The Ketchum keystone. [volume] (Ketchum, Idaho) 1885-1899, 1889-07-20
NEWS AND GOSSIP.
THE G. A. R. AND GENERAL BRAGG.

General Bragg's name was dropped
from the roll of membership. The
meeting was very strong one, and
when the vote was taken it was three
to one against Bragg The trouble
over the matter was occasioned by
those who did not like General
Bragg's course on the pension bill.
A previous course to court-martial
the General at that time was beaten.
Since that time Bragg went to Mex
leo as minister, and the fight was
renewed. On his return the Gen
eral wanted to pay his dues, which
had accumulated, and was met with
the objection that he was never le-
gally member fthe Post, although
he was its first commander.
THE NATIONAL FLOWER.
A lively discussion has been go
ing on through the press for the
past two or three months, in regard
to choosing a national flower, which
shall be to the United States what
the rose is to England, the thistle
to Scotland, the lily to France, the
shamrock to Ireland and the kaiser
blumen to Germany. Everyone
throughout the vast length and
breadth of our fair domain has been
asked to express their opinions and
preferences. Various methods OF
voting have been adopted and thou
sands of people have availed them
selves of the privilege to name the
flower they thought most appropri-
ate. While, of course, almost every
flower that is native to the United
States has been chosen by some
one, yet there are two that have SO
far outstripped all others in the
number of votes cast for them.
They are the Golden Rod and Trail
ing Arbutus, which last is called
Mayflower in New England. The
golden-rod is slightly in advance of
the Mayhower in popularity. 1t
grows everywhere, in every state
and territory Of the Union, while
the Arbutus is confined almost en-
tirely to the New England and Mid
die states. The Indianapolis Jour
nal says that in its opinion the ma
tional flower should be either the
corn or tobacco plant. It argues
that "besides being distinctively
American and pre-eminently prac-
teal, corn and tobacco are really
beautiful plants. They unite the
aesthetic with the practical. There
is nothing i'll the vegetable or floral
world fairer to look upon than
vast field of waving corn, and an
extensive tobacco patch is almost
as pretty. The stalk and leaves of
both represent the strength and
grace of classic architecture. They
are strong, sturdy, self-sustaining,
graceful and artistic. They do not
creep under the grass or hide away
like the Arbutus, but rear their
heads aloft and wave their leaves
like flags of freedom before all the
world. They do not, like the gold
en-rod, depend on color for their
Their character lies
deeper than color. They are joint
types of American supremacy.
Corn is king, and tobacco is queen.
If we have a national flower it must
be one of these" While no doubt
many will be ready to join the
Journal in acknowledging corn as
king. yet we scarcely think that
even the most devoted subjects of
Queen Tobacco" would like to see,
in spite of all her beauty, so rankly
poisonous a flower chosen as the
emblem of our republic. A CORES
pondent of the Washington Post
wants the sunflower. He Tor she)
says:
IF our pluribus uaum nation, with
its diversity of soil and climate, shall be
restricted to one single national flower,
let it be the ubiquitous sunflower Moore
has immortalized it as an emblem of
fidelity in his old song:
No, the heart that has truly loved never
forgets,
But as truly loves on to the close,
As the sunflower turns on her God, when
he sets,
The same look which she turned when
he rose.
The sunflower follows the sun in its
course from east to west, as does our
Star of Empire" it is handsome, brill
ant, stately; it also expels malaria, and
is seeds furnish food for the feathered
RIDES Of the forest. The flower can he
grown to q mammoth size or reduced to
me delicate enough for bontonniere. 1t
combines the form of the Marguerite
another favorite choice) with the color
# the golden-rod. 1t grows in every
tate. and lends a brightness to many in
otherwise dismal farm yards, and to vast
racts Of mountainous plains in the far
vest"
PATIENT LOVERS.
Twenty years ago Miss Mary A.
rhorp, a society belle of the ma
,ion9l capital, met Arthur w. De-
aney, then beardless youth just
graduated from an eastern college,
Who had gone to Washington to
witness the Inauguration of General
Grant as President. Their friend