. Turner, j. D. Donnelly and Henry
Grass.
The dances listed for this occa-
sion include the lanciers, waltz,
quadrille, polka, schottische, gaIop,
quadrille basket, racquet, lanciers
centennial, mazourka and redoWa
| and cicilian circle.
The other program is for a ball
at the National Rifles Hall, held the
same evening by the Golden Star
Socials, November %, 1883. 1t was
the fifth ball this social club gave,
and its officers for the occasion
were: Master of ceremonies, P. r.
Miller; ballet master, T. j. German;
floor managers, M. Fitzgerald, NJ. j.
Mahoney, P. A. McArdle, M. j. Far
rington, j. A. Mahoney; Reception
Committee, NJ J. Cunningham, John
A. Harmon, M. P. Sullivan, B. D.
Ellis, S. P. McGrath, B. A. Scanlon;
Committee of Arrangements, B. A.
Scanlon, chairman, John A. Ham
non, P. A. McArdle, M. j. Mahoney,
B. D. Ellis, M. Fitzgerald, j. A. Ma
honey; Officers, P. H. Miller, presi-
dent; T. j. Forman, vice president;
B. D. Ellis, secretary; S. P. Nc
Grath, treasurer, and j. A. Mahoney,
sergeant at arms.
Up to within few decades ago,
Thanksgiving Day was devoted to
the purpose for which the holiday
was created, and the same can be
said for Memorial Day, a day set
aside for the strewing of flowers on
the graves of our own departed
loved ones, and the Nations dead,
who gave their all that this Gov
eminent might not perish from the
earth. Let us hope that Thanks
giving Day will be appropriately
celebrated this year. We do owe some
thing to Kind Providence for all
the good things we get out of life.
And let us also hope that the turkey
will be just as big and our friends
just as many as last year, for, in
the words of the poet:
when the skies are sad and
murky,
'Tis a cheerful thing to meet
Round the homely roast of
turkey
Pilgrims, pausing Just to greet,
Then, 1Cith earnest grace, to eat
A ne1U Thanksgiving turkey.
And the merry feast is treighted
With its meanings true and
Deep
Those De'Ue loUed and those
iDe'Ue hated
All today the rite Uill keep,
All today their dishes heap
With plump Thanksgiving tur-
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