Imp city Northwestern
J. W. BURLEIGH, Pubtiahar
LOUP CITY, - . KZ8RA8KA
English Keen Observers.
Our English cousins are becoming
great observers of trifles. Therefore,
one is not surprised to find in a Lon
don paper this comment on certain
national characteristics: “Detection of
foreigners is easiest at table. On Sun
day this writer happened to be lunch
ing at the Cafe Royal, where you may
see more strangers to the square inch
than in any London restaurant. While
waiting for our food we speculated on
the differences. And when a man or
a woman held on to the fork we de
cided that this was English. For an
American cuts the food and then eats
it from the fork in the right hand.
Those left-hand fork people, on aural
investigation, were English. Over
against us is a man whose hand and
fingers are all conversational. They
dart from face to the infinite, return
ing with a touch on the nose. In a
second he jumps up to accede to the
demands of a lady—his companion—
who has forgotten the third button
from the top of her blouse. His knife
goes into the salt and his hands seek
the gilded roof in surprise, protest,
and the Britisher sits with knife and
fork at the insular poise and knows
that the man whose five fingers are in
the air and whose knife is on the floor
Is a Latin. The pivot of the German's
table manners is the table knife. He
cherishes it, uses it, retains it, as Ihe
implement not only of feeding, but of
argument. If you see a man waving a
knife in the air in a discussion and
hanging on to it when the waiter
comes to change the plates, he is
German.”
r •
A popular magazine devoted to
household and domestic interests con
tains a symposium from disgruntled
husbands in wuich those unhappy per
sons free their minds as to women in
general and wives in particular. One
man is especially bitter because of the
lack of the intellectual seriousness of
wives. They are ready to pursue any
reigning fad, he declares, "but they
rarely know anything thoroughly,
even their own nominal calling, house
wifery. This is the reason, he thinks,
why all the lasting and profitable
friendships he has known between
men and women have been with other
women than wives. If all this is true
it looks like a reflection upon matri
mony in general and men in particu
lar than upon women. Men are free
to choose their wives, and if they
gravitate naturally to the light-minded
ladies, whose fault is it? Or if associ
ation with their husbands causes wom
en originally serious to become trivial,
why, then, whose fault is it?
The grave consequences of reckless
tree felling are so widely and deplor
ably felt that the subject is likely to
become a matter of international con
sultation and deliberation. The terri
ble devastating tires on the North
American continent this year are rec
ognized as a matter of deep concern
elsewhere. A congress of the powers
to devise means of combined action to
prevent further denudation and to
provide for the reforestation of waste
lands might, suggests the Philadelphia
Record, lead the way to most benefi
cial cooperative effort. To conserve
the wood supply of the world, to re
gain to the higher land levels their
natural and suitable water supply, and
to restore arid and waste lands to con
dltions of use and fertility are aims to
which the statesmanship of the nation
may be most wisely directed.
It Is being made plainer every day
that the remedy for reckless running
of automobiles must come largely
from within. It is impossible for the
police and constabulary to cover the
entire ground. The automobilists
should make their influence felt by
frowning upon daring drivers and in
sisting upon the severest punishment
of those who are constantly taking
murderous risks.
In declining to entertain a neighbor
hood complaint against a crying baby,
the Brookline health authorities show
a proper appreciation of their respon
sibilities. It is their obvious duty to
promote the birth rate as well as to
reduce the death rate. Give the in
fants a chance to vociferate and mul
tiply.
Turkey imported Mud,out) pounds of
soap last year. Young Turkey’s ap
parent determination to wash the
grime of centuries from its face will
commend itself to the considerate
judgment of mankind.
A leadiug authority has said that iu
50 years disease germs could be
eradicated if the world would get to
gether. This is a subject even more
germane to civilization than the abo
lition of warfare.
A monkey, newly arrived in the New
York “zoo” from Java, is said to show
almost human intelligence. New York
might easily send to Java many speci
mens of more than “almost” apish
characteristics.
