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THE FIRST
Many of us have probably forgot
ten how the turkey came to play the
star part in the Thanksgiving din
ner. For that matter, how many
ever knew the true significance of
this delightful custom?
The father of the day, pius old
Governor Bradford, thought it would
be a great thing if the folks of Pry
mouth colony should eat together
when the frost was on the pumpkin
and the fodder was in the shock.
Not being a vegetarian, and Chi
cago dressed beef not yet having
come into vogue, he commanded the
the colony's valiant sons to go into
the forests and shoot a sufficient
mess of venison and wild' turkey.
Next arose the problem of a com
mon eating place. But that solved
itself, for colonial Massachusetts had
but one common place at adequate
community assembly, the out of
doors.
So the wild turkeys, duly stuffed
and baked, and the venison, were
taken, with fitting accompaniments,
under the trees and joyously dis
patched at a feast for all, including
King Massasoit and 90 friendly In
dians. So well did they enjoy the
common feast that they kept it up
for three days, consuming, also we
fear, quite a quantity of strong wa
ters. It was not, therefore, as with us,
primarily a family but a community
function; the nearest that the pious
pilgrims could come to a democratic
festival. "When we modify it to a
service in a sectarian church and a
spread around a family board we re
duce the fine old function to less than
its original intent.
The family dinner and the church
service have grown into traditions
too well rooted ,to be upset, even if
there were any anxious to upset
them. They give a useful and in
timate spiritual touch.
But lately, in a few places, there
has come inJta,U5aS&ajQ. added jcelfi.
THANKSGIVING DAY
bration more in keeping with the
founder's intent.
Some folks are opening our com
mon meeting place, the public school
house, symbol of this age's all-inclusive
fellowship, for social center
spreads to which everybody in the
neighborhood may come by simply
giving notice and contributing equal
ly to meet the modest cost.
Such feasts in our temple of.
democracy restore to our time much
of the significance which the first
Thanksgiving Day had for the hardy
colonists of Plymouth Rock.
For the battle of our period, in
fortunate America, is not with paint
ed savages armed with scalping
knives, nor with the rigors of the wil
derness. Much less is it Europe's
battle with high-powered tools of
slaughter by wholesale. Our battle
is with prejudices, .misunderstand
ings, the evil spirits which spring up
among folks who are artificially
kept apart.
They who eat together in equality
discover in qne another too many
fine interests and traits in common
to want to spoil fellowship by hate
and murder.
LETTERS TO EDITOR
LABOR AND THE WETS
Editor Day Book In the 49th gen
eral assembly the sham battle will
be wet or dry. With such a figlit
laws bettering the condition of labor
will be considered of minor import
ance. We have 14 states dry now,
and it is safe to say that the wage
workers in these dry states are the
poorest paid in the country. Maine,
Mississippi, N. Carolina, W. Virginia,
Tennessee, Oklahoma, Georgia, Colo
rado, N. Dakota, Oregon, Washing
ton, Kansas all these, with possibly
one or two exceptions, pay the low
est wages in America. Now, on the
other hand, the low standard of life
in these states is not because there
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