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Show His Story Sfory for Thanksgiving Thnksgiving Thanksgvng ThanksgivingBecame Th nksgiving ii4 ii4Became . B BIIN Became ecame a IIN "Newspaper Newspaper " ewspaper CI ClassicIn Classic asslc " II " In 1890 Will C . Ferril Receivedan Received an Order for a Special Article from Irving Bacheller , . Editorof Editor Editorof Editorof of ofa a Pioneer Syndicate Syndicafe , . and Hastily Wrote "No No " Grandmothers There ' " ; ; Since Then It ItHas ItHas ItHas " " of All Over the U . , S . Has Been "Reprinted Reprinted by Requestin Request in in Thousands . Newspapers I e Western Newspaper ewsoaper Unloa UnOi1 Unoa ! I By ELMO ELl\IO ELl IO \ SCOTT WATSONA WATSON WATSONAN AN A N INSEPARABLE part of ofI1 ofJL\ ofJL ofJLthe I1 . , [ \ I the traditions tradlbons which have haveclustered haveclustered haveclustered clustered around our holi hoIl- hoIl hoIldays holi- holi holidays holidays - - days is the literature hterature associ aSSOCI- aSSOCIated associated associated - - ated with Wlth them . New Year's Years Year'sday Year'sday Year'sday Yearsday ' day , Easter Sunday , the theFourth theFourth theFourth Fourth of July , Christmas Christmasdayeach Christmasdayeach Christmasday day-each day each - - each of them has m- m in- in mspIred inspired in inspired - spired many poems and sto- sto storIes stories sto stories - - ries which never seem to togrow togrow togrow grow old and which whlCh are re- re repeated repeated re repeated - - peated when those holidays holidayscome holidayscome holidayscome come round each year . What Whatis IS true of them is equally equallytrue equallytrue equallytrue true of Thanksgiving . This Tlus is the story of a fa- fa famous famous fa famous - mous Thanksgiving Thanksglvmg story story.Although storyAlthough . Although it was written In Ingreat ingreat ingreat great haste , it had some somequahty somequality somequality quahty quality that was vastly ap- ap appeahng appeahng ap appealing - - pealing peahng to its readers . So It Ithas ithas ithas has become what is known knownas knownas as a "Newspaper Newspaper " Classic Classic"one Classicone , " one of those journalistic Journahstic compositions com com- compositions composItIons - positions which are so often often"reprmted often"reprinted often"reprinted oftenreprinted "reprmted reprmted "reprinted reprinted " by request . " Back m in 1890 Irvmg IrvIng Bacheller Bachellerdestined , destmed destined to become one of Ameri Ameri- American's American's American's - can's cans ' ' best-beloved best beloved - novelists , was wasoperatmg wasoperating wasoperating operatmg operating a press syndicate which I- I Iir jL1OLD IjL1OLD . - /iridn iridn / ir i ! , I II IIII I I III 1 . 1 . . t - Thanksgiving Tltanksglvmg and No Grand Grand- Grandmother Grandmother Grandmother - mothersupplied mother mothersupplied supplied reading readmg matter to sev- sev several several sev several - - eral metropolitan newspapers for forsunultaneous forsimultaneous forsimultaneous sunultaneous simultaneous publication This Thismaterial Thismaterial Thismaterial material included serials , short shortstorIes shortstories shortstories storIes , news letters from NewYork New NewYork NewYork York and Washington Washmgton and spe- spe speCIal special spe special - - cial articles . One of the contributors to Bacheller's Bach- Bach Bacheller's Bach-eller's Bach eller's ellers - eller's ellers ' syndicate was a young youngDenver youngDenver youngDenver Denver newspaper man named namedWill namedwill namedWill Will C Ferril Early in m Novem Novem- November November November - - ber of that year , Bacheller wrote wroteto wroteto wroteto to Ferril Fernl and asked him rum for a spe- spe special special spe special - - cial Thanksgiving ThanksgIvmg article with a a"western a"western a"western awestern "western western " slant " Thanksgiving ThanksglYmg was not far dis distant dis- dis distant distant - - tant and there \ was \ as little time for forwrItIng forwriting forwriting wrItIng the article , sending sendmg it on onto onto onto to New York , having it prmted prmtedand prmtedand prmtedand and distributing dlstrIbutmg it to newspapers newspapersusmg newspapersusing newspapersusmg usmg using Bacheller's Bachellers ' service But ButFerrIl ButFerril ButFerril FerrIl set to work at once and the thefollowmg thefollowing thefollowing followmg following article , headlined headlmed "No No "NoGrandmothers "NoGrandmothers "NoGrandmothers NoGrandmothers " Grandmothers There " was the theresult theresult theresult result . ' ' "Can Can " you imagine Imagme in m these clos clos- closmg closing closing - ing mg days of the year with Thanks Thanhs- Thanhs Thanks- ThanhsgIvmg Thanksgiving Thanksgiving - giving gIvmg close upon us a whole land landwithout landwithout landwithout without grandmothers7 grandmothers ? That Thatseems Thatseems Thatseems seems almost incredible mcredlble m the thelong thelong thelong long settled communities commWlltIes of the theEast theEast theEast East and South , for no fam family familyreunion familyreunion Y Yreunion reunion is 15 complete without at atleast atleast atleast least one venerable figure , so fa- fa fam familiar fa familiar - - m miliar Iar and so dear m that house house- household household household - hold from the days of chIldhood's chIldhoods chIldhood'searl1est childhood'searliest childhood'searliest childhoodsearliest ' earl1est earliest recollections Yet be-tv/een be tv een be- be between between - tween / the Rocky Mountains Mountams and andthe andthe andthe the Pacific coast there are hun hun- hundreds hundreds hundreds - dreds of homes where chIldren childrenare childrenare are growing up without a glImpse glimpseof of their own or any other child's childs child'sgrandmothers child'sgrandmothers child'sgrandmothers childsgrandmothers ' ' grandmothers They know noth noth- nothmg nothing nothing - ing mg of the dear , old face , the soft softgray , gray hair , the quaint quamt figure of ofthat ofthat ofthat that patient little httle woman who , day dayafter dayafter dayafter after day , sits in m the quiet corner cornerof cornerof cornerof of the old home knitting knlttmg , knittingand lauttmg knitting , and still stall knitting kmttmg , v/hile v hile while / herthoughts her herthoughts herthoughts thoughts are wandering wandermg far away awayinto awayinto into to the long ago of her ch childhood dhood know nothing of her gentle gentlechldmgs gentlechidings gentlechidings chldmgs chidings , nor can they appreciate appreciatethe appreciatethe appreciatethe the quiet and kindly kmdly amusement amusementm m 111 the household at grandmother's grandmothers grandmother'sexpense grandmother'sexpense grandmother'sexpense grandmothersexpense ' expense searchingthe searchmgthe , when , after searchmg searching the house for her "specs specs " " she IS ISremmded isreminded isreminded remmded reminded , in m response to her anx anx- anxIOUS anx- anx anxious anxious - - ious inquiry mqulry mquary , that they are underthe underthe under underthe the frills fnlls of her cap Then Thenthere , there are the quaint quamt old songs of oflong oflong oflong long ago that even the fathers andmothers andmothers and Imothers mothers of the present day know knownot knownot knownot not , but which wluch grandmother , with witha a quaver m in her voice , will hum humand humand humand and sing smg when she thinks thmks no one oneis oneis I 15 is near to hoar hear . What fun it used usedto usedto usedto to bewhen be , when she thought no onewas onewasnear onewasnear one wasnear near to slip up behind behmd her chair chairand , and , all unobserved unobderved , catch in m thesweet the thesweet thesweet sweet snatches of the golden mel mel- melodIes melodies melodies - odies When a boy , it was my delIght mydelight to th thus S hide rude myself mysel ! be- be behmd behind be behind - - hind hmd the chair chell " of my