The German lieutenant who pro
posed to a Chicago girl by cable was
only carrying out, says the New York
World, the army theory that cam
paigns should be conducted at a dis
tance from the firing line.
The Jkithore3iS
E elevate our chins, ex
pand our chests and don
our “came over on the
.Mayflower” expression
when some one mentions
the origin of Thanksgiv
ing. Unhesitatingly we lay
claim to the honor of having the “only
original” Thanksgiving day on the
globe. Then along comes a long-haired
historian with his array of facts and
our pride receives a shock.
There is hardly a country in the
world which does not give thanks for
one reason or another. Some have bet
ter reasons than others, but they all
claim to have sufficient excuse for being
grateful to set aside one day each year.
Thanksgiving day was held long be
fore lhe timber for the Mayflower or the Anne was
planted. It had its origin in antiquity when the
Romans and Greeks held a fast day in October
which they dedicated to the goddess of agriculture
and followed the day of fasting by one of feasting
and royal frolicking, a day on which the chase and
all sorts of rustic sports held sway.
Going even further back into the remote ages of
—not our country, alas—but of the world, we find
the early Egyptians setting aside a day for general
thanksgiving and burning of incense and offering
sacrifices to their divinity of the crops, the Goddess
Isis.
For seven or eight days the Jewish “Feast of
Tabernacles” was, centuries ago, held during the
seventh month, which is November, and after the
completion of Solomon’s temple the people that,
year held a 14-day festival which was a time of
thanksgiving, and during which time they gave
thanks for the abundance of their land. Living in
booths they decorated their entire homes with
branches of the palm and of citron trees and then
showed that it was for the yield of the season as
well as for the completion of the temple that they
were giving thanks.
Coming forward a century or two we find Thanks
giving day being held in England under the name
of “Harvest Home.” This day was usually early in
November and it opened by a church service, which
was followed by a day of gayety and feasting.
Thanks were given in the churches for the benefits
of the season and then the “masses” flocked to the
grounds of the “classes,” to which they wer» all
invited. Here squire and gentry entertained the
peasantry with free and easy dances in the barns,
wrestling matches and feats of archery, for which
prizes were given.
In the evening harvest songs were sung by the
light of the moon, over the beer and ale, which
flowed freely. A dinner, such as only the early Eng
lish knew how to prepare, was served to these great
crowds of thanksgivers, and the Harvest Home day
ended in repletion both of appetite and merrymak
ing.
Before the Reformation a special day was set
apart in England for giving thanks, and after the
reformation the custom was continued with added
fervor, but after all, it is not from our English an
cestors, as we might suppose, that we received the
inspiration for our first Thanksgiving day.
Neither did the idea originate with the Pilgrims
themselves. They merely continued a custom with
which they had become familiar and of which their
natures approved, when they were living with their
Dutch cousins.
To digress just a little: It has been claimed by
some investigators who stopped just a little short
of the beginning in tracing backward that the first
real Thanksgiving day of true American meaning
was held by the Popharn colonists of Monhegan,
but as they were Episcopalians and gave thanks
every week in their regular church ritual this must *
be blackballed and cast out of our calculation.
And now to return to the Pilgrims and the cus
toms they absorbed while protected in Holland. The
j pious Dutch, before the Pilgrims flocked to their
I peaceful land, had set apart October 3 on which to
give thanks for their harvest, but more especially
j for their deliverance from Spanish authority. The
day opened in this water-locked land with a great
ringing of bells and over every shining doorsill
there stepped into the crisp morning air the house
hold's full number. Each Hans or Gretchen, clasp
ing a silverbound prayer book, walked sedately to
the various places of worship and there, lifting up
their sweet Holland voices, harsh, perhaps, in
speech, but full and round in song, sent up musical
praise for the freedom of their land and the good
things of the earth.
Church over, the entire population for the nonce
broke through their usual stolidness and there was
a general scampering of young feet in game or
dance and a clattering of older tongues in friendly
gossip as neighbor visited neighbor or a father wel
comed his large flock cf grandchildren.
