Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1897-07-04
STARS AND STRIPES.
THOUSANDS or PERSONS ARE NOW
BUSY MAKING THE FLAG.
IFS JUST PAST. 100 YEARS OLD.
The Changes That Have Taken Place
since Betsy Ross Made the First
onc-A Million Disappear Each
correspondents Of the plspatch.)

correspondence Of the Dlspatch)
NV YORK. July s.-The thoughts OF
sixty millions OF people are to-day turn
81 towards the Stars and Stripes. There
are Tag-Days and all sorts of days. that
NE celebrate in one fashion or another,
bat when the Fourth of July gets within
reaching distance. then we realize that
the day OF days is at hand. That is why
Che star Spangled Banner is In the minds
OF everybody.
The orators with silver tongues have
told and the poets have sung about all
that is great and glorious regarding the
ola flag. So much for patriotism. Really
me nag IS a very prosalc benefit apart
from the sentiment that attaches TO II.
thousands and thousands Of people gain
thelr living, from one years end to an
other. in making United States fags
mat IS the way that Ben Butler. "Stra-
t,srnus Ben" laid the foundation OF his
smue fortune. Think OF II, Every year
tbe people Of the United States buy three
,.tuions OF flags. During that same
,,ariod n million flags disappear. Noooay
trovs where they go. Like Mr.. lsaacs
and Ram Lal, they go into the cold
cioor light" and that is all that any
body seems 10 know.
inst al the present time the employees
Of the nag factories are worhlhg IO's
hours They are making money anu
plenty Of IL. and II is all because the
Fourth OF July is so near. Inc inaiiul'o
turers OF flags say that 1t does not SEEN
20 mako much difference how strenuous
" they seek 10 pile up STOCK by ues' eS7'
IN order 10 fiji the Fourth OF jury oe-
,ronds about "A month before the Fourth
80 many orders come In they nave al
,bov can do 10 fiji them. curious lacO
40 mat no matter how hard times may
te the demand for flags rarely lessons
we may have only few collars III oui
rockets but that makes US none the less
patriotic. -., g..
Tine American flag has just passed It's
Iooth birthday The patcheu-up a.A'''.
that Betsey Ross gave 10 the WoIlu d.
the time of the Revolutionary WI 10
been reproduced millions Oh tlineS' -.
tho only change from the design ln" .
r. exnert fingers Of Mrs. Ross prepared
Is ln the number OF stars - - -
Tho same nag in appearance mat oeeO-
r~to5 the hall In which the hrst Con-
.r.es Of the United States met. III Is q
G,or flag now IN point OF material anu
s1nost anv sort can be bought that one
A. willing 20 pay for. but whether IL DC
siii- or naper. II Is the Stars ana Strlpes'
tbo ,doi Of the people. whose fame IN
creases with the addition OF every s'aI;
"a ali the time we think oil the
,oo,-v and prose Of the flag. me hus-
ushman boasts that his rather ugly d.
ranrement of red and yellow Is 'he iuos'
nopuiar flag that floats, puV o'D
MANY peoIAe will dispute tha'' ~ a"y
reoacr Of these lines has ever Vlslteu
49,, conntrv. has been a stranger
In some far-away place over the oCe"I
"a may remember the feeling OF JOY, Oh
,ride almost rapture that came 20 MN
- no first saw the Stars and STRIPES
floating over the Consulate.
GAVE THREE CHEERS.
Tho writer remembers some years age
walking down the Bots de Bologne IL
paris. Just ahead Of him was a resu'
lotion man of the world, and yet some
ching about him indicated that al one
tlme or another he had lived in Ameri'
"a He walked slowly down the avenue
,ntu an OF a sudden, from the second
story Of a building at the right, ther'
was flung TO the breeze the siikeh lolu'
OF "a beautiful specimen Of the America
nag The man of the world saw H. III
second ms SILK nat was N'A 80"
ANA feeplte the onlookers he gave three
as lustv cheers for the stars and Stripes
as ever came from an American throat
As fine writer reached him, he turned
about and with the tears rolling dowi
his checks. said, IL did not know ina
the sight of anything could touch me llk'
that" And then he cheered again.
This Is lust by way of evidence Una
the average person who looks at, waves
and carries the American flag has reali,
no idea Of the place in his heart that
holds If anything were ever thlng q
beauty and a Joy forever. II Is the nag .
the United States. Thousands or peopi
say that ii does not protect them Whel
away from home 1t has been said u
mass-meetings that 1t was no longer IN
flag OF the free. And yet there is NOT on
Of those who make the remarks re1erIe
10 who would not fight in a minute 10
that same nag. If any one beside a
American citizen spoke against H.
a singular fact concerning the America
Gag and the people over whom il floats
rs that with ali reverence for II they ar
dreadfully irreveEent with It, The nag
something 10 be cheered and saluted an
hOnored In every way, but Wnen
gets worn out II Is cast aside ana
new one substituted. Nobody knows
and nobody cares. where the worn on
ones 20 90. Sufficient 10 the day is IN
fact that they have served their purpose
This by no means refers to battle-fiag'
No. indeed If there are only Naches
red. white, and blue. and single star re
naming attached 10 the stan or sucn
banner. the people think infinitely NOR
M n than they would OF the finest 30-foo
fac that was ever made. The poor, oil
-. "a taftercd banners all have