The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1895-12-18
Splendid War Record Of a
City Official.
Flag Device Puzzles Stran-
gers Within the Gates.
What the Bee, Goose and Lamb
Are Used to Symbolic.

city's most valued and efficient public
servants are veterans OF the war. glance
at the revised report OF the adjutant gen.
eral for 1865 will show the records oil
these gentlemen, and excellent ones they
are There is one record this report does
not give II is that of Colonel George ii.
Pettis, the present efficient superintend-
ent OF street signs and numbers ana
sealer OF weights and measures. Col.
Pettis Is a native OF Rhode Island, but
when the war broke out he was in Cali
fornia and he promptly enlisted when
President Lincoln issuen his nrst call Tor
troops. Colonel Pettis was commissioned
as second lieutenant Of Co. Is, 1st Califor-
MIA Infantry, and on Jan. /, 1862, was
promoted 10 the first lieutenaDcy OF 20.
X. OF the same regiment. He was In COM
mand of this company almost the entire
term. until he was mustered out on feb.
10, 1866. He Immediately entered the
service again as first lieutenant of Go. +,
1st New Mexico Infantry, lie was III
command OF the company until June !,
1866, when he was promoted TO the posi-
tion of regimental adjutant which he held
until finally mustered out on Septemb Der 1,
1866. His term of service was therefore
five years and fifteen dsys,a record which
very few veterans can show.
Colonel Pettis received for his splendid
tion. For distinguished gallantry In
action be was brevetted captain OF u. >.
Volunteers oil March 13. 1865. The en-
gagement IN which the Colonels bravery
won this high mark OF appreciation took
place Nov. 25, 1864, with the Comanche
and Kiowa Indians at Adobe Walls, Texas.
In this battle he had command OF the
artillery engaged aud displayed signal
ability in the manner III which he
handled II as well as gallantry OF the
highest kind. There ~ in Rhode Island,
so far as known, but one other veteran
who has been brevetted for distinguished
gallantry in action. Brevets for meritorf
Gus aud gallant services are held by
many veterans, but that for distinguish
ed gallantry In action is very rare. In
deed, so far as the records show, II was
conferred upon six only OF the 579S vol
unteer officers who served during the war
and on three only of the officers OF the
United States regulars. Ii is therefore a
very rare distinction and one OF which
the holder has reason TO be proud.
Strangers in Providence who have oc-
casion to pass the city hall on days
when the Board of Aldermen
is to bold a meeting are very much in
that flies from the dome on such oc-
casions. On this flag there is device
which would puzzle the most intelligent
Providence people, to say nothing OF
strangers. One of the features Is a bee,
but from the manner in which IL is repre-
sented it might be anything between a
beetle and bullfrog. A bird of curious
construction propped up by two angular
feet also appears. This is supposed to be
goose, but the counterfeit would serve
quite as well for buzzard. BY the as
sistance OF lively imagination and q
somewhat extended acquaintance with
farm stock one NAV be able to trace q
dim resem blance in the third picture TO
a sheep. This Is as near as 1t gets TO be-
ing q representation of lamb, for which
it was really Intended.
As the insignia of the highest branch
of the municipal government, this collec-
tion OF insect, bird and animal, Is rather
curious. One might easily figure out
approximately what qualities the insect
and the animal were intended TO symbol
ize, but Just what virtue the goose stands
for IL too deep and intricate q problem
for the ordinary mind to solve. Were
the Board of Aldermen made up OF
tailors the appropriateness OF the symbol
would be recognized without difficulty
or severe study, but as the man OF the
goose hasn't had a monopoly OF places in
the upper branch OF the City Council the
explanation js not to be looked for in
that direction.
But the fathers OF the city knew what
they were doing, when they went into
the bee, goose and lamb business. The
bee they put there 10 represent industry,
the goose, and here is the solution of the
most puzzling feature OF the Device. rep
resents watchfulness, and the lamb stands
for peace. Thus in com bination the
three sym bolize the motto OF the Alder
men, "Industry, ,watchfulness and peace. ]"
Ii seems that for several years after the
town was incorporated as city ii did not
have a seal. The initial movement TO
secure one was taken in the Common
Council on Oct. s, 1884. when resolu-
tion appointing a committee to procure
and report suitable devices for seals for
the city, the board of Aldermen and
the municipal court was passed. On jan
usry an appropriation was made for the
purchase of seals and press, and on April
g, 1885, the seal OF the city was formally
adopted and its form fixed by ordinance.
This ordinance provided that the seal
should have around the margin a raised
.,fr In ho stSool af ho