The Opelousas courier., 1892-10-15
THIS CERTIFICATE
entities the holder to q
SHARE
in the patriotic influences of tho
SCHOOL FLAG

gether and a splendid bunting flag Of
ample size vas ordered. Then half 9
dozen of the older boys selected a straight
young tree for a pole, cut it down,
trimmed OFF the branches and in a short
time the Flagstaff, properly fitted with
halyards, was raised.
It was decided to raise the flag on Oct.
II, the tw~enty-ffth anniversary of the
admission of their state into the Union.
The boys and girls worked like beavers
during the days that interviewed to ar
range a demonstration which would be
credit to Columbia Corners,
The eventful day came at last, and it
seemed as though everybody in the
county was on hand to see the flag
raised. Cheer after cheer went up
when its stars and stripes were thrown
to the breeze. The band swel1ed
the chorus with the "star Spangled
Banner" Then came the presenta-
tion, the address Of acceptance and the
pledge Of allegiance. The closing mum.
Der on the programme was the recita.
ton Of MI. Butterworth's poem, "Rais-
ing the School House Flag by Willie
Piper, the school joining in the refrain:
Flag Of the sun that CLOVIS for all,
Flag of the breeze that blows for aiI,
Flag Of the sea that flows for all.
Flag of the school that stands for all,
Flag of the people. n and all.
But the flag and staff which had cost
80 much effort were not long allowed to
grace the school undisturbsd. One
morning abouta week after tie raising
the staff was found cut off level with
the ground. One Of the school windows
had been forced open and the flag was
gone. An impudent note in a miserable
scrawl fastened to the stump Of the staff
bore testimony to the spirit Of vandal-
ism which had inspired the act. II
closed with the words, "We1l cut down
your poles and lug off your flags as fast
as You hist 'em."
For the moment the young teacher.
was stunned. She was not only thor
oughly indignant, but she felt the keen
est disappointment. This latter feeling
was due not SO much to the loss of the
flag and the destruction of the pole, but
rather to the realization that there were
wanton characters in that community
who would disregard the national I'M
blem. She knew that o second flag
would probably share d similar fate.
The school building was too far removed
from the village to permit its being kept
under very close guard. Nevertheless
she vas determined that a flag should
fly over her school.
The news travelled through the VII.
lage. 1t was IN every ones tongue.
The local paper, in a highly colored half
column article, recounted every detail Of
the occurrence. The state papers noted
the episode, berated the miscreants and
warmly commended Miss Fenton's an.
nounced determination to raise a second
flag and protect it herself.
The pupils were now thoroughly in
earnest, and not many days elapsed be-
fore their accumulated savings were suf-
fcient to buy . flag exactly like the first
one.
During these days ataller and straight
er tree than the first vas transformed
into d staff and occupied the old place
of honor in front Of the school. When
the nag arrived . was promptly raised,
and the Columbia Corners school was
again Swallowed ~ the national colors.
Inc local paper c~hron1cled the tact
snas anotner nag gag peen raised, ana
molscIee1.y a0oso 1nag tns m1screanls
scarcely have the nerve to carry out the
tnreay % ssave oIneL nags Wnlcn nlignE
.ns sa.seu oset enas scnooi a1sef 9 ake
is5 =
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