The great event of this Dutch Thanksgiving day
was dinner, at which was served as central dish
a queer stew of meat and vegetables which they
called Spanish hodge-podge. For once in their prac
tical lives the Hollanders became facetious, and
over this hodge-podge they made merry and cracked
jokes at their old-time enemy—Spain. The general
“hash-like” appearance of the hodge-podge was sup
posed to represent the condition of the Spanish
army when the Dutch had vanquished it. Even
the children entered into the fun and kept their
history fresh by gleefully slashing into a potato or
a turnip and chuckling as they swallowed the mor
sels, "This is General So-and-So—ah! Me eat him—
so!”
Well, the Puritans heartily approved of the early
religious services of the morning and their healthy
appetites could not fail to appreciate the Spanish
hodge-podge, however much they may have dis
approved of the sentiment which flavored it, so they
entered most heartily into the Dutch Thanksgiv
ing of October 3. In 1623 these Pilgrims held Oc
tober 3 as a day of Thanksgiving in the New World,
and here we have our first true American Thanks
giving day.
This day has passed through many vicissitudes
since that date. There is not a festival on the al
manac, fixed or movable, which has had the strug
gle for existence that our November holiday has
endured.
From 1G23 until 1630 Thanksgiving day was held
in America in various months, some of the Pilgrims
keeping to October 3 and other colonists holding
a different day by order of the governor.
In 1630 the people of Massachusetts were suffer
ing for food and clothing and Gov. Winthrop hired
the good ship Lyon to return to England for sup
plies. For many days the vessel lay stranded off
the Isle of Shoals, but finally put out. Winter came
on apace, and nothing was heard of the ship. The
colonists were nearly disheartened when, on Feb
ruary 22, 1631, the Lyon was sighted, avid the gov
ernor ordered that the day be given over to feast
ing and thanksgiving. Thin is the first written
record of a Thanksgiving day in Boston; it can
still be found In the Colonial Records of Massachu
setts. It is an interesting fact that this first Bos
ton Thanksgiving was held on what is now one of
our most patriotic holidays, Washington's birthday.
The first record of a joint celebration of Thanks
giving day is given in the Colonial Records of 1632.
when Gov. Winthrop of Massachusetts bay, asked
the governor of Plymouth colony to join him in is
suing a proclamation of a public
Thanksgiving day. The invitation
was accepted, and in November.
1632, Plymouth colony and
Massachusetts Day colony cele
. brated Thanksgiving day to
gether in a manner pretty
much the same as their de
scendants of to-day, in re
ligious service and feasting and
funmaking. The one noticeable
omission was the great football
game which marks the day in our
generation.
Prom 1632 until 1677 the New
England records show that 22 dif
ferent dates were set apart by the
various governors as days for pub
lic thanksgiving, and that with the
exception of the two colonies men
tioned no two held the day on the
same date. The celebrations, how
ever, were held in October or No
vember.
In 1677, as other denominations
had crept into Plymouth colony,
over which the Puritan church had
no ruling, the governor decided
that it would be well to have the
power of fixing public holidays,
"whether for feasting, praying or
funmaking,” vested in civic au
thority. Accordingly in that year
the first printed Thanksgiving day
proclamation was printed. Thanks
giving day proclamation was print
ed, setting November 25 as the
festival.
The law reads: “That it be in
the power of the governor and as
sistants to command solemn dates
of humiliation by fasting, etc., and
also, thanksgiving as occasion shall
be offered.”
This shows that the law called
for only "occasional” Thanksgiving
days and so the holiday was buf
feted about hither and yon. from
October to November, according to
the pleasure of the rulers of the
colonies and there never was any
feeling of certainty as to the holi
day.
mat it was neia annuauy witn
out break in Plymouth and Massachusetts Bay
colony from its inception until 1689, with the ex
ception of the year when King Philip's war inter
rupted. there are records to show. In this colony
the church and government alternated in arrang
ing the date of celebration.
