ORIGIN OF THANKSGIVING DAY.
In 1G31 the United States wns n tiny bnbe In English long clothes ; mid
tt happened that there was a great scarcity of food tn that little colony that
lind settled on Massachusetts bay they were threatened with famine. The
prospect grew dark and ominous; the people were brave; but their anxiety
Krew very keen for all that, and they knew not where to turn for earthly aid.
It wns the wont of those early pilgrims to turn to God in times of need and
Ihn elders decided that a special day be sot aside for fasting and prayer. Be
fore the day arrived, however, their long expected boat hove In sight and the
day set aside for fasting nnd praying was transformed Into one of cheer ; good
dinners nnd hearty thanksgivings prevailed. This was the first general
Thanksgiving of which we have any record; It was by no means the Inst;
from that day to this successive Governors and Presidents have set apart
many different days for special Thanksgiving for some propitious event In
State or county.
After the Revolutionary War was successfully ended Washington ap
pointed a Thanksgiving day that was universally observed with the greatest
ti'jolclng, as we may well believe, and alter our own sad Civil War was
nlmost ended President Lincoln proclaimed another of similar sort. Many
hearts were full of grief then, yet there wns much to be thankful for.
For over a century now the States of New England have set apart n
day In the nutumn for giving thanks to God for the many blessings of the
year. It gradually came to seem a very pleasant, appropriate custom, nnd
one State after another ndopted It, until now, for many years jinst, tho
President has Issued a proclamation for n day of public thanksgiving through
cut the Union. This day Is one of our legal holidays, n day that rich and
poor alike can send as they will. Wo nil welcome It with delight, and It Is
a day peculiar to America only.
I'eter hail scarcely closeJ his eyes
llefore his hair began to rise,
Por who should be perched on his bed
Jl;it Barnyard Turkey, llerce and red!
"I'eter " be roared, "1 saw to-day
You looked at me as If to say:
Aha ! You are so fat and line
On Thanksgiving I'll make you mine!
Don't say you didn't, for I know
Your greedv nature makes you so.
"Oh. sir," cried I'eter. "that must be
Some other lad that looks like me;
I am not greedy, sir, at all :
In fact my appetite Is small."
"Fibber!" cried Barnyard Turkey. "What!
Shall I destroy you oa the spot?
Did I not see you do your be3t
To cat my brother, legs and breast.
fllf-you were stuffed so full with him
It almost made my senses swim?
Hut now things are the other way.
There'll be no more Thanksgiving Day,
We gobblers have It In our view
To turn about and gobble you:"
With that he puffed and puffed until
He grew as biz as any hill
So big the walls Just burst apart.
And I'eter woke up with a start.
With trembling voice he sighed: "Oh, dear!
Turkey is bad for me, I fear."
"Great Thanksgiving weather we'll be
having, I'm thinking." remarked Mr.
Wheeler as he came in to supper. "It's
snowing hard, and the wind is coming
up."
"Oh, goody," exclaimed Martha in high
glee. "What's Thanksgiving without
snow?"
The next morning it was still snowing,
and the wind was busily piling up great
-white drifts. " 'Twon't be a pleasure
trip to go to the village with the milk,"
said Mr. Wheeler, as he prepared to
start, "but I s'pose I've got to." lie
found the traveling even worse than he
expected; it was very late when he reach
ed the village, and he did not return home
till nearly dark. Not being a robust man,
lie was completely exhausted from his ex
ertions, and during the night became ill.
"Whatever shall we do?" Mrs. Wheeler
asked Martha despairingly. "We must
have the doctor, and how to get the milk
to town is a problem. And Thanksgiving
Day. too!"
"Oh, I'll RO." volunteered Martha,
cheerfully, "I'll tell Dr. Brown to come
right up, and then I'll peddle the milk.
I've been with father so many times that
I know all the customers."
Martha bundled herself up, put on her
mother's rubber boots, and two pairs of
jnittens, and set out. "Old Billy must
think I'm pretty heavy," she laughed, as
she drove out of the yard with the milk
cart.