greatgrandmother great-grand great grand great-grand- greatgrandmother greatgrandmother - - - mother from Virginia Vlrgmla , and lIsten lIstento listento listento to her humming hummmg some old south south- southern southern southern - ern air . . One day she espied me meand , and in m a chiding chldmg voice said , look look- lookmg looking looking - ing mg over her glass glasses s : CDon't CDont 'Don't Dont CDon'ttease 'Don'ttease 'Don'ttease Donttease ' ' tease your grandmother like hke that that'I thatI ' I really believe she would haveblushed have haveblushed haveblushed blushed tryingto trymgto , at being bemg caught trymg trying to sing smg , if the face had not been beenso beenso beenso so old and wrinkled wrmkled . She was wasundoubtedly wasundoubtedly wasundoubtedly undoubtedly seemingly seemmgly ruffled ruffledbut , but I coaxed hf'f hff hr h ' r into mto telling tellmg me m ( x , 3X y3y6a M Mw w N Na a v vir ir , 'N N ' k kk t ' t1 ' \ k 1 ' L.k3 Lk3 . \ , " - < , : M , fit ; : . " s sM sfit : . > - \1 1 \ } \ / : , ' / , . ! ' " x , { .rJ rJ . " ' . - . " ' A- A - A.w ' .w w . ; j-.f j.f j .f f . ' - ; ' \ \ z zof \ of r a a ar aW aa aWILL W WILL C . FERRIL FERRILsome some storIes about the War of 1812 , and v w . e were soon friends friendsagam friendsagain agam again The chIldren of the Far FarWest FarWest West never hear the old-tIme old tIme - New NewEngland NewEngland England and southern cradle cradlesongs cradlesongs songs , for the mothers of the thepresent thepresent present day hardly know even their fragments . . Nursery rhymes , nowadays , change , as do the thefashIons thefashions thefashions fashIons . "And And " think thmk of a Thanksgiv Thanksgiv- Thanksgiving - - ing without grandmothers Why Whyin , m in the land of grandmothers , It ItIS itis itis IS she who on that day has first firstclaIm firstclaim firstclaim claIm upon all our gallantry and andcruvalry andchivalry andchivalry cruvalry chivalry . A white haired belle belleon , on that day at least , with gray- gray grayhaired grayhaired gray-haired gray haired - haired sons and daughters , andtroops and andtroops andtroops troops of happy children around aroundto aroundto to do her honor and bring brmg to her hei hercomfort heicomfort heicomfort comfort and cheer . . Thousands Thousandsof of western boys and girls know knownothmg knownothing knownothing nothmg nothing of this A grandmother grandmotheris IS to them almost as much of a amyth amyth amyth myth as the heroine herome of a fairy fairystory fairystory fairystory story . A little boy m the Rocky Rockymountams Rockymountains Rockymountains mountams mountains on being bemg told some someevents someevents someevents events about his grandmother m in mthe inthe mthe the far East actually asked what whatland whatkind whatkind land kind of a being bemg a grandmother grandmotherwas was It is true there are some somegrandmothers somegrandmothers somegrandmothers grandmothers in m the far West Westbut , but they are imported unported from the theEast theEast theEast East and South For most of ofthem ofthem ofthem them the West is too far away away.No awayNo . No doubt their hearts often reach reachout reachout reachout out tenderly toward their grand grand- grandch grandchildren grandchildren - ch children dren in m and beyond the Rocky Rockymountams Rockymountains Rockymountams Rockymountams"As mountams mountains mountams"As mountains"As "As As " to native-born native born - - - - grandmoth grandmoth- grandmothers - ers , they are very hard to find findwest findwest findwest west of the Rocky mountains mountams mountainsThe 1 [ mountainsfl fl fll L l t 1 1The The Great Feature of Thanksgiv Thanksglv- Thanksglv Thanksgiv- Thanksgiving Thanksglvmg - ing mg in the East . With the exception e"CceptIon eCceptIon " of the early earlysettlements earlysettlements earlysettlements settlements in m the Oregon coun coun- country coun- coun country country - - try , the Mormons m in Utah , and andthe