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Official Student Newspaper of the University of Nebraska
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Sarah
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A Devil of a
Thanksgiving
VOL XXXVII, NO. 17
LINCOLN, NEBRASKA, WEDNESDAY. NOVEMBER 21. 1937
PRICE FIVE CENTS
MORTAR BOARDS
DEVIL INCARNATE.
HUBS OF HELL.
OH YOU KID,
I nave a neuuva mg gripe
against you. A fine devil you
make. Of all the low down, lazy,
inefficient, good for nothing devils
you're the worst. You're on the job
about as much as Stepin Fetchit.
Why there's practically no sinning
going on at all. I certainly have
little to be grateful to you, my
patron saint, for this Thanksgiv
ing. It's helluva note when you
the abomination of the ages
become practically a symbol not
alone of sweetness and light, but
actually of virtue Itself. Yep,
you've slipped that badly. Even
your former arch foes now con
sider you an ally. Only yester
day an administrative higher up,
when asked for a Thanksgiving
message, requested, "Tell them
to go home and study like the
devil." There you are. Now you
can understand why I have so
little to give thanks for.
And listen, your reputation up
here has gone up and up until
you're almost the uplift hoy in
person. Shades of Hades! I, who
used to take great pride in being
considered in league with you,
now blush sorrowfully for you.
Your name is worse than naught
in these here parts. To confine
someone to the eternal fires of hell
these days is as good as a com
pliment. The confinec smiles hap
pily and murmurs gratefully that
his friends will all be there. The
river Styx is fast becoming re
garded as a playground for the
socially elite.
Where Satan Fears to Tread.
And another thing you aren't
the pusher you used to be. I can
remember, in the days of my
youth, when you, Satan, the evil
one, used to get behind souls
wavering on the threshold of
wrong doing and shove 'em on
in, allegedly against their will.
And your activity used to con
stitute the most valid alibi for
misdeeds. Now, anyone can tell
you, the younger generation
tears over thresholds that even
you used to pull your punches
on.
Of course, in all fairness, it
must be admitted that your near
demise as a fearful institution on
the face of the earth is not en
tirely your fault. Men are par
tially to blame. When some of the
big wigs found out, as they did
pretty early, that the picture they
painted of you scared the hell out
of the milling multitudes and made
Rood people of them, the big wigs
ran off a lot of carbon copies.
lne.se near duplicates were of
lesser stature than the original
a deliriously terrifying portrait of
you, if you'll remember - but they
were reasonably g'Kd likenesses.
And so, beeiuse of the peepul
feared you like all hell, the big
wigs had only to flash one of these
facsimile affairs at their flock, and
there was a stampede buck to the
straight and nan civ.
Hell Now Home Sweet Home.
But the big wags, being human
after all, carried this mass pro
duction of devils too far. It got
so that they rulled the old devil
threat out of the bag at the men
tion of a lady's limb or a swig
of schnaps. And the good folks
not only got tired of going into
reverse just because of this lit
tle myth mat deprived them of a
lot of fun, but also began to de
cide that hell wouldn't be so bad
a place after all.
If on went there on such minor
promotions as the hi;; wag
claimed, why not go there willing
ly? So pietty soon, iif'.er the peo
ple caught on to all the blisj-e
they had been missing out on, they
came to seek the way of the devil.
And now look what a mess things
are In. Nothing is "sinful" any
more.
I've tried and tried, old loy, to
rind something In this diiloralil
SETDEC. 10DATE
IL
OF Mi
DANC
E
Women's Honorary Group to
Give Leap Year Party
After Ball.
The traditional leap year party
sponsored by members of Mortar
Board, woman's honorary society,
will be held on the night of Friday,
Dec. 10, it was announced last
night. The dance is the only
event of the university social sea
son in which the coeds stand
treat.
Traditionally coeds call for their
dates in cars, trucks, or other
vehicles, send them corsages, sup
ply the cigarettes, check the coats
and pay all the bills. Sometimes
a steak dinner is included in the
evening's entertainment. Du-lng
the evening men on the campus
have a chance to even the score for
purses and compacts and other
paraphernalia they may have
had to carry at the Military Ball
by making their dates tote shaving
kits and traveling cases.