Getting to the village, two miles away,
was not an easy matter for a girl not
yet sixteen. The roads were not broken
out, and badly drifted. The milk cans
bumped into each other with great force,
and Martha had several narrow escapes
from an upsetting. But Anally, Grafton
wns reached, and Martha drove through
the almost deserted streets to Dr. Brown's
house.
When she had stated her errand, the
doctor promised to go to her father im
mediately, and urged her to come in and
rest,
"f)h. no. I can't," exclaimed Martha.
"I've got all the milk to peddle, and I'm
vprv late already. People need their milk
for dinner, and the babies will bo crying
for it, too."
Martha set out on her rounds. When
she opened the door of Mrs. Judson, her
first customer, that laay started as tnougn
she saw a ghost.
"Mercy sakes, child." she cried, catch
ing her by the arm and seating her in a
chair by the stove. "How on earth did
you get here l m mignty giau to see
you. There ain't a milkman been around
yet. Where's your paV"
"He's sick and couldn't come, and I
thought folks couldn't get along without
milk on Thanksgiving Day, anyway. How
much do you want?"
"I'll take five quarts," answered Mrs.
Judson, her heart aching for tired Mar
tha. "Fm going to pay you double price
for It, too, for you've earned It. You're
the only milkman's had gumption enough
to get around, so far."
Everywhere Martha went she was
greeted with exclamations of surprise
nnd delight. In nearly every Instance
Bhe was voluntarily paid extra for the
milk.
"I'll bless you to the last day I live,"
cried Mrs. Morton, when Martha clumped
Into her kitchen with the milk can. "The
f By Autcnla J. Stemple. S
baby's been crying for milk all morning
and I didn't have a mite to give him."
When Martha came to the house where
her last customer, Miss Webster, a maid
en lady, lived alone on a side street, she
was surprised to see that snow had not
yet been removed from the doorstep. All
was very quiet, and Miss Webster could
be neither seen nor heard. Martha bang-'
ed the door, stamped her feet and rattled
the milk can to attract attention. Theu
she felt sure something, must be wrong,
and set out to investigate. She opened
the door leading from the sitting room
into the hall. There lay Miss Webster
unconscious, with a look of agony on her
face. Martha felt a strong Impulse to
run. She conquered the feeling, got her
milk can and dashed some of the icy
cold liquid over Miss Webster's face, and
at length she opened her eyes. The poor
lady was too dazed to talk, but only moan
ed about her foot. Martha tried her best
to assist her up, but found it impossible.
So she made her as comfortable as she
could, and started for help.
In the next house" an Irish family lived.
Mrs. Mulcahy caught sight of the milk
cart.
"And is it milk ye've got?" she asked
joyously. "The saints be good to ye,
child, for bringing it. I'll take three
quarts, if ye please."
"She's a foine lady," said Mrs. Mul
cahy when Martha stated her errand,
"and faith, darling, it's meself would be
glad to do something, but Timmy's got
the measles, and my man ain't home,
neither, so what kin I do, at all, at all?"
Martha concluded to go directly for
the doctor. Fortunately Dr. Brown had
just returned from the Wheeler farm.
Leaving the milk cart at the barn, Mar
tha got into the doctor's sleigh, and they
drove back to Miss Webster's. Her ankle
was broken, as Martha had guessed, and
she assisted the doctor while he set the
fracture. When he had finished, he said :
"Xow, little girl, just stay here a while
longer till I can get somebody to come
and take care of our patient, and then
we'll go home and thankfully eat our din
ner." Xo Thanksgiving dinner had ever tast
ed so good to Martha before, though she
missed her parents. The doctor insisted
upon heaping her plate at every oppor
tunity. Late in the afternoon Martha 'drove
home, tired but happy. Her father was
comfortable, and was quite as much in
terested as her mother in listening to the
narrative of her experienc.