andthe andthe the occasional home of the earher earlier earhertrapper earliertrapper earliertrapper trapper in m the mountains mountams , or orranchman orranchman orranchman ranchman in California Cahforma , the civ CIV- CIVIlIzatIon civilization civilization - ilization is too young for natIve- natIve natIveborn nativeborn native-born native born - born grandmothers grandmothers"It "It It " was only forty years agothat ago agothat agothat that the great rush v/as v as was / made madeto madeto madeto to the gold fields of Callforma California Californiaand , and not until ten years later latcr did didthe didthe didthe the tide of immigration start for I Pikes Peak . . Possibly , California Cali CalI- CalIforma California - fornia forma may produce a few very veryyouthful veryyouthful veryyouthful youthful grandmothers , about aboutsay , say , forty years of age ; but you youcould youcould youcould could scarcely find a native born borngrandmother borngrandmother borngrandmother grandmother of even that early earlyage earlyage earlyage age in m Colorado Neverthelessthe Nevertheless the state has a population of ofnearly ofnearly ofnearly nearly two millions Nebraska Nebraskatoo , too , has hardly a grandmother to tothe tothe tothe the manor bo bon boa ; : : ! Those two states stateswere statesv/ere statesv ere were / a waste of prairie and plam plain plamthlrtyslX plainthirtysix plainthirty-six plainthirty six thlrty-slX thlrty slX thirty-six thirty six - years ago , the home of ofI ofthe ofthe ofthe the buffalo and the Indian , where wherethe wherethe wherethe the face of a white man was hard hard- hardly hardly hardly - ly known . In the older 'new new 'newWest 'newWest 'newWest newWest ' West , ' consisting conSlStmg of Minnesota MinnesotaIowa , Iowa , Missouri Mlssoun , Arkansas , Louisi LOUISI- Louisiana LOUISIana Louisiana - - ana and Texas , they have grand grand- grandmothers grandmothers grandmothers - mothers of their thell " own . "But But UBut " you can look upon all that thatvast thatvast thatvast vast region west of the states statesbordermg statesbordering statesbordering bordermg bordering immediately unmedmtely on the thewest thewest thewest west side of the Mississippi river riverand , and Texas , as having scarcely a anatIveborn anativeborn anative-born anative born natIve-born natIve born - American grand grand- grandmother grandmother grandmother - mother people.That peopleThat among millions of people . That region includes mcludes more than thanonehalf thanonehalf thanone-half thanone half one-half one half - - of the land over whichthe which whichthe whichthe the flag of the republic republ1c will w l float floaton floaton floaton on Thanksgiving Thanksglvmg day yet a natIve natIvegrandmother nativegrandmother nativegrandmother grandmother can scarcely be befound befound befound found If the far West can do so somuch somuch scmuch much in m building bUlldmg with Ith- Ith rth- rth an empire \ \ - out grandmothers , what will It at atnot Itnot itnot not do when it has grandmothers grandmothersof of its own , and their kindly kmdly influ mflu- mflu mfluence influ- influ influence influence - - ence for good is everywhere ' felt feltNo feltNo feltNo No better mothers can be found foundin foundin foundin in the whole country than the themothers themothers themothers mothers of the West Many of ofthem ofthem ofthem them have reared model familIes familiesin familIesm m in the face of almost overwhelm overwhelm- overwhelmmg overwhelmmg overwhelming - ing mg obstacles . We have only to tolook tolook tolook look forward a few years to see seethem seethem seethem them peaceful , kindly kmdly , loving lovmg and andhonored andhonored andhonored honored grandmothers Then , m- m in- in mdeed indeed in indeed - deed , will the far West be at last lastm lastin lastm m in full possession of the greatest greatestblessmgs greatestblessings greatestblessings blessmgs blessings of civilization that has hasthus hasthus |