Tickets $1.25.
As in the past, Tassels and
Mortar Boards will handle sale of
tickets at $1.25 a couple. Plans
for the orchestra have not been
completed.
Committees In charge of ar
rangements are: Jane Walcott and
Genevieve Bennett, orchestra; Jane
Barbour and Eloise Jenjamin, pub
licity; Martha Morrow and Betty
Cherny, tickets; and Donna Hiatt
and Jean Marvin, invitations and
guests. General arrangements will
be in charge of Winifred Nelson,
Marie Koutouc and Rosalie Motl.
Joe and Josephine Give Thanks
Vacation Plans
Vary as Glasses
Dismiss Today
IV
E
RSITY PLANS
FOUR DDI
L
MONTHLY CONVOS
Prof. Harry Kurz Negotiates
With World Famous
Commentators.
Kirk pat rick to Attend
Convention in Chicago
r
rs. 'tN 3
4.
1
HUWArlU KIHKPA I HICrv.
Howard Kirkpatrick, director of
the school of music, will leave
Thursday evening for Chicago to
Htteml the Regents meeting of n
Kappa lambda on Nov. 26 and 27
I'i Kappa Lambda, the national
honorary seholarship society in
music, holds its meetings annually.
Pilgrim Fathers Entertain Indians
at First Thanksgiving in America
History Authors Disagree on
Time, Place, Ritual of
First Day.
By Fred Harms.
With Indians as guests of honor,
about tables loaded with game and
fish, wild fruits, corn-bread and
vegetables from their new gardens,
the Pilgrim fathers celebrated
their first American harvest festi
val In October. 1621, the first au
tumn of the exiles in their new-
home.
Such is the description common
ly accepted as the origin of Amer-
ica s chief gastronomical holiday.
Few Americans know, however,
that William Bradford's feast was
not the first Thanksgiving observ
ance in this country, nor do they
know anything of the history of
the observance of the day from co
lonial times to the present.
The first Thanksgiving held in
North America was conducted by
an English minister named Wol
fall May 27. 1578. on the shores
of Newfoundland. He had accom
panied Frobisher's expedition to a
new world. The ship's log tells of
his sermon "exhorting all to be
especially thankful to God for His
strange and miraculous deliver
ance." This was the first Chr'stian
sermon preached and the first eel-
PROCLAMATIONS MAKE
THANKSIGVING LEGAL
Legallythere can be no na
tional holiday on Thanksgiving,
since the Constitution makes no
provision for the observance of
national holidays of any sort.
The president's Thanksgiving
proclamation is valid only for
the District of Columbia and
the territories. States observe
the day because of proclama
tions of the governors.
Thanksgiving Is the only re
ligious festival celebrated in the
United States by virtue of the
authority of the civil government.
ebration of holy communion in
North America.
First Observance On Our Soil.
The first observance of a simi
lar ceremony in the territory which
was later to be included in the
United States was held by the Pop
ham colony which settled at Saga
dahoc on the Maine coast in Au
gust of 1607.
These two observances were
only mere thanks-giving services
which lasted for only a few hours
and did not color the whole day or
week as later ceremonies did. Ac
cording to Walsh's "Popular Cus
toms," the real origin of Thanks
giving as a day specially set apart
for prayer and rejoicing must be
attributed to William Bradford,
the first governor of the Massa
chusetts colony. In gratitude for
the plenteous harvest of 1621. fol
lowing upon a period of great de
pression, he proclaimed a day of
Thanksgiving to be observed on
Dec. 13 of that year.
Not Always Sour, Morose.
However, Mrs. Alice Morse
Earle writing in her "Customs and
Fashions in Old New England"
declares that the first New Eng
land Thanksgiving inaugurated by
Governor Bradford was not a day
of religious observance, but a day
set apart for - recreation. She
proves that the Puritans and Pil
grims were net always sour, mo
rose, and gloomy men by quoting
an account of the Thanksgiving
feasting, games and sport3 written
on Dec. 11. 1621 by Edward W ins
low to a friend in England. She
says further than "there is no rec
ord of any special religious serv
ices during this week of feasting."