But Martha's Thanksgiving surprises
were not all ended. A few days later her
father, who had nearly recovered, came
home one morning and gave her a huge
bundle.
"Miss Webster told me to give that to
you," he said. "It's good and heavy,
whatever it is." The bundle proved to
contain a mammoth turkey. Around its
neck was tied a blue ribbon to which a
card was attached bearing the words:
"For Miss Martha Wheeler, with the
compliments of those whom she made
happy on Thanksgiving. Look at my
heart."
Martha was nearly overcome by this
gift, but she proceeded to investigate the
meaning of the card's last sentence. The
Inside of the turkey proved to be neatly
lined with white paper and contained a
UNCLE SAM'S BOUNTEOUS THANKSGIVING.
dainty box, Inside which reposed a beau-
tlful wntch, suitably inscrioeu.
"Why, mamma," exclaimed Martin,
"we'll have a second Thanksgiving day
now, won't we? That wind ami mow
brought me good fortune, though I dhln t
think It was very nice then." Farm l,..o.
Not Sent in Vain.
Widow Gobbler Yes. Dr. Quack, my
dear husband devoted his life to char
itable purposes: he was served at a
Thanksgiving dinner for the poor!
Fllllntr Tor n Turkey.
Plain bread filling is always nice. It
would require at least one loaf of stalo
bread and one-fourth pound of butter.
It should be three days old at the very
least. Kcdttce It to fine crumbs, salt
and pepper to the taste. Uso no water,
milk or baking powder. There Is mois
ture enough from the turkey. If you
wish to add oysters drain all the liquor
off them, see there are no shells, roll In
bread crumbs nnd drop them In through
the dressing. There should he about ono
and one-half pints of large oysters.
Before putting the turkey in the oven,
brush it all over with soft butter and
put it in breast down. Place the turkey
on a rack over a pan containing two
cups of hot water. It is well to have for
hastiug nlso a pint of hot water on tho
stove In which nre three level table
spoons of butter. At first turn on full
heat, then reduce the heat roasting the
last hour and a half with slow heat.
He 1 1 It"
Comiuc
"I've got a notion to get down and
punch that conceited fellow once or twico
just for-luck."
"Don't do It. He'll get a dressing In a
few days."
A Boy's Thnnksgiviuir Menu.'
No real Thanksgiving dinner would
be complete without pie: indeed, it is
said that a certain 8-ycar-old lad, on be
ing asked to write out what he consid
ered a good bill of fare, offered this:
FIBST COItSE.
Mince I'le
SEKOXD COKSB.
Pumpkin I'le and -Terkej
THIKD COUSI-:.
Lemon I'le Terkey Cranberries
FOUKT1I COItSE.
Custard I'ie Apple I'le Mince Pie
Chocolate Cake Ice Cream
IMiiu Pudding
Dessert
I'le
lY.icking in Itespuot
"I have a great respect for gray hair."
said the humorous boarder as he raised
his eyes from his plate.
"That's very creditable of you. Mr.
Jellaby." said the landlady.
"But I have no respect." said the hu
morous hoarder, "for gray feathers!"
And lie tapped viciously on the tough
fragment of turkey that lay heforo
him. Cleveland Plain Dealer.
Used to Bo :i Call Int.- Day.
In the middle of last century it was
fashionable, and therefore customary, to
make calls.' Thanksgiving day rivaled
Xew Year's day In this respect. Society
folk dined at noon and then held receptions.
' 4. r -ST
It
3
JW-W w-
A Suinll OreiMiliniuc.
To speak of n greenhouse suggests
tho Idea of an expensive building that
requires much labor on tho part of
some person to keep l r,u'r- 1,110
It Is possible to spend almost nny
amount, a very practical house can be
mado of hot-bed snsh. using the south
piazza as n basis for operations. Hot
bed sash, all ready for use. costs from
$.T!.- to ?3.fi0 each, and measures 3x(l
feet; the glass In these frames meas
ures 10x12 Inches.
Buy tho sash llrst. and then bulla
according to the number of sash. This
little greenhouse can bo heated by n
smokeless bluc-thuuo oil stove without
Injury to the tlowers.
For a beginner some of tho bulb
cn.niiv will bo best. Of Into years.
' Homan hyacinths, narcissus of various
kinds, freeslas nnd tulips have had a
.-nmt sale In the winter months. When
" .. .. ....t
for cut Howcrn nicy nru
SIDE VIEW Ok' ailEKNUOl'SK.
In low boxes of a convenient size for
handling, at a distance apart wpial to
ubout twice their diameter, nnd so they
will Just show above the surface.
Geiiernl-l'urpaiie Horwe.
The general-purpose farm horso Is
one that can bo well utilized In ordl
liury farm work of all kinds nnd can
also do the limited nmount of road
work needed In connection with the
working of the medium-sized or small
farm, 6iiys a well-known farmer. A
horse called n "chunk" In ninrket.
standing 15 to 1(5 hands high, weighing
from 1,100 to 1,400 pounds, compactly
built, with good feet nnd legs, n tract
able, lively disposition, a good, clean,
rapid way of going at walk or trot. Is
In brief, the kind of n horse that I
would call a general-purpose horse.
This kind of a horse has a place on
farms, nnd we say Is the most val
uable class, so far as farm work Ik
concerned. You will note that ho par
takes of the qualities of both the
draught and coach or heavy roadster
types, In both his conformation nnd
disposition.
Iimvu Kuruicm' I'lioiica.
For the llrst time n census of tele
phones has been taken In the State of
Iowa, and this has disclosed that there
are now In use 222,323 Instruments. Of
this number 101,524 are classed as In
struments used lu connection with
rural -lines. That Is, they are used by
tho farmers of Iowa.
During the past few years the Gov
ernment Weather Bureau In Den
Moines has arranged for telephone dis
tribution of forecnstH, and a largo per
centage of these farmers now receive
by telephone every mcjrnlng tho fore
cast of the weather for tho coming
thirty-six hours. This, In fact, has
been one strong Incentive for Installa
tion of telephones In the homes of the
farmers of the State.
One IVny to Kill Until.
Here Is the method used by one farm
er to clean out rats: On a largo num
ber of old shingles ho put about a half
teaspoonful of molasses each, nnd on
that, with his jtoeketknlfe, he scraped
a small amount of concentrated lye.
He then placed the old shingles around
under tho stable doors and under the
cribs. Tho next morning ho found for
ty dead rats, and the rest 16ft tho farm
for parts unknown. He has cleared
many farms of the pests In the huiuo
way, and hint never known It to fall..
Cut Inn firrnlfNt ICtport Crop,
Cotton Is king In oxpwt record of tho
United Stutes for tho fiscal year Just
closed. Tho total value of raw cotton
exported, for tho llrst time crossed the
$400,000,000 line, and exceeded by far
tho vuluo of any artlclo of merchandise
sent out of tho country. The exports
of cotton havo Increased over $100
000,000 Hlnee 1001. Tho manufactured
cotton goods were also larger than
heretofore, nnd aggregated $.13,000,000.
Sliildiiu HtMiliou' Warmer,
The henhouse can bo mutlu' much
warmer, If tho wiiIIh are thin, by ,,
sides and celling with tar paper. The
door may be of brick, stone, cement,
dry earth or conl cinders. The latter
Is prerornblo, especially If yon nro un
fortunately possessed of a damp house.
Fill lu tho damp henhouse a foot witii
cinders and they will ulwuys ho dry
on top.
grown
wC
LVNu.d ...
DM
Tent of Ako KmwIh.
