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About The Loup City northwestern. (Loup City, Neb.) 189?-1917 | View Entire Issue (Nov. 18, 1909)
, A A BROKEN i NOSE, AND i WHO'WED’ 13 1ANKSGIVIXG is an institution of heavy antiquity, but as a pe culiarly American national fes tival it dates only from Thurs day, November 26, 1789. The first national Thanksgiving day was perhaps the most exciting ever celebrated on this contin ent and owes its historic inter est to a bottle, a bird, a broken nose and an angry president who rounded out the expression of his wrath with a few well chosen and forcible “cuss words." Yet all these things were collateral to the main fact mat wp came near losing rnanksgiving atter •til, and that all the famous men of the day got 1 Into a very bitter quarrel over it and ate a : turkey dinner at daggers drawn, so to speak, r The idea of Thanksgiving day originated . with Alexander Hamilton, Washington's secre | tary of the treasury, who, in August, 1789, | broached the subject at a cabinet meeting. In k September, 1789, Elias Boudinot, a New Eng land member of the house of representatives, introduced a resolution requesting the presi dent to set aside a day of thanksgiving and moved its adoption. The motion was seconded by Roger Sherman of Connecticut. The reso lution at once met with opposition. Many members of congress denounced the custom of such observances as effete and monarchical and some members became so personal in their discussions that blows were struck over the matter in the streets of New York, which then was the national capital, the sessions of congress being held in Federal hall. Jefferson opposed the passage of the resolu tion as an encroachment upon the boundary line which had been fixed between religion and state, but the resolution passed both houses of congress, and on October 3, 1789, Washington issued the first Thanksgiving proc lamation. It recommended that “Thursday the _ c »._ - .'UVCUJUtI UCAl, U» devoted by the people of these United States to the service of that great and glorious Being who is the beneiicent Author of all the good that was, that is, or that will be." It recommended that the people "return thanks for his care and protection of the people of this country pre vious to their becoming a na tion;" again for, "the favorable interposition of his providence in the course and conclusion of the late war;” for "the tran quillity, union and plenty which we have since enjoyed;” for “the peaceable and rational manner in which we have been enabled to establish a form of government for our safety and happiness," and for "the civil and religious liberty with which we are blessed and the means we have of acquiring and devis ing useful knowledge." The proclamation issued, the burning question arose as tc 1. * U „ J__1_is . . . ruvuiu uc i ^icuiiUL'a, ana over it aiose an acrimonious contest. Hamilton pro posed a monster procession of dignitaries and military headed by Washington himself. Jef ferson s opposition prevented this spectacular exhibition and it finally was determined that the day was a domestic holiday and should be observed in the privacy of the home after the good old New England manner. This settlement was gratifying to Mrs. Wash ington, who at once made arrangements to hold a levee in true colonial fashion at the executive mansion on Franklin square. Every one of prominence in the new government was invited, from the chief justice of the supreme court down, and they ail came; for in addition to being president. George Washington was a gentleman, and to be asked to his house was a social distinction. 1 Hamilton, however, eager to do anything cal culated to put Jefferson to confusion, proceed ed to organize ail manner of festivities and ob servances likely to make Thanksgiving a noisy holiday. Jefferson, on the contrary, held some what aloof from the whole thing and looked upon Thanksgiving as a religious contrivance only. By the time the day arrived much un pleasant feeling had been engendered between cabinet tactions, and the friction in that quar ter also extended itself to the partisans of the cabinet leaders. Jefferson and his friends did what they decently could to ignore Thanksgiv ing altogether. Hamilton and his partisans did all they could to make