Interesting sidelight on Mr
Earle's account of that first
Thanksgiving feast is her descrip
tion of the preparation of the food,
There were, but four overworked
sad, homesick women, one sen-ant
(Continued on rage Z).
E
Captain Kermit Hansen
Announces Training
Unit Staff.
O. J. Anderson. Houghton Furr,
and Veinan Vrana are the new
pledges of Pershing Rifles, honor
ary military organisation, Captain
state f affairs to wash mv turkey lxern"i ' ' . J" T , '
lown with. I've s.-Hn h. d. runu-1 ,B,y- MakinB up the training unit
natcd. rumm:.r,ed lor a single v.rnk'n U -lfnrl for freshman
ing flume, a single shrrd of dcsplc membership in the organ-
.i.mtv n- .. i..fi i,. n,.i iii- ization will be Robert Batey, Jack
ler mid dmilliwior-.i I ti'mt nnrv n Hartsock, Florian Jawroski, Ryron
thing to pin my faith In you to .
The devil, m chort, has gone
II to hell.
A Despairing Colleague.
WHAT. IKK.
Partly cloudy and somewhat
warmer says the weather man
today. Fair and colder Thurs
day will be probable.
Mason. John Rogers. Wisdom
Stewart, and Gordon Worlcy.
i
W. I.. Tnlftr-afl Heturns
to Survey Department
W. L. Tolstead of the Biological
Survey of the conservation and
survey division, has returned to
the university. He has spent the
summer doing investigation work
In Cherry county.
Dearth of Drunken Marksmen
Proves Filial lo Fi(iuresitie
Thaiiksiriviii": Shoots, Haffles
By Barbara Meyer
"The Thanksgiving turkey shoot
dying cut now that prohibition
coming in," said the old cpoita
iien with a note of regret in his
voice. 'They shoot too many tur
keys nowadays to make it pay."
In some small towns of Die
middle west, however, the Thanks
giving eve turkey shoot and
turkey raffle remain annual events,
carrying into modern age some
thing of the picturesqueness of the
frontier life. In these communi
ties there are lovers of the old
ways who cling to the old holi
day spirts, which still draw crowds
of hopeful village marksmen and
delighted audience of small boys.
Cruelty Outmoded,
The turkey shoot of today, how
ever lacks some of the features of
the New England match pictured
by "Harper's Weekly" In 1SC7. The
Thanksgiving birds today may be
as tough und adamantine as those
put upon, the tree stumps as tar
gets anil prizes 70 years ago, but
their skins and nerves are not put
to so prolonged and cruel a test.
The trukey shoot nowadays has
inanimate targets, not live birds
tied to a tree stump nine rods
away. In the sixties the live tur
key remained a target so long as
he "could stand up or fly a rod."
Those birds with "flesh of iron"
absorbed shot like cornraeal and
occasionally survived 15 or 20 of
the. cruel firings.
Pirturesqiio as was the old
Thanksgiving pport, we cannot re
gret It has been modified to a con
test between marksmen for a tur.
key as prize rather than a contest
1 .(Continued on Page 4)
STAFF APPOINTMENTS
Cornhusker Editor Names
Norden, Gish to Head
Military Section.
Final appointments to the Corn
husker editorial staff were an
nounced yesterday by Bill Clayton,
Cornhusker editor. Carl Norden,
Jr., has been appointed military
editor, with William Gish as as
sistant military editor in charge of
the artillery department. These ap
pointments were withheld until
this time because only a small
number of applications were made
for the positions and because the
requirements for the positions
were not known.
Arrangements have already been
made for the indivi-lual pictures
of all field officers. These pictures
will be taken soon. All other mili
tary students will have their pic
tures taken in groups. It is planned
to have these pictures taken as
soon as possible.
