Sunbury American. [volume] (Sunbury, Pa.) 1848-1879, 1870-04-23

AND STRIPS FIRST UNFURLED
At a meeting of the Historical Societ,
OF pennsylvania, held in PHILADELPHIA. OF
the evening OF the Nth instant, VIM. j.
Sahpy, Esq, read a paper on "The first
Star Spanged Banner made in America
aud who made it %
"le discovered, in tracing the history
OF this national emblem, that the first
instances when the stars and stripes were
a. the siege of Fort Schuyler, August 18th,
lI'', and upon an occasion just about one
year prior to that time, the brig Nancy was
chartered by the Continental Congress to
procure military stores in the West Indies,
during the latter part Of 1775. While at
Iorto Rico, i'll July Of the ensuing year.
the information came that the colonies had
! declared their independence, and with this
information came the description of the
nag that had been accepted as the national
oanner. A young man, Capt. Thomas
MandenYllle, set to work to make one and
successfully accomplished it. The flag
! was uniurIed and salutod with thirteen
guns. When the brig Nancy was upon
ner return voyage she was hemmed in by
British vessels Of Cape May. Her officers
succeeded in removing all the munitions to
the shore, and when the last boat put off,
a young man in it, John Hancock Jumped
INTO the sea, swan to the vessel. ran IN
the shrouds of the mast, and securing the
nag, brought IT triumphantly to the shnrf
| through . hot tire from the British "sn-'i-
war.
'!.rhc tirst American f~s, however, ac-
cortliug to the dcsiy" ana approval Oh Con
gress. WAS mad by Mrs. Elizabeth Ross.
Three of her daughters still live in our
vicinity to confirm this matchmaking their
but upon t,,1nQn. ~ ut they saw, for it was
them. \ niece of this lady, Mrs. Marga-
ret Boggs agen ninety-tivc years, now lives
in Germantown, and is conversant with
the fact. The fact is not generally known
that to Philadelphia not only belongs the
honor of flnging the first star spanglcd
banner to the breeze, but to Philadcl-
phia lady belongs the honor Of haYipg
made it.
"Tho house in which it was made still
stands-NO, $50 Arch Street (thc old num-
Der 39)-the last Of an old row. 1t is re-
lated that when Congress had decided
upon the design, Colonel George Ross and
General Washington visited Mrs. Ross
and asked her to make it. She said, !
don't know whether | can, but I'll try
and directly suggested to the gentlemen
that the design was wrong in that the stars
they should be- This was correct, she made
the flag; Congress accepted it, and for
half 4 dozen years this lady furnished the
Government with all its national flags,
having, of course, n large assistance, This
lady was also the wife of Clayp0le, one of
the llneal descendants of Oliver CROMWELL ~
=. -<sp-
How MARBLES ARE MADE.-The
chictplace fthe manufacture of marbles"
those little round pieces ofstOnc which con-
tribute so largely to the enjoyment Of
Young America is at Oberstein, on the
Nahe, in Germany, where there are large
agate mills and quarries, the refuse ofwhich
is carefully turned to good paying account
by being made into small balls employed
by experts to kI uckle with, which are
mostly sent to the American market. The
substance used in SaXony is Il hard cal
careous stone, which is first broken into
blocks, nearly square, 10y blows with the
hammer, These arc thrown by the one
hundred or two hundred into small sort
ofmill, which is formed Of Hat, stationary
slab of stone, with number of concontric
burrows upon lis face. A block of oak or
other hard wood, of the same dinmetrc
size, is placed over the small stones and
partly resting upon them This block or
log il kept revolving while water flows upon
the stone slab. In about fifteen minutes the
stones are turned TO spheres, and then,
being fit for sale are henceiOrth called ''mar-
blrs.n One establishment, containing only
I three of these rude mills, will turn out full
sixty thousand marbles" in each week.
! Arites are made into "marbleS, ," at Ober-
stein. by FIRST chipping the pieces nearly
round With Il hammer, handled by skilllul
workmcD, aud then wearing down the ed
res upon the surface OF large grindslone,
uiiuGtcfaTtf and Buihttr.
/ CoSFIscArEp LANps.-A case was
| decided by the United state supreme Court
/ some days ago which will no doubt create
/ a sensation among the holders OF conis-
Gated propclty IN the South, many OF whom
made thufr purchases without iuliy under
/ standing the law upon the subject The case
I is that of Bisclow IS, nForest IN which
/ certain rial estate ia Virginia was seized
under the conllsralloh hNs anu so'ui us
owner being adiudsud gulllY OF treason
/ That pcFsou having since dled, MS h.lIs
brought suit Ia rJ,ttm,nl 10 recover tue
property. Tho claim Mas resisted upon
the gro,lnl that the tIln ol the oFiSiiih
oSner Was iurltiled by hle Iryasnl, ANA his
ylghls ia the prupcf,y thoroughly dhesltd'
but the United States Supreme Court DE-
eide that il WAS ouly bic r.tAlc during hh
hie which Nas dly,stfd, aui siuce his drilhi
hls heirs uiay r,tuyyr lhr prop o. lhia
dlelslonis Il lu accordance alt4 ilg g.tuae "a"
treuon three, article thur 81 tlr 'h'iiiN-
Won u the United eAl..i hhlth "lt
'Npnt'ess shalt haze pHaeI lN '' .fi' 'N.
pAnialinrut "a tr,.ts.iu Lut uu HllfIHirf ai