the day a "howling suc cess." When the state of affairs became known in Boston and Philadelphia the battle was heartily entered into, and Washington had the 'mortification of seeing that his day of Thanks giving for the blessings of Almighty God had become a source of no end of contention. The day dawned fair and warm for New York. The bells of Trinity rang for an hour, and there was a parade of one regiment, re viewed by Hamilton from Faunce's tavern, the Waldorf-Astoria of New York city in that day. Then the cheering part of the day began, by .indulgence in various forms of stimulants, and {everyone was no doubt very thankful. Wash ington went to church in the morning, and at .high noon began to receive his visitors at the eibcufiVfe' residence. 1 Hamilton had also arranged a dinner at Faunce’s tavern, which is distinguished as be jing the first official Thanksgiving banquet in our history. Hamilton was to respond to a .toast and then go off to the president's man •sion, but he was iate and the guests sat down ltd the tables without him. In the course ol [this dinner a disagreement arose among the .gentlemen. A certain Lieut. St. Clair took oc casion to assert, upon his honor as a gentle •man. tlmt be was entirely sober. An unhis toric personage of whom we know no mort ithan that his name was Tisdai, and that h« iwat a New' York alderman and notary, im ipeaehed the veracity of St. Clair's assertior land defied him to prove it. The lieutenan. •threw a bottle at nobody in particular anc {missed his aim. In an instant all was confu ieion. And then in walked Alexander Hamil jton. The scene that met his gaze, according t< John Adams' account* was shameful. Viand: and glassware and gen tlemen were ‘all-in a heap.” However, they were separated and Hamilton, dreading the effect of the scandal if the episode became public property, did his best to patch matters up. The skeptical al derman appears to have had his iloubts upon i he subject of St. Clair’s sobriety set at rest, but unfortunately there could be no doubt that the lieutenant’s nose was broken in the course of the debate, for Hamilton, in his let ters, distinctly says so. But we have the same 4 authority for maintain ing that a gentleman is at all times justified, in insisting that he is so ber. The next thing that happened was a dispute about the turkey. Where was the turkey? It had been brought to the table. There were shouts for turkey, but none was forthcoming. A proposition to dis pense with the fowl was hooted down and Hamilton swore — his letters say he swore— that no citizen of the United States should abstain from turkey on Thanksgiving day. They iina’.ly got a turkey and \1»»“ Jj* S'kAA’XJZrA' BtJtrB&JS jKeMr vztfzK.. eaca&w i *s-rJ &tsBsjv t es*' zlj&r ■FSJCfT' M&r7e>*7CLC tt&iirxjjjTZBG f/. Jl&r-BJV&BB. .26. fp'Ss III ate it. Then they 1 drank and cheered 1 and sang songs, and sang songs, and cheered and drank. This little matter at-' I tended to. Hamilton made a speech and hied himself to the; president's house. Here there had been a dignified observance of the day, but it seems that a rumor of the little row at Faunce’s had already, reached the president and when Hamilton arrived Washington, ques-. Honed him about it. The Father of His Coun try was vexed and angered and. inddlgod- 1n some pointed remarks to the secretary. The president was incensed that a youftg soldieb' should have gotten his nose broken in’a tnV ern brawl while professing to be: giving'thanks for heaven's blessings. Our first president went so far as to say that it was disgraceful, "by-, sir!” and the secre tary of the treasury discreetly withdrew. History is silent on the subject of the after career of the lieutenant's broken nose, but Thanksgiving day has come down to us intact. Washington, however, apparently got enough on the first day to last him for live years, for his next Thanksgiving proclamation was not issued until January 1, 1795. A THANKSGIVING DINNER IN THE PHILIPPINES It -was eaten in an old stone hacienda, over whose waits the red, white and yellow roses flung their rich embroidery, and from whose decrepit balconies fragrant starry jasmine waved side by side with the family wash. How much of the excellence cf the meal was due to the culinary skill of Jim., the colonel's