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

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The form of our national flag through
out its history may therefore be de-
scribed as follows: l777 to 1904 thir-
teen stripes and thirteen stars; 1894 to
1918 fifteen stripes and fifteen stars;
1918 to 1897 thirteen stripes and from
twenty to forty stars.
The exact description of our present
flag is thirteen horizontal stripes of
equal breadth, alternate red and white,
beginning with the red. In the upper
quarter, next the staff, is the union,
composed of a number of white stars
equal to the number Of states, on a blue
field, one-third the length Of the flag,
extending to the lower edge Of the
fourth red stripe from the top The
stars, forty-ive in number, are ar
ranged in six parallel lines, which ex-
tend in the same direction as the
stripes of the flag. Whenever a new
state is admitted to the union a star
representing that state is added on the
following fourth of July
On February 81, 1886, Gen. Benz +.
Butler, the hero of New Orleans, pre-,
sented to congress the first genuine
American flag, made of American ma
terials, by American labor, ever con-
structed in this country. Prior to that
time all the American government
flags had been made of English bunt-
ings. Since then all our official
flags have been the product exclusive
~ of American materials and labor
BY the regulations of the United
States army, our flags are divided into
four classes or sizes. First, Garrison
or Fort " ordinary" which is the Ma
tionai, made of bunting, thirty six feet
fly and twenty feet hoist, in thirteen
horizontal stripes of equal breadth, al
ternately red and white, beginning
with the red In the upper quarter
next the staff, is the Union, composed
of white stars equal to the number of
states, on a blue field, one third the
length of the flag, extending to the
lower edge of the fourth red stripe
from the top. The second is the gar
rson or fort g Storm Flag" which is
twenty feet by ten feet in size; the
third is the /" Recruiting Flag" nire
feet nine inches by four feet four inches.
The fourth size is the RegimentaL
Flag, = each to be Of silk, six feet six
inches fly, and six feet deep on the
pike or staff, with the name and num-
Der of the regiment to be embroidered
!, 1o orr fOY
tillery, with silver for infantry, and
yellow for cavalry. The length of the
pike, including spear and ferule to be
nine feet ten inches. The fringe vel
low for cavalry, red for artillery and
light blue for infantry.
Though its history covers only six
score years, it has a most marvellous
record. In the early period of our ma
TONS history less than five millions of
people owed it allegiance; now it in
spires the hearts of over seventy mil
lions. Then it represented but mar
row strip of land along the Atlantic;
now it floats over the continent from
ocean to ocean, an area eighteen times
as large as France. Then it was
scarcely known beyond our borders:
today it is known and respected in
every land and on every sea of the
civilized world. Then it was but
mockery to nearly four millions of the
cOlored people OF the south; now it is
glorious reality to all who lives beneath
its folds.
But the glorious history of our ma
tional emblem has not been made with
out a sacrifice. Official reports show
that in nearly twenty years Of our
various wars, $50, SIT men have been
killed or died of disease or wounds from
it; and $4,000, 100000 900 in money
have been expended in its defense and
to maintain it.
May its future be as brilliant as it's
past; may it ever continue to be the
pride of this nation and float as it does
today over " the land Of the free and
the home Of the brave"
when freedom from her mountain height
Unfurled her standard to the air,
She tore the azure robe Of night
And set the stars of glory there.
| She mingled with its gorgeous dyes,
The milky baldric of the skies
And striped its pure celestial white
With streakings of the morning light
Then from his mansion in the sun
| She called her eagle bearer down,
And gave unto his mighty hand
The symbol of her chosen land.
| Flag of the free hearts hope, and home
BY angel hands to valor give1s
Thy stars have lit the Welkin dome
And all thy lines were born in heaven!
Forever float that standard sheet,
Where breathes the foe but falls before us
With freedoms soil beneath our feet,
And freedoms banner streaming DER u.s.
Miss Belle Head was then called upon
for another solo. She rendered g CO.
lumbia, the Gem of the Ocean" so well
that she was called back and gave as
an encore !" Ben Bolt"
The last of the essays on the flag was
read BY Miss Edna Markham as fol-
lows: