The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1896-03-17

Two Germans Squnbb!ing Over the Emblem
of the Emerald Isle.

Two Germans ~SqunbbIing Over the Emblem
of the Emerald Isle.
Judge Wheeler will hear in the United States
Circuit Court here to-day arguments on a pat
ent for making artificial shamrocks. In 1891
Henry +. G. Fuchs of Jersey City invented and
patented a shamrock badge for lapel orna-
ment and other suitable forms OF ornamental
ton" There are n quarter of a million people
in this city o fIrish birth and descent, and they
took kindly to Mr.. Fuchs's device and bought 1t
by the thousand gross. This highly respectable
Jersey City German-American. indeed, was in a
fair way of getting rich on his
fellow citizens when one James Wilson of Fifth
street. New York, recognizing a good thing
when he saw it, began to make the shamrocks
himself. This is set out in due form by Mr..
Fuchs's lawyer, James NJ. Ball of III Broad
way, and is in turn denied with great circum-
stantiality by Mr.. Wilson's lawyer. Alfred f.
Smith, Jr. Testimony has been taken at great
length before United States Commissioner
Shields. and the history and literature of tho
'N TRs expert ,4' e 1SfH Seet as s" to Just RiS.V exactly what
shamrock is has been extraordinarily diverse.
shamrock is "a green Silk three.leavcd flower
with woven wire edge" Webster's dictionary
s sHyT sns i ir's6msa s is pwh,es fop the pI nf iha
the views are astounding and various:
some OF them have been expressed in writing
whose Office is in the same building with Coun-
sellor Balls, smiled grimly when interrogate ed
as to what n shamrock was, and, replied Its
Ireland's national flower, and dear to all her
sons whereEer they are every day in the year
The Hon. John {. Shsehan declared that he
was not prepared 10 admit that as good sham
rocks grow in America as in Erin, although
many persons claim that they cannot distin-
guish between the white-tlowering three-lcat
clover of the United States and the original old
"One thing Is certain" said he, AN freshman
in America is as good as an rishman in Erin,
and sometimes better"
Former superintendent Byrnes goes on record
as believing the. shamrcck's distinguishing
characteristics to be symmetrical Rreenery.
year round In his library, in
A handful OF earth
From the land OF my birth,
says the shamrock Is IA symbol of the Trinity.
and WAS selected by st. Patrick for that reason
to show the triune nature OF the Deity by its
three equal leaves on ono stem.
For the defence. and it's n noticeable fact that
both platnLitf and defendant are
strenuous efforts have been made to secure
knOCk-down dispositions from Bourke Cochran,
eX-MayOr GilrOy, eX-Mayor Grant. ex-Aiayor
Oakley Hall, County Clerk Purroy, ex-Dock
Commissioners Phelan, ex-DOCk Commissioner
White, ex-A Mayor O'Brien OF Boston. and Mayor
ont in the testimony statements TO the effect
that Protestant lrishnen care nothing about
the shamrock and have no reverence for IL was
summarily suppressed by Commissioner Shields.
The Hon. Chris. Buckley Of San Francisco.
whom the Chinese lovingly labelled years ago as
bers with exquisite pleasure that the shamrock
was the last Hover he looke ed upon. The testi-
mony OF John +. Finnerty of Chicago Is said to
DO long and eloquent.