Lyon County times. [volume] (Silver City, Nev.) 1874-1907, 1890-12-27
A FINE FLAG.
A Prcssnt to the Dayton school by
Peter Forester. Of New York


Eve. Professor Harris took the plat
form and spoke as follows: Ladies
and gentlemen, | am informed that
a distant friend has remembered
US on this occasion, for more COM
plete explanation of which / take
pleasure in introducing to you DR..
j. G. Hazlett.
DR.. Hazlett upon being intro
duced presented the flag, which is
a magnificent piece Of bunting of
The regulation size, and beautiful
penant forty feet long and read the
following letter from Mr.. Forester:
New YORK, Oct. 30, 1890.
To the Principal, Children of the
Public School at Dayton, New, and
Friends:-Before formerly present.
ing this District School with this
American Flag and penant, through
your fellow citizen DR.. J. C. Haz-
lett, permit me to give little his
tory of the flag Of our country.
There has been advanced at various
times two distinct theories about
the origin Of the American Flag.
A resolution was introduced in the
American Congress June 10, 1777,
that the flag of the thirteen United
States be thirteen stripes alternate
ly red and white; that the Union
be thirteen white stars in a blue
field, representing a new constella~
ton among the nations of the
world. There is striking coinci-
dence between the design of our
flag and the Coat of Arms of Geo.
Washington's family, which con-
sisted of three stars in the upper
portion and three bars running
across the escutcheon. 1t is thought
by some that the American Flag
was derived from this heraldic de-
sign. Before the American Flag
was adopted the thirteen colonies
had all different flags, but it was
not until July 1777, when the blue
Union of Stars was added to the
red and white Stripes and then the
beautiful American Flag of red,
white and blue was flown to the
breeze under the authority of law.
One of the Committee appointed by
the Continental Congress in early
HIT, to design flag for the then
Young Republic, thus described its
significance.
'The Stars represent the new
Constellation of States rising in the
West. The blue field was taken
from the Covenanter's banner in
Scotland, significant of their cove
nant against oppression and iuvolv-
ing the virtues of vigilance, perse-
verance and justice. The Stars
disposed of in the blue field
symbolic the perpetuity of the
Union. The thirteen Stripes show
with the Stars the thirteen United
Colonies and denoted the then thir-
teen States of the Union as well as
equality among themselves. The
red in the Flag denotes defiance,
the white purity. At first Stripe
was added for each new State but
the flag became too large and Con-
gress reduced the Stripes to the
original thirteen, to represent the
thirteen original States and the
Stars made to correspond to the
States. No one who lives under the
protection of the Stars and Stripes
will deny that the American Flag
is the most beautiful one that floats
over any land or upon any sea.
Long may it wave untarnished."
This is the history of the origin of
the American Flag.
When | was here in this historic
mining town some few weeks ago,
receiving such kindly greeting and
hospitality from each and every one,
/ felt that | ought to, place some
thing on record to show that I APP
preciated the kindness and courtesy
shown me while among the citizens
of Dayton, comparatively a stran-
ger among you). Seeing your
school-house with a diminutive flag
flying from the staff it showed to
my mind that even the children in
the far far West looked upon the
Star Spangled Banner as thing of
beauty and of reverence, so l
pledged myself that as soon as I
returned East | would send out a
large flag so that the school in the
town of Dayton, Nevada, should
have as handsome flag as floated
anywhere in the United States.
Before leaving for the East | made
known my intentions to your fellow
townsmen, DR.. J. C. Hazlett and