A rooster'H ago la determined by tho
size of his spurs. If they nro long ho
Is "nntlipie." If there Is a small but
ton on tliu aiiklo whom tho spurs como
Inter ho Is a young bird. DuekH arc
Invariably Judged by tlie under Up of
tho bill. If n dressed duck will huh
tain Its weight by Us under bill, "lay
It bnek and try another," for thero la
no tolling how old It Is; certnlnly too
old to bo real tender. Hut If tho bill
snaps easily It Is a young bird. Gob
blers are told by their spurs, tho muno
as roosters, tho ago of tho lion turkey
being determined by tho length of Its
heard. Aside from the test applied to
ducks there Is one Infallible rulo which
can bo applied with safety In all cases.
Tho back part of tho breastbone can ho
bent easily In a young fowl. If It Is
sharp and hard and rofufen to yield
to pressure from your thumb It In an
old bird.
I nip urn atiipte Hlrtip.
Impure mnplu sugar and sirup Is
the rule rather than tho exception, both
In this country nnd In Camilla. Tho
Caniullnn government has boon making
an Investigation of tho matter, and out
of 85 samples of sirup only 22 were
found to ho genuine, whllo r3 were
adulterated. In the snmo way, out of
2d samples of sugar only 11 were gen
uine. These samples were purchnaed
at stores In different cltlea and towns.
Out of 311) samples of milk gathered
In the same wny, only 180 were genu
ine. Canada Is as much In need of
a pure food law a Is the United Stated,
and one Mill soon bo In operation on
that side of the line.
Street I'otiilo HrovrltiMT.
The following suggestions about
sweet potato growing arc from a Vir
ginia lady: Sweet potatoes succeed
best on a deep and rich sandy soli with
a warm exiwsure. The ground should
be well plowed and burrowed due. In
each hill plant two sets, covering about
two Inches deep, and us thoy grow keep
drawing dirt around them. They nro
among the very best vegetables for
table use. Select a bright, clear day
for digging, let them dry a day or two,
then place In boxes with paper with a
small quantity of slaked lime among
the M)tatoes. Keep during winter lu a
storeroom.
rrodtnliln Apitln Treen.
H. A. Squires, living near Dearborn,
Mo., has 125 trees of Wealthy apples
and seventeen trees of Summer Queen ;
there are eight tret's of another early
sort, making 150 trees, or three ncres,
of apples ripening at this season. This
year Mr. Squires sold the fruit from
these three ncres for $1,000 net. after
paying for the barrels lu wjilch -tho
fruit wns shipped. More than $300 an
acre Is not u bad record In a year like
this. Of course, Mr. Squires had a
good crop, some trees making six nnd
seven barrels of choice apples, but
prices were 'not as high as Is often tho
case.
Ilullil a ToolhoiiKe.
Kvcry farmer needs a good tool
house. It should be so convenient of
access that there need bo no excuso for
leaving farm Implements exposed to
the weather when not In use. Prop
erly cared for, many Implements that
now last only n few years ought to bo
serviceable us long as the farmer live
to need them. Besides, a tool that has
not been rusted, wnrped and cracked
liy exposure will work as well the sec
ond und third year of us as tho llrst.
On many farms the tools nro so much
Injured by being left out of doors that
after tho first season they cost more
for repairs than they save lu labor.
Ilnndr Kuk Turner.
When keeping eggs for hntchlng thoy
should be turned frequently. Tho
sketch shows n combination egg drawer
and turner which Is very effective4. Tho
EO0 TUIINIKO DEVICE.
bottom of tho egg drawer Is removed
and the eggs rest upon a roller curtain
cloth, which winds upon a rod with a
smnll crank. Winding tho roller n very
short distance turns each egg and
Jostles it slightly. A single turn on tho
crank will usually bo Hiilllcleut.
Honey Crop of ICurope.
The United Htntes Consul at Frank
fort, Germany, has been gathering stn
Ustlcs about honey production In Eu
rope. Ho lluds that (jormauy lends all
European countries, producing 20,000
tons from 1,010,000 beehives, Spain
yields 1(1,000 Ioiih; Austria, 18,000;
France, 10,000; Holland, 2,.r0Q; Uel
glum, 2,000; Oreece, 1,400, and Uussln
and Denmiirk, 000 tons each,
How to Hnvi) Melon Heoil.