muchu cho, who went into the kitchen to help the Chinese cook, and how much to that almond eyed juggler with pots and pans, could not be determined by the guests, but both claimed the honor. The table was set out of doors under the shade of an immense arbor del fuego, of fire tree, which a few months hence would be a blaze of flaming blossoms. . The chickens roamed about freely among, the guests, and oc casionally one bolder than the rest would tty up among the dishes. It was etiquette for the nearest guest to shoo it down, otherwise such little incidents passed without notice. * The first dish served wap ths strictly American one : of ham and eggs, but' as ham is 50 cents a s pound in Manila, it was a costly delicacy, and had a better right to appear at the feast than i even the fried and boasted chiekens which fol c lowed. These are no longer cooked In rancid l eocoanut oil since the United States army brought canned butter over the Pacific. You will never appreciate the yellow product of the > cow until you have eaten chicken fried In co > coanut oil. The taste of it stays on the ulate 'X' ttfato x/vrAm&zrc? JSzP XAS SOf*€>J^£^4VjT& xttozcssrr&AT *&£iXrZ0XA'& *%?r£?G- .<1 JV>~ r.'CW/^X: jttxsxPssy- x^<p^ 2%&9/'SjzT3'c?xv'7jy'c*-.— for weeks. It is a Samson among flavors, for nothing else is strong enough to kill it, not even sperm oil, which is its first cousin. After the fowls appeared a huge baked fish stuffed with onions and red peppers and borne on a platter garlanded with paper flowers. This was what turkey is to the Ameri-. can or roast beef to the Englishman—the piece de re sistance of the dinner. Amer ican canned beef came next. uoieaout in sman pumuiis iu raai bu™. mji a Filipino will give you almost anything he owns for a can of beef, and so highly does he esteem it that he even saves the empty cans, perhaps to cheat himself or his friends into be lieving be has a supply on hand, and therefore is a man worth cultivating. A Spanish stew wa.s on the menu after the fish—a genuine olla podr.ida which, no doubt, was being cooked for supper in Spain when Columbus was sailing ■westward on his voyage of discovery. Rice, potatoes, minced caribou steak, onions, dried fish—everything in the larder goes into the olla podrida, which Is very liberally seasoned with red pepper, so liberally that all the guests fell to weeping over the first mouthful, anil the appearance of a pot of jam was hailed with delight. The jam was passed around by a half-naked knifeboy, and everybody took a spoonful, returning the spoon to the jam to be used by the next person. It would bo regarded as a grave breach of manners to take a clean spoon. Then the American guests saw literally the locusts and wild honey of John the Baptist. With the excellent coffee small pieces of honey in the comb were placed at each plate, and a heaping basket of crisp, brown cakes, some thing like the old-fashioned cookies of New England, was carried around the table by the knife-bo.v. "Maco oon c.a a-pan, e dill mehimo ca a-pan?” (“Do you eat locusts, or do you not care for them”) politely inquired the host. The cakes were made of locusts stripped of their wings and ground to a fine flour, which was mixed, sweetened, raised the same as other pastry, and baked a light, delicious brown. Anybody who has ever had the curiosity—and temerity —to taste a particularly brown, hard puppy cake will have a good Idea of the flavor of the Filipino locust cake, except, of course, it is sweetened. Only one American had courage enough to nibble one, but all the native guests ate two or three. The omnipresent cigarette or cigar arrived with the coffee, and soon the remains of the feast were enveloped in a pale blue h&zf Senorita Paciencia, the daughter of the house, smoked, lolling back carelessly In her gown of rich black silk with a big cigar be tween her rosy lips. This same Senorita Pa ciencia was the innocent cause of much em barrassment to the colonel during the meal. It is Filipino custom for the hostess to feed the principal dish to the guest of honor, fo when the fish was brought on Miss Pacien cia changed her seat to one at the colonel's side and carefully selecting the choicest morsels and freeing them from bones and skin popped them into .the colonel’s mouth. To have demurred