GEORGIE ON THANKSGIVING
Thanksgivin’ day comes once a year because the
Pilgrim band
Was thankful that they had the sense to leave
their native land
And come across the sea to find a stern and rock
bound shore
Where they would never haft to bow to bosses
enny more,
Where thieves would not break in and steal and
trusts would never try
To gobble everything and let the little dealer die.
We celebrate Thanksgivin’ day because the Pil- |
grims came
In search of freedom where they knew that they
would find the same,
Where men would be as brothers, where the
strong would aid the weak.
Where libburty would raise her flag on every
crag and peak,
Where billionaires would never dare to cheat
for profits’ sake
Or break the laws that other men were not al
lowed to break.
We celebrate because the hopes hoped by that
Pilgrim band
Have all come true, because there’s not an evil j
in our land,
Because we have no wealthy rogues to plan and
plot and scheme
To make the libburty we claim a vain and empty
dream,
Because our magnates go to church and teach
in Sunday schools,
And everywhere from sea to sea the Christian
spirit rules.
We keep Thanksgivin' day because the man who
does his best
To be an honest citizen is honored by the rest:
He may not have a share of stock or own a foot
of land,
But all our wealthy senators are glad to shake
his hand
And hear his plea and guard his rights with all
the jellus care
They ever give the interests of any millionaire.
We keep the good old day because no idle rich
ignore
The pressing needs of those where Want is
scratching at the door,
Because we have such freedom as the Pilgrims
wished to claim.
Because we never are oppressed and never
splotched with shame,
Because we’ve frightened Greed away and raised
our standard high
And kept the faith for which our sires were not
afraid to die.
Feared for Niece’s Future.
Peculiar Bent of Child’s Mind Dis
mayed Uncle.
“I hate to think it,” grimly said
Uncle Timrod Totten, "but I am
mightily afraid my little 10-year-old
ie.-e, Luella. is going to cause a great
eal of worry and unhappiness in the
world when she gorws up.” “What
makes ye think so?” asked old Squire
Belclier, who had come over to borrow
a whlflletree. "She seems to be a real
nice, thoughtful, good-tempered child
now.” “Well,” was the explanation,
"t'other day, our gray gander got
tangled up in a discussion with the
shepherd pup, and when the fracus
was over there was skurcely a feather
left on the fowl. And little Luella
took and dyked him out in u pair of
draw—pantaloons—and a chini—slip,
I mean—of white cloth sewed by her
own fair hands. And, somehow, 1 can't
help fearing that when she attains
an appropriate age she will wear nose
glasses and several double-chins, and
go crusading against all the common
and unimportant indelicacies that hu
man (lesh is heir to."—Exchange.
Peculiar Form of Baptism.
It is reported from Australia that
Tom Mann, lately a London publican
—not of the clientele of St. Matthew
—who has since transferred the bene
fits of his light and leading to the
Antipodes, has instituted a form of
Socialistic "baptism” in those parts.
This rite consists in his mounting
a platform, receiving babies into his
arms and attaching to them scarlet
rosettes inscribed with their names,
their parents acting as their sponsors
in devoting them to a life long ser
vice of Socialism—London Academy.
The water of the natural brine
springs of Drcitwich is 12 times
stronger than sea water.
I VISITS WITH I
1 &1/MLEBY 1
The Harbingers.
-— ; I
NIGHT.
The seed pods rattle in the breeze
Above the brittle grasses;
O’er every hill, in every dale.
The touch of Autumn passes.
The frost spreads low its hoary chill
Upon tlie zephyrs sleeping
And starts the vagrant, wailing breeze
Across the valleys sweeping.
MORNING.
The dead leaves drift along the road
And nestle in the ditches;
The blackbird, high upon a limb,
His lusty fiock-song pitches.
Athwart the melting maple tree
The morning sunlight shimmers.
While through the Interstices deep
The flaming sumac simmers.
NOON.
The frosted dahlia strives to lift
Her blackened head in gladness;
The aster droops his tousled plume
In most dejected sadness.
The grapevine, twining on the fence.
