The Telegraph-courier. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1888-1946, 1897-06-17
Our Flag.

recite in brief the interesting history Of
that emblem which 5000, 900 people
first learned to cling to with the ten
derest of loves tendrils and which to-
day has grown to be the shelter and
shield of 100000 of the most enter
prlsing and loyal people on the face of
the globe.
The Fond du Lac Commonwealth
has sought out and set down this his
tory in brief and we therefore quote a
portion of it:
g When the revolutionary war broke
out the colonists were without a flag.
The first semblance Of a flag which
could be called American was made by
Benjamin Franklin and Messrs. Har-
rison and Lynch on the I'd of January,
1776. 1t was a union of the Kings
Color's, ]" with thirteen stripes, ana was
hoisted at Cambridge, Mass and re.
ceiyed a salute of thirteen cheers and
thirteen guns.
"On Saturday, June IA, l777, con-
gress resolved that the flag of the
thirteen United States be thirteen
stripes, alternate red and white, that
the Union be thirteen stars, white in a
blue field, representing a new constel-
lation. The first flag of this descrip-
ton was hoisted on Friday, August 3,
1777, over Fort Schuyler, then a mill
tary post on the site of the present
city of Rome, in Oneida county, New
York. The flag as then constructed
was made under the personal super
vision of General Washington, and
that, and all the government flags for
the following thirteen years were made
by Mrs. Ross. 1t is to Mrs. Ross that
we owe the fact that our stars are five
pointed stars of the continent, and not
the six pointed stars Of England, she
having suggested to Washington to
change the design in this respect. Mrs.
Ross was a Quaker, but she did not
have the scruples of her descendant,
who gave up flag making for the gov
eminent because the flag might be
carried in battle to stimulate fighting.
"The original of the Star Span
gled Banner hoisted over Fort Nc
Henry on the morning Of the l4th Of
September, 1914, was 20 by 30 feet,
and is now in possession Of Eben APP
pleton, of New York.
"In March, 1878, congress enacted a
law which provided that from and
after the fourth Of July, 1918, the flag
of the United States be thirteen hori-
zontal stripes, alternate red and white;
that the Union have twenty stars in a
blue field 1t was also provided that
upon the admission of new state into
the Union, one star be added to the
Union of the flag, and that the addition
take place on the fourth of July next
following such admission.
q The American flag was first saluted
by foreign power, on February IA,
IT'S, the honor being performed by
Admiral La Motto, Of the French
navy, while in Quiberon Bay. The
flag was first displayed IN British
port on February 3, 1884, and in
China one year later The first trip
odd Glory made around the world,
began from Boston on the 30th of
September, 1857, on the ship Colum-
bia, reaching Boston on her return on
August 10, 1870.
One of the most interesting pieces
of history connected with the Ameri-
can flag, remains to be told. For
eIghty-nine years after the stars and
stripes were adopted, they were made
of foreign goods All through the war
of 1912, and the civil war, no American
soldier or sailor ever fought under a
ward Of American bunting. No bunt-
ing was made in this country for two
reasons, first, because nobody knew
how to make it; and second, because
nobody could make it and compete
with England General Butler induced
congress in 1865 to put tariff of 40
per cent. on bunting, and a man was
, sent to England to learn how to make
: it, and when he returned twelve looms
were put in operation, and then on
February "A, 1866, notable event
occurred in Washington. The first
American flag, made of American
bunting, was hoisted over the national
capitol. The flag was 81 feet by Il
feet. and was the gift of General Ben.
Butler.
We said there were twelve looms
engaged in making bunting in 1865;
L,v@