would have been a deadly insult to the* host, so the colonel was obliged to submit with the best grace he could muster, though the , spectacle of a husky American soldier be ing fed like a .baby was almost too much for the self-control of his compatriots, especially when somebody said very soft ly and-distinctly: “Lovey, dovey." The gallant - colonel's ordeal came to ‘an end after a time,- but it left him very wed and uncomfortable and nursing a firm re solve to accept no /nore invitations to dine out in the Philippines, it is only fair to the senorita ’to explain that before •she took her place at the colonel’s side a knifeboy appeared bearing a bowl of per-, fumed water and a clean towel, and that she carefully washed and dried her hands. Gift Pies for Thanksgiving Toy makers are planning a host of de lightful surprises for Thursday’s celebra tions. One need not delve among old books to learn the traditions and amuse i ments of the originators of this feast day. Plenty of entertainment’ is provided by \ these favor designers, whose work it is to know how to utilize Thanksgiving’ tra ditions in modern surroundings. Pies are always a successful piece de resist ance for the dinner or party. Old as well I as young find entertainment in hunting , for the prizes concealed between ample I crusts of crepe paper, and its appearance is a never ending source of joy to the guests. The favorite ‘pie this year is in the shape of a huge basket, large in cir cumference, deep enough to hold a host of ^--A2i C3T3KG&T&. ,V2>*' y^cPJC-l^.. tGAZGT s&3*irsG?-cpnr£ g>wc?is£? ^Afsajvv^-sctsi-vsr&jrjfinracs&T- e&&%& s£G^.&>. treasures, and with a gracefully arched high handle which is elaborately ornamented with paper chrysanthemums and wide satin rib bons. The fruit pies are quite novel. Jn the cen ter of the treasure pie rests a watermelon of goodly proportions and most natural coloring, and on the top of the striped green and white fruit stands an exultant turkey, with real feath er covered body and a wide spread tail. Sur rounding this feathered monarch, who ia perched on the melon throne, are smaller fruits of every description, all cleverly fash ioned of papier macho and tinted in nature's colors. There are luscious bananas, ripe, rosy cheeked apples, golden oranges, deep red to matoes, lemons, plums, pears: in fact, practic ally every variety of fruit. Inside each is a small box. whose center conceals’a gift. The guests take turns at -choosing the fruit they like best, and with the fruit gpes the hidden gitt and souvenir of the day. It may be that the gift is only a clever joke wrapped neatly in eolton wool or tissue paper and lying hid den inside the bit of fruit, or it may be a gift of real consequence and intrinsic value. This depends on the circumstances and ideas of the hostess, who may want her party to be mere ly a merrymaking time or one that will be re membered for other things. The outside of the basket is trimmed with a row of crackers, which never fail to add to the gayety of the oc casion, especially if it be composed of young folk. Then above the stockade of fancy paper crackers Is a border of chrysanthemums, and the basket or pie is complete in every detail. Hut the real Thanksgiving pie is the most striking oi alb Its foundation is, of.course, a round basket, but without a handle. Over the top is a covering of pumpkin colored paper, frills and (lutings of the same being used for the edge finish. Then, like gigantic plums decorating the top crust, are arranged several pumpkin lantern favors, which can be lighted, and which, when extricated from their setting, bring with them Thanksgiving gifts tied up with yellow satin ribbons. WHY? I’ve noticed on Thanksgiving day, With strangers or my own folks, That little boys can always eat A great deal more than grown folks. Of turkey or of pumpkin pie— Will some one please to tell me why? THANKSGIVING. It takes one little girl or boy, Two hands to work and play And just one loving little heart To make Thanksgiving day. THANKSGIVING SUNSHINE. Cheery hearts and smiling faces. Gentle speech and "ays. Make a.clbudy, dull Thanksgiving Sunniest of days. COURAGE HAS BEEN PROVED,; innumerable Instances of Heroism in Women Easily to Be Found— Not at All Unusual. Whenever a woman does some