Melon hociIh are best whon saved
from tho entire melon. Select a, lino
specimen ; lot It remain on tho vino
until thero nro Indications of ripeness.
Then gather, put lu tho huh and
weather until there nro Indications nf
decay. Wash tho sued from tho pulp
and spread lu tho Hhado to dry. Such
seed will keep novum! years and will
produco fine, vigorous plants,
nj;-ntueftfARlncoart)
-arrival of Wim
cnMle, DM. ""Ufc
"r"fSfr,M" .
HTo-Bnttio of Uarittin
1777-Hnttlc of .,! n.l J .
1780-Jolu, Hancock ch0; ';'
1814 First t. "
launched, nnd namt(lB;-U
oiMRdtIfldttU(iU1 .
1814 Mnny kllM y. .... .
-tenmer Lucy
1317 Anwrlcnn fW
Berry bombardtd ToS,.
lOil-Two additional t,mil
cred and named Polrmonu
mann.
1858-.TI.eodore Itoolt,
IWdent of United State. iT
1801 Second naval tr:.i..
. . - r.uuu, m
sailed from Fortrtu Man
18.0-ConvcntIon In Clndmml i, ,
the removal of the mUom) tr,
from WalilnjtontoMnitMii,t
1871 Blots in ChlnfM quiwrd!
Ancelen: IS Chlnn l,..vi
"Bom" Tweed of Tamauj Bait
n-Hiea nnn bailed.
1872 Stfnmnhlp Mlaiourl borne! ini
Hi lire lout.
1874 Kmperor William nnrwi re
organization of the Germia tnjd
a larger ncalc
1SS:J Henry Irving nude ft At
debut In Mvi York; rati i
$10 each.
1803 Hottlcshlp Offfon Uaacbej
nan I rnnciico.
1 SOS The limit for the Spanldtn
tlon of ('aba extended to h
Philadelphia celebntH ;
iubllee....I)eKer releaiei) tl !
lull sailors captured it )Iu!!l. I
1001 Czolgosx executed it Aubw,!
V, for n.iuMlnatioa el
MclCiuley.
1!V f'.rcnr loii of life and or
eruption of Santa Maria, Cutt
Indian island to the Umtrg&
KWl .?mmn Month-Tucke r MWlir
Ion trotted faitwt mile n itccHI
MemphU behind a ulna ma.
1001 The KplHCopii Gntl cow
npn'PiX on a new dlrorcc caaoi
i ..ii.... I .tr!V .nrpjil uVos&
the llundan empire... . Ik
York subway opened....
patkin appointed comniw-
of ItimHian anny....Hi"1
fleet fired on llritna hm' '
North Sea.
ColIrK lo Tor lalH
Financial rowam i -
..- t..m ma, wrtrr 03 l
nancini io n i-w. , .fl
noreijann . - - t
cers lor lue,
tuition is io I iMu .u,
centum cumi'""" ., .o,
week for half a jwr. nbjj
the total courac for tta JWJ
I made mr.'
who nre credltca win -7,
eelr. one point
croc. Tinis " "jT-jiMB
dent to Ket twelve . &
years and for WW&W
from hi tuition. On tM
dents loc f ; for w
-It m.l the ICC lr Ut' H !
animations is ,
""""" '.. . tiri.ii Prllt'
I Ncuro Aril" . it
Th. law Fjji.
Inline at the ninety n
O. Tanner, l'en f uripkl ,(
work eiiinii".
Tomb." Mr. laT, in t e Wr1
..who has rtndWta w
, Luxembourg the1 ((fc.r
the Philadelphia
mid clsowlu
After the VZll W'S
n i ishh'K '"'Tt' d "rKB":
f iHeopnl church J,
lis
Aid socieiy' .
neiOOO U ,,,r,,'!!A2 l
mler Btp.yph.co lj e
borla since the r(Dl0,tii
"iVimaro ? ,
commnn.il '
dwell wher e they J0.
will bo abolUhco