PROPESSORSJO TO CHICAGO
Drs. Hayes, Bccslcy, Moran
to "Attend Soil Meeting.
Dr. Frank K. Hayes. T. E. Bees
ley. W. J. Moran. and W. S. Glllam
I of the soil conservation survey clc-
partment will attend the meetings
I of the American Soil Science asso
ciation which is to be held in Chi
cago Nov. 29 to Dec. 3.
Dr. Hayes and Mr. Glllam are
to present papers.
Dr. L. A. Brown, who Is In
charge of soil survey work In Colo
rado, and who was formerly of Ne
braska, expects to join the party
during the trip to and from Lincoln.
Thanksgiving Proclamation
Renews Annual Observance
Harry Kurz, chairman of the
university convocation program,
announces that negotiations are
under way with a large number
of prominent speakers to appear
at the university during this year.
At least four more speakers are
wanted, one each for the months
of December, January, February
and March. Altho he is holding
correspondence with a large num
ber of speakers, Kurz says that
none have been scheduled as yet.
Those who may appear at the
university during the month of De
cember include Abraham Epstein,
Mary Sandall, Smedley D. Butler,
Whiting Williams, Mrs. Branson
DeCou, Henry Neumann, and Wil
frid L. Husband. These speakers
are all generally considered as out
standing speakers on world affairs.
Speakers under consideration for
the January convocation are Max
Lerner, Harry Elmer Barnes. Mor-
decal Johnson, Dorothy fuineim,
Gerhart Seger, Upton Close. Sher
wood Eddy, Jerome Davis, Kirtley
Mather, and Hubert C. Herring.
These persons are all noted for
their informative discussions oi
world affairs.
February Prospects.
Among those lecturers appear
ing in the midwest during Febru
ary are Anna Louise Strong of
Russia, V. F. Calverton, Sir Her
bert Ames. Jerome Davis. Wilfrid
Husband. Gerhart Seger, Mor
decai Johnson, and Hubert Herring,
all of whom are well informed on
international affairs.
Listed as possible convocation
speakers for March are Gaetano
Savemni of Italy, r.rnesi n.
Broves, Dorothy Fuldheim, Mrs
Branson DeCou. Martin K. Bovey
Henry Neumann, and Rollo Walter
Brown. Of these, all mil ir,
Bovey are generally considered as
outstanding speakers on worin ar
fairs. Mr. Bovey gives illustrated
lectures on fishing and hunting in
the wilds of Canada.
Besides these speakers, other
noted lecturers appear in the mid
west during the year and may
speak at the university. Hal Tot-
ten, widely known spons an
nouncer and the first man to
broadcast a play-by-play account
of a baseball game will be In this
territory this winter. Congress-
(Continued on Fagc 4).
Dean Thompson Reminds of
Six Weeks Quizzes
Beginning Monday.
University classes will be closed
from noon today, Nov. 2, for
Thanksgiving vacation and will re
commence at 8 a. m. on Monday,
Nov. 29. according to a notice sent
to the faculty by Dean T. J. Tomp
son. "The first week after vacation
will be devoted to six weeks tests,
with reports due on Dec. 4.
Thanksgiving vacation will be a
good time to catch up on your
studies and do a little plugging
along academic lines, urged Dean
Thompson.
Studying, however, seems to be
farthest from the minds of pros
pective vacationers, and the gen
eral concensus of student opinion
is that vacations were made for
catching up on sleep. A number
of loyal Cornhuskers will follow
the team to Manhattan to see the
last varsity game of the season,
while trips and turkey dinners lure
other vacationers homeward.
Orclieuiu Croup Gives
Demonstration Drills
in Wednesday Meeting
Orchesls members met Wednes
day evening: at 7:30 at Grant Me
morial for the last time before
Thanksgiving. Members of the
Orchesls class gave drills for the
girls who are trying out. Tryouts
will be held the second Wednesday
after Thanksgiving, giving the
girls one more practice before
final tryouis.
Records of Presidential j
Messages Give Clues
to History.