cour ageous act not strictly in line with woman's ordinary conduct, all men hasten to pay her tribute. imperiled train with takes a gun to a V 1 burglar, or smashes a masher, we at once go into high panegyrics over her heroism. In the impulse of enthusi astic admiration we magnanimously admit thafc women, on occasion, may be as brave as men are. At the head of this type of woman ly intrepidity stands the famous Ida Lewis Wilson, the heroine of Linfe Rock lighthouse, who has saved scores of lives in adjacent waters. Close to her in the admiration of the public are the noble women who go as nurses to the battlefields and into fever-infected places. These are brave women, indeed, and admiration for them Is genuine and irresistible. But hold on a moment! Is the selection of such ipptapc.es as tl\*>se types of woman's heroism fair to wonihn ip general?. Not all Vtfppen are,lighthouse keep ers. Not all women can be army an gels or fever nurses. Most of them V must be home keepers. Are we to ig nore the heroism with which they per form their everyday tasks? Let us go into eulogies of these who go as nurses to the fields and hos pitals. That is right. But what about the many more women who bravely send husbands, lovers, brothers, sons to the battlefields to be shot? All praise to the noble nurses who go to the fever spots and heroically stay to the end. But what of the mil lions of mothers, wives, sisters, sweet hearts who would rather die than be dragged from the bedside of their dy ing dear ones? Who has ever counted the hours that the mothers of the world have spent in lonely vigil, when despair pressed upon them and closed around about them like 'the midnight .gloom? Ah! these things are so common that we take no note of them. We are so used to heroism in wo men that we think nothing about it until it presents itself spectacularly in some unusual form.—Memphis News Scimitar. HIS ONLY SALVATION. The polar explorer faced his vast audience and recited the tales of his hardships. “And at one time, my friends," he related, with dramatic realism, "the mercury dropped down to 60 below zero and I found myself freezing as solid as an iceberg. Then came a happy thought that saved my life.” “What was it?” cried the audience, unable to keep quiet in their enthusi asm., “Why, I had my faithful Eskimo bring me the picture of my rival. After gazing at it for a few seconds my blood boiled and I felt hotter than a radiator. Nor was this all. By placing the picture in front of me on the sled I found it made me hot enough to dis pense with my birdskin’shirt." An Expert. “You wish a position as chef?” in terrogated the hotel man. Had much experience?” “I should say so, boss." responded the applicant in the fur coat'and long whiskers. “I used to be chef on an arctic expedition.” “Indeed! And what is your special ty?" “Why, 1 know bow to prepare boots In 20 different ways." Just a Hint. , “Yes. mum,” said the tall tramp as he dipped his faded straw hat, "dal. is such a nice lady in de brown bunga low. She gave me an after-dinner smoke.” ’ “But why should you stop to tell me about it?” asked the woman with the lawn mower. "Why, mum, I thought maybe you'd give mo Uc dinner so 1 could enjoy de smoke." Explaining the Dialect. "Isn't your dialect a little mixed?" asked the publisher. "No,” answered the confident au thor. “You see, my hero is a man who was born in New England, but who moved to the south in an early age and afterward punched cattle in the far west. By giving him this his tory I disarm criticism of his dialect." WOULD THE PUBLIC DOUBT IT. First Johnny—Aw, so you have re turned from your month's holiday. Where did you go? Second Johnny.