Has lost its umbered juices—
The wine of leafy life has ebbed
Adown its fibrous sluices!
SUNSET.
The sun. blood red, along the wood
Casts shadows ever longer;
The chill of evening rides the breeze
That waxes ever stronger.
Now sinks the disc behind the West
And leaves the day a-waning
When winds howl fiercely through the
wood
In strident tones complaining!
L’ENVOI.
But what care we? Within our homes
Beside the embers glowing.
We drain the cup of thankfulness
From Plenty’s horn o'erflnwing.
Blow, Autumn's chill and Winter’s cold.
Thy melancholy droning—
We drink to Happiness and Love
And sing to Joy’s intoning!
• • *
For when the heart is tuned to sing.
Who cares for Winder's chill and sting?
o o o
Side Lights.
What we need in this country is an
ashless winter and a lawn-mowerless
summer.
The man who spends his money and
doesn’t wish it back, has had his mon
ey’s worth.
A Mr. Thunderer married a Miss
Cloud in Indian Territory. Looks like
stormy weather ahead.
The time for campaign bets is here.
Get your peanuts early—and get nice
round ones that will roll easily.
“When the world comes to an end,”
says a Colorado editor, “there won’t be
any more coal bills.” Which way are
you going, brother?
When the troubles of a man and
wife get as far as the quilting bee,
they might as well call in the divorce
lawyer and be done with it.
“Be kind to vermin and insects,”
says an exchange. “They are your
friends.” Sure, they’re your friends.
They’ll stick to you even when you’re
broke.
A man doesn’t always want to take
too much for granted. The woman he
loves may wear the flowers he sent,
instead of the ones sent by her rival,
simply because they match her gown.
“Can anybody count a half dozen
marriages between American giris
and the nobility (meaning, of course,
the foreign nobility), that have been
happy?” asks an Illinois newspaper.
Of course not, and judging by the
number of divorce cases, it would keep
a fellow pretty busy to count that
many right here at home. Ouch! I
didn’t see her coming or I would have
dodged that!
o o o
Hoppertown Happenings.
Squire Purdy has issued a writ of nunc
pro tunk against the fellers that hang
out in the back room of the drug store
and says he is going to put an end to
them tunk games if it takes all summer.
Hank Tnmms has got a boil on his
thumb and is not able at this writing
to perform his usual work, which is whit
tlin’ in front of Tibbitt's grocery.
A drummer from down to the Rapids
put up at the Hotel Hoppertown one day
this week. He put up 25 cents for break
fast and 35 cents for dinner.
The wringer broke while Mrs. Anson
Judson's hired girl was doing the wash
ing the other day and she had to run
the clothes through the pianola.
Miss Lutie Eibbins is saving up her
money to go down to New York and
take singin' lessons. She ain’t decided
just where she will take ’em yet, but will
probably take ’em right in the Singer
building which is said to be the best.
Miss Bibbins has eat so much sweet corn
that her voice is quite husky at this
writing.—Roy K. Moulton.
I
The Diligent Ant.
It is not only man who may with
advantage take lessons from the ant;
the domestic hen would do well in one
respect to imitate it. The white ant
lays 86,000 eggs a day throughout the
season—an amount that may well
cause the hen to feel ashamed oi
her miserable total of three or four
eggs a week.
A man is never so doubtful about j
whether or not a woman will recipro- j
cate his love as he is about whether |
or not he wants her to.
BED-BOUND FOR MONTHS.
Hope Abandoned After Physicians’
Consultation.
Mrs. Enos Shearer, Yew and Wa
ington Sts., Centraiia, Wash., say
for years 1 w;
weak and run dowr
could not sleep, i
limbs swelled a:
the secretions w.
troublesome; pa.
were intense. I v.
fast in bed for fo ,
mouths. Three dc<
tors said there w.i
no cure for me and I was given u •
die. Being urged. I used Doan's K
ney Pills. Soon I was better and ir
few weeks was about the house, w>
and strong again.”
Sold by all dealers. 50 cents a b<.