"I, Franklin Delano Boosevelt,
president of the United States of
America, hereby designate Thurs
day, the twenty-fifth day of No
vember, nineteen hundred and
thirty-seven, a day of national
thanksgiving." These words, issued
from the white house on the ninth
of November, carry on the custom
of a national Thanksgiving first
started by George Washington and
renewed to make it an annual
event by Abraham Lincoln.
In 1789 the first thanksgiving
proclamation was issued through
the lips of the first president, set
ting aside the last Thursday in
November as a day of national
gratitude for the favors that the
newly formed nation had received.
At First November 26.
"Thursday, the 26th day of No
vember next, to be devoted... to
the service of that glorious Being
. . .author of the good that w-aa.
that is, or that wilt be. That wc
may all unite In rendering. . .hum
ble thanks for his kind care and
protection of the people of this
country previous to their becom
ing a nation: for the favorable in
terposition of his providence in. . .
the late war; for the great degree
of tranquility, union, and plenty
which we have since enjoyed.
With these words, George Wash
ington set an example followed oc
casionally at the discretion of
presidents until the time or Ab
raham Lincoln, at wnicn time tne
annual Thanksgiving dny observ
ance was begun.
The history of the United States
might well be outlined by the sub
stance of the presidents' proclama
tions. After each war or economic
trouble comes the message in the
president's thanksgiving procla
mation that since tnese grave aan
ers have passed, the nation should
pause to give thanks to God for
1U deliverance. Following the war
of 1812 President Madison Issued
the second national thanksgiving
proclamation. The most famous of
Lincoln's proclamations was issued
In the midst of the civil strife.
"In the Midst of Civil War."
"...In the midst of a civil war
of unequalled magnitude and e
verity, which has sometimes
seemed la foreign lUUs to Invite
and provoke their transgressions
peace has been preserved with all
nations, order has been maintained.
the laws have been respected and
obeyed, harmony has prevailed ev
erywhere except In the theater or
military conflict... It has seemed
to me fit and proper that they
should be solemnly, reverently
and eratefullv acknowledged as
with one heart and one voice by
the whole American people I do
therefore, invite my fellow ctii
zens in every part of the United
States... to set apart and observe
the last Thursday of November
next as a day of thanksgiving and
praise to our beneficent Father
who dwelleth In heaven.
"And I recommend to them that
while offering up ascriptions just
ly due to Him for our national
pervcrscness and disobedience they
(Continued on Page 4).
Meat Shot on Yc:
Lord's Day Unfit,
but Tasini Good
HERE DEC. 4
First
Picture of Series
Coming to Varsity
Theater.
1T1ATES NINE
In a newspaper published In Con
necticut in colonial times is lo be
found an account of the feast
spread before the governor and her
Majesty's commissioners Thanks
giving day. 1713. from which It
appears Unit, before the company
fell to, the announcement was
made that the venison had come
from a deer which had been shot
"on ye Lord's duy." Thereupon the
entire company refused to cat, ami
It was decided that the Indian who
had shot the deer should receive
thirty-nine stripes und should re
store to the purchaser the price
paid for the meut.
Then, having inflicted a 'just
and righteous sentence on ye sin
ful brrthern" the company (with
the exception of one member whose
conscience was not satisfied) feu
upon the venison and devoured it.
Kenyer Replaces Bryan
as Weather Observer
Kenneth W. Kemper of Franklin,
Neb., forner university student,
has been appointed Junior observer
at the weather bureau in the
physical laboratory building.
Mr. Kemper replaces W. J.
Bryrn who has been transfered to
tha municipal airport.
Scabbard, Blade Induct Nine
Advance Drill Students
Tuesday Evening.
Scabbard and Blade, national
honorary military officei' organi
zation, initiated nine Mudetits in
senior advanced drill at the Ag
college student activities building
Inst night.
Henry F. Myers, captain of the
local unit, directed the ceremony
an'! wan in ihurge of arrange
ments for it. 11' annoiiiHfd after
the induction that the Initiates
had been selected by the society
as having shown outstanding
ability In the field of military
science.