—Aw, I just ran up to the north yole. First Johnny—1 had intended going there, but it’s such a fag to take your own grub. Pastoral. He met the girl upon the bridge. And kissed her on the spot. Thp brook, it murmured down below; The girl, she murmured not. A Cruel Condition. Elsie—Why is Clara always so short of money? Didn't her father leave her a lot? Madge—Yes; but you see she’s not to get it till she's JO, and she'll never own up to that. Erratic Going. "It Is easy enough to hitch your wagon to a star," declared the theat rical manager. “Say on.” “How to keep from being bounced out of the wagon is the (luestion." Literal Misfortune. "So your friend Fish wants to go upon the variety stage?" "Yes, but he had batter let that bait alone, or he will he sure to get the hook." A Clear Association. “He has made his money mostly in dried apples." "Maybe that is why he insisted that his new house should have a swell front.” An Inevitable Conclusion. "Is that man in good odor in the i business community?” “He ought to be; he's a dealer in | perfumes.” A Characteristic Welcome. “Were those cannibal savages glad to see the last missionary you sent i them?” ! “Oh. yes. indeed! They fairly ate | him up.” Too Many Breakdowns. “Did you enjoy automobile weekT' “No." “What was the trouble?” “A weak automobile.” Going Up. "What would be a good name for i my flying naebine?" “Why not call it. ‘The Cost of Liv ing?’ ” __ Wise Precaution. Henchman—In placing your name before the convention. Judge Windrow is going to laud your name to the skies. Candidate—That being the case, I’d better invest in a parachute. Why He Doubted. “He says he always thinks before he speaks.” “Don't you believe him?” “No.” “Why?” •1 have heard him speak.” , J VISIONS OF THANKSGIVING. Now doth the turkey see in dreams The visions of a day That makes his heart go pit-a-pat And turns his feathers gray. Tin* smell of celery gives him pain, And though Ids eyes are wet With tears of coming sorrow, he Tries bravely to forg-*t. A little cranberry is to him The crimson badge «>f fat** That lie must wear when he is called Into his future state. An oyster makes him shut his eyes To miss the sight of it; And when he sees the arc. Great Scott! *V almost has a lit. I H' thinks about the people who Will-sound his requiem. And wonders how it’s going to feel To be inside of them. All. guileless dreamer, you are up Against Thanksgiving day; You’ve got to starve yourself to death Or die the other way. *—William J. Lampton. in New Y<>ck Sun. A BIT NEAR-SIGHTED. Old Bates—Well, I’ve bin a-sittin' ’ere. for ’ours, an’ divil a bite! Too many steamboats on this river for fishing. Soon Explained. Growlers still In darkness groping, Wondeod how he got along. Every day was a day for hoping. Every day was a day of song! Didn’t Want the Job. The young man was evidently in search of a wire. "Can you bake biscuits without burning them?” he asked. "No,” replied the fair one, frankly "I can’t even bake them without burn ihg myself. But you may find what you require in that line at the intelli gence office, just around the corner." Getting Even. . “Bet your life I’m going to get even with pa for licking me,” said the small boy. "How are you going to do it*" queried his big sister. “The first time a circus comes to town I'm going to play off sick, and he won't have any excuse for going.' explained the youthful diplomat. Successful Practice. Old Doctor—1 was successful in mj first case. Young Doctor—Indeed! Old Doctor—Yep. The executors o! his estate paid my bill without a mur mur. Back on the Job. "The glory of the summer youn^ man has departed.”. "Yes. indeed. It seems but. a *tej from riches to the ribbon counter.” In "Arid Alabama.” "The prisoner is charged with hat" ing a thirst. What has he to say foi himself?” “He says, your honor, that all ha craves is spring water." “Well, in that case, we'll hate to turn him loose.” WORTHY OF A RAISE. "So." said the head of the firm, “you want your salary raised?” “Yes.” the office boy timidly replied “What makes you think your value to this company has been increased?” . “Well, de baseball season's over, and I'll be here a good deal more reg ular now.” Where He Gets His Strength. Zbyszko-Stanislaus Cygan iewlea Is a wrestler who is game. In training for a wrestling match He wrestles with his name. Possible Explanation. Marker—I wonder why Coppin gave up his quarters at the Uppson hotel? Parker—Probably because he hadn't the dollars to pay for them. A Breezy Time. "What did young Jorkins do with that windfall he got?” “Just blew' it in.” Had to Be. "I demand to know', madam, who was the woman you were closeted with yesterday morning, as I was told? Was she a fitting companion for my wife?" “Oh, gracious, I hope so! She's my di essmaker." Mammoths. “We are going to have a mammoth meeting in Houston the day of Taft s arrival." "Will there be any besides Tan present?"