Foster-Milburn Co., Buffalo, N. Y.
NOT EXACTLY.
____
Flossie Footlight—Part of the 1: ;
anese wedding ceremony consists
the burning of the discarded toys
the bride.
Winnie Wings—Horrors! You d
mean cremating her cast-off lover
you?
WARNED OF THE CYCLONE
Telephone Just a Few Seconds A-*e:.r.
of High Wind.
Once upon a time a Kansas zep:
broke loose and meandered about i!
country, picking up various thing
Bill Baumgartner's telephone, 20 mil*
away, rang:
“Is that you, Bill?" yelled an exc; ■
voice.
"Yes. What's the matter?"
“This is Frank. We’ve got a cyclor
down here, and it's headed your v
Look out! I—” Frank's voice brol*
off suddenly. Bill heard a crash ar
a sputtering, then all was silence. IP
gathered up his family and rus
them to a deep ravine. They were jo
in time to dodge a funnel-shaped t . >'
that wrecked the house, picked up h
barn, two cows, and a couple of m
of fence.—Hampton’s Broadway Ma ar
zine.
SEVERE HEMORRHCiDS
Seres, and Itching Eczema—Doctor
Thought an Operation Necessary
—Cuticura’s Efficacy Proven.
“I am now 80 years old, and thr*"
years ago I was taken with an at
tack of piles (hemorrhoids), blerdir
and protruding. The doctor said tfc*
only help for me was to go to •
hospital and be operated on. T trit !
several remedies for mon:hs but . - i
not get much help. During this tin*
sores appeared which changed to a
terrible itching eczema. Then I began
to use Cuticura Soap. Ointment, and
Pills, injecting a quantity of Cuticura
Ointment with a Cuticura Suppository
Syringe. It took a month of this
treatment to get me in a fairly healthy
state and then I treated myself one**
a day for three months and. after that,
once or twice a week. The treatments
I tried took a lot of money, and it i
fortunate that I used Cuticura. J. H
Henderson, Hopkinton, N. Y., Apr.
26, 1907.”
Like a Dream.
A bubble of air in the blood, a drc
of water in the brain, and a man is
out of gear, his machine falls to
pieces, his thought vanishes, the
world disappears from him like
dream at morning. On what a spid. r
thread is hung our individual exi ’
ence. Fragility, appearance, nothin^
ness. If it were not for our power
of self-detraction ami forgetfulnes
ail the fairy world which surround
and brands us would seem to us bur
broken specter in the darkness—a
empty appearance, a fleeting hallucin
ation. Appeared—disappeared—thr r*
is the whole history of a man. or of ,i
world, or of an infusoria.—Amiel.
With a smooth iron and Dcfismc
Starch, you can launder your shirt
waist just as well at home as the
steam laundry can; it will have the
proper stiffness and finish, there will
be less wear and tear of the goods,
and it will be a positive pleasure to
use a Starch that does not stick to the
Iron.
Too Unkind,
“Didn’t you say there was a states
man in your family?” inquired my deaf
friend.
“Oh, no.” I cried, hastening to cor
rect his peculiar impression; I
merely said that a relalive of mine
was one of the United States senators
from New York.”—Bohemian Maga
zine. _
(Important to Wlothcrs.
Examine carefully every bottle of
CASTORIA a safe and sure remedy for
infants and children, and see that It
Bears the
Signature of
tn Use For Over 30
The Kind You Have Always Bought.
Spoiled for Life.
“Poor fellow! He has never been
able to make a living.”
“Too bad. What’s the matter?”
“Years ago somebody told him he
had a temperament.”
1
Coughing
are promptly relieved fcy a r
gle dose of JPiso’s Cure. '1,
regular use of this f.mcnr r
medy will rclievi the vv j v t
form of cou"lis, col.Is, I;1"*
ness, bronchitis, aatlim dis
eases of the thro it and lu
Absolutely free from !
drugs and opiates. I' !.
century the household ft
in millions of homes.
At all <?rucsrstr*, 25 c