The nine initiated but night are
as follows:
John 4. KMlorf, OntiliB.
Hrrtorl fffrUn. I nlunihuft.
Mllllam . I In i ton. I,ran4 I.I. oil
(Milium (. .l,h. Itoalrlr.
Jat I.. Klnl. r., I Inrnllt.
Janiri II. I llll'. I Inrola
i,n rnra, Lincoln.
ttl.hnti M. Tama, I rnlral (III.
"Das Madchen Irene" the first
of a series of three GermtJi films
which the German department ia
bringing to Lincoln this year, will
be shown in the Varsity theater at
9 and 10:45 a. m. Dec. 4. Tickets
for the production are 25 cents Tor
a single show or 50 cents for the
three shows, and may be obtained
from students ir. the department
or from faculty members.
Altho, as in' past years, the
movies are shown primarily lcr the
benefit of students in the depart
ment, any persons interested in
seeing German acting are given a
cordial invitation to attend. Those
who are unable to purchase tickets
from students may get them at the
boxoffice of the theater on the
morning of the performance.
Critics Laud Picture.
"Das Madchen Irene" has won
applause from some of the fore
most American cinema critics. In
reviewing the New York showing
of the picture, the N. Y. Herald
Tribune says: "Expert photog
raphy, fine acting, and first rate
direction are a successful and dis
tinguished triumvirate. which
strengthens this thoughtful and
sympathetic study of a neurotic
girl, in her 'teens.
"P.ealizing the importance of
making the audience feel the
struggle that racks Irene's mind
as she rebels against accepting r
new father after her mother had
i.-inained true to her husband's
memory for 12 years, the camera
man has employed all the tricky
shots that won the German film
industry acclaim m the pre-Hitler
days. Instead of making the girl
depend too much on her acting
ability in those difficult tequences
when she is fighting her obsession,
double exposures are used, which
explain in a series of rapid flash
barks the stormy processes of her
reasoning.
Both Comedy and Tragedy.
"This film is by no means con
fined to morbidness. Until Tt
reaches the halfway mark there)
is a good deal of fun and not a bit
of unpleasantness. Irene and her
young sister, Baba, team up as
about the scrappiest pair seen in
many a day. It Is when their
mother returns from a trip, bring
ing with her Sir John Corliett. an
accepted suitor, that the mood of
the film changes from one of
gsyety to one of fearful suspense.
Irene finally snaps out of It. but
before she does, Sir John almost
gets shot by the young lady, and
she attempts to drown herself.
Feast of Dcmctcr, Ingathering,
Harvest Home Made up Pedigree
of Thanksgiving Day Celebration
By Fern Steuteville.
Our nig rim fathers ure hailed
as the founders of Thanknglvlng
duy In America but oiiglnulity
cannot be credited to them for the
idea, for annals disclose that the
ancients. Koman,, Greek and Kgyp
tlan alike, celebrated nn autumnal
day as an occasion for revelry and
thanksgiving, and before mem me
barbarians heralded the gathering
of the harvests with festivals.
All Uie stately and elaborate
rites and thanksgiving festivities
of nations are but magnified and
embellished copies of homely rites
and uncouth observances derived
from the harvest festivals of the
pagans.
Greeks Pay Demeter.
The Greek rustic each fall paid
homage to Demeter, the goddess
The same spirits prevailed at the
of corn and bounty. Romans
fasted, then feasted in honor or
Ceres, their goddess of agriculture.
The Jews In Paleatino observed
the Pentecost, the Druids cele
brated Nov. 1 as their day of
thanksgiving, the Japanese and
Chinese both mudo offerings tu
their gods for their generosity at
the end of the year, and the Egyp
tians honored Osiris, the inventor
of husbandry, at their fall feast
From the heathens, according to
a Grecian historian, came the cus
tom followed in Greece and Rome
of the master and his servant
feasting together at harvest Umt.
Equality waa the order of the day
and slave snd ruler ate the same
meat and drank the same wipe.
(Continued on Pag 4),
L i
