Arizona republican., 1890-05-19
WON THE FLAG.
Miss Nellie Fowler's Prize
 Essay.
Patriotic Influence of the
 Stars and Stripes.
An Honor WOrthily Won By Phoenix Girl.-Full Text
 of The Effort.

Phoenix has young lady who, may hap, will shine as one of the literary lights of the future.
 She is a most charming girl, the young lady in question, Miss Nellie Fowler, a pupil of the Pho- nix High school. When REpUB- LIcAN reporter called at the spacious res- idence of her mother on Madison and Pinal streets Saturday, she sat with three of her young lady friends under the shadow of a stately tree upon the lawn that surrounds the dwelling. She seemed scarcely more than fifteen years old, but rather tall and very lissome O figure. She was dressed simply in white, with her jet black hair hanging in a long braid down her back, and there was marked look of intellect upon her face.
 Miss Nellie is the young lady whose bright essay, written for Youths Companion, has brought honor to her self, to Arizona and to her instructors in the public schools of Phoenix. It has brought more than that, for it has won one of the handsome flag, nine by fif- teen feet, offered by the Companion peo- pie to that particular school in each state or territory of which one pupil should send to the paper in question an essay that should be deemed worthy so handsome prize. The topic given for the essay was to be "The Patriotic In- fluence of the American Flag When Raised Over the Public Schools" and it was treated by Miss Nellie as follows:
 MISS FOwLER's ESSAY.
 :" More than a century has passed ir the life of our nation since the altar of freedom was consecrated by liberty loving people, and the American flag tlOated in the breeze as the emblem of freedom. It now waves over a country unsurpassed in natural advantages, eli mate and fertility; over a race whose patriotism is ever great, but is especially reused by the "Star Spangled Banner, j, the song that is dear to every Americaf heart
 Nearly all of this patriotism has been acquired by training in youth, for there are very few alive who fought in the rev. olution or lived in the days when the colonies were struggling for liberty.
 Were it possible to get view of this vast United States, with each and every flag waving from a standard, would it not equal in loveliness rainbow? What would express more purity, daring or perseverance than this scene? It would extend from Maine to Alaska. over New England and her forests, the Empire State, the coal fields of Penn sylvania, the fertile valley of the Mis- sissippi, with its grand outlet and it's tributaries, the lofty Rockies, filled with gold and silver, and so on to the grand Pacific, whose waters, with those of other oceans, should be covered with the emblematic hues.
 Although the people of America are very cosmopolitan, the flag is respected and honored by all, and all are proud to see 1t waving over the public buildings. for its beauty is never marred by oprres- sion.
 ''The young of our land, having life of labor before them, should be taught to love their country and to have an in- terest Tn its welfare and prosperity. To I this end they must have something be- fore them continually to remind them of their forefathers and of the struggle of those forefathers for liberty; and what is better for this than the flag of our forefathers floating over the public ] schools?
 Let each thread represent pa-. triot and his deeds, and the whole. with its subdivisions, the na- tion-the stars signifying harmony: the circle formed by them the union. and their number the number of states the blue field like that of the coyenau- ters of Scotland, showing the league of the United Colonies against oppression. as also perseverance, vigilance and ius- tice; and the red and white stripes--. the former denOting daring and the latter purity-indicating the number of the original colonies. With this e3u, cation concerning the starry banner ab American will feel, when he sees it in f | foreign lands, that no symbol awakens in him so quickly love for his native land, or so quickly speeds his blood and melts his eye. Just as the Englishman thinks the Thames the the greatest in the world, or as the Frenchman is reused bv La Marseillaise," so 1t is with people of all nations. Their flag, their country, is the best.
 This is patriotism. That We can re- lolce Tn nations glory, carry nations blood in our veins, suffer nations shame, and feel a nations hope is one of the privileges of our citizens. It is one of the sacred affections of the heart, one of the elements of virtue-and if ever, in the youth of our land, it should be conquered by indolence and a love of show, then our nation, like the ancient Roman Empire, will gradually fall.
 ''To be Roman was thought better than to be king-but the flag of the Union ever floating will make our youth feel that to be an American is better than any thing on earth.
 "'Flag of the free hearts only home,
 By Angel hands to labor given:
 Thy stars have lit the welkin dome,
 And all thy hues were born in Heaven"
 THE FLAG.
 The flag that Miss Fowler has won was received in Phoenix Friday, but has not vet been ' publicly hoisted