The Opelousas courier., 1883-09-01
FLAGS FOR THE NATION.

FLAGS FOR LIE NATION.
Millions of Them Supplied by the New
York ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS Blunt
ing Ahead
What can you tell about flags that
is Interestingly" was asked of the pro-
prietor of one of the largest factories in
New York city.
GA great DEAL" he said. "The
trade is booming ; that's interesting to
US. Flags form n of the necessities
of life. They are the most prominent
outgrowth of American enthusiasm.
We get married at an altar draped
with the national eolors. Sunday
schools parade the streets, and go pic
nicking with flags in the hands of the
/ children. Christmas trees are deco
+! rated with them. The advent of book
beer or the opening of a bar-room calls
for the use of the patriotic emblem of
freedom. We nominate political can
didates in fiag-draped halls. The open
ing Of the great bridge called for thou
sands of flags. We honor the memory
Of the soldier dead by decorating their
graves with the flag they fought for.
we listen to stories of the wrongs in
fiicted on the oppressed in another land
in halls where the stars and stripes are
twined with the emerald field and the
harp. Everything that excites the
emotions sells our flags. There is no
place'like America for flags there is
no flag so beautiful as the American
flag"
"Have. you any idea how many flags
are made and sold in a year?'
"Not a very accurate one. They
are made by the million. Our concern
turned out a million and a quarter
last year. There are dozens of other
firms turning out other millions. We
fill orders for a thousand gross Of the
small flags. We keep hundreds of
thousands constantly in stock. Flags
are %perishable. When the present ex-
element is oYer the flags are thrown
away. When the future excitement
comes new ones are bought. They are
so very cheap that no n cares to keep
them. Thus we make small paper
flags, one by n and a half inches
large, mounted on a pin, that We sell
at thirty cents a gross. From that
figure the price runs up to 5000 for a
very large and elegant silk banner
handsomely embroidered. The largest
bunting flags seldom exceed thirty-six
by fifty feet in size. Such flags are
used by hotels. Then there are the
streamers, the burgess, or banners with
notices. the signal flags for merchant
ships and yachts. These may becalled
side issues to the flag business, but
they are a large factor In the trade"
"What do YOU make your flags
silk, bunting, muslin and paper.
silk flags are usually made toxorder.
We keep a great variety of bunting
flags in stock. These fagsrare made
by sewing the different colored cloth
together. The next cheaper grade of
hags'is made by printing the colors on
the white cotton cloth. We a
print them as large as six feet in
length. They are printed on hand
presses, much the same. as newspapers
were printed years ago. Al attempts
70 cheaper the work BY steam power
have failed"
do you make foreign fagsg
thousands Of them. They are
wanted for decorating purposes chiefly.
Ships buy some. but not many. They
get them abroad The foreign con-
suls give US orders for some very ele-
giant flags"
To what territory do you look for
your trade? !"
"The whole country New York
supplies the nation. although many
aags are made elsewhere. Here is an
order from Cincinnati. Over there is
a bundle for San Francisco. You can
say that in the flag trade, as In d great
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