The Meeker herald., 1897-07-10
n~,.y Ro... rrr.s Fi.s.

It II singular that among all the wo-
man associations founded upon thu
memories of the American Revolution
not ono has ever thought proper to
keep green the memory Of Betsy Ross.
the Quaker lady Of Philadelpaia. wht
made with her own hands the Arst hAS
Of the Union. the Starr and Stripes.
with thirteen stars. says New York
Herald.
It remained for mere accident to re-
vfvs interest In this woman, who. while
not exactly . Molly Pitcher. Of Molly
stark. played 70 important . part in
the history Of the oountry.
1t seems that certain Charles P.
Aund of Philadelphia now occupies the
old house. No. 2sS Arch street. ooce tha
homo Of the Ross family. In 177s Mrs.
hnss. who was an upholsterSr and an
sxper needlewoman, lived In two.
story tenement in Philadelphia. still
Standing and now Numbered ~ Arch
strest. To her came Gen. WashinGton
and Robert Norris with . roughly
drawn design for an American dag and
requested her to make one TO prsseot
to congress for adoption.
At Mrs. Ross suggestion Gen. Wash
ingtoa went into her back parlor and
rsdrew the design. Mrs. Ross, who
knew Washington we'll, and used TO ru1-
Ne his shirts and make his lace neck
uss. made the nag according to his
drawing. 1t was accepted by consress.
and II supposed to have been the 1rst
StArs and Stripes, the first "0ld Glory"
ever nung to heaven.
Tue Ross family moved away and
the old house was bought by family
named Mund. The present owner IL
who lives over his shop. Knowing the
traditions OF the house. which y more
or less a curiosity in Philadelphia, since
1t remains In precisely the same condi-
tion II was when Washington used TO
fuss there over his runles and laceC,
Mr.. Mund keeps q stock Of hags on
hand and stores them In q small a.
cove in the attic.
On the occasion Of the recent visit Of
Il Hung Chang to Philadelphia citizens
were requested to decorate their houses
with bunting. Mr.. Mund went up to
the attic to get out his supply Of new
nags, when he discovered. away back
in the alcove. still another nag. OF
which he knew nothing
Covered with the dust and CRIME OF
q century, and Its color sadly faded.
Mr.. Mund pulled out an old America
flag with the thirteen stars sewed "a to
the material Just as Mrs. Roes bad sewn
them ON the nag she made fer Wash
instou.
It seems probable. II not certain,
then. that this was pattern Or first
trial Of the nag. and not being satisfied
with her handiwork she had made an
other. which she sent to congress.
Curious enough, history throws NO
light ON the question ~ to who design
ID the drawing OF the nag tAAt WaAh-
ington flrst brought to Betsy Noa
Congressional records nahs no nsn<aon
Of such design. NOR Do any of the M
Vulnerable letters and diaries of the
day.
Mr.. William ]. Candy in 1870 rad
paper before the Historical sosisty OF
Pennsylvania In which he said that his
maternal grandmother had - nuoh IS
any one to do with ths dssi&n. and rs
no one has ever ooatradiotsA hin It
seems possible that the deatsa was
cooked up" gone over. anA finally
completed that day in the little back
parior by Washington, Norris aad Bet
sy Ross.
AZ to the fact that Mrs. Ross actually
made the hrst Stars and Stripes there
IL indisputabls proof. Mr.. Caaby. sosu
after reading his paper. which caused
considerable ceutroversy At the time.
wrote an open letter. In which b
said:
II V not tradition; II = report. frsn
tho lips of the principal partidpaton
in the transaction directly told. not 70
ono or two. but . dozen Of living wit
nsases, Of whom myself am ons. BE-
ing . boy OF II when Mrs. Ross died b
our house and we'll remember her tell
ing the story. Ny mother and two Of
her sisters are living (this was written
in 1870 and l often heard the MARIA
tive from their lips. Tho occasion was
prior to the Declaration Of Independ
ence. I fx the date to be during Wash
ington's visit to congress from New
York, when he came to confer upo1
tho affairs Of the army. the adoption of
nag. no doubt, being one Of them.
Granted. then. and even Prebls
grants that Mrs. Ross did make the
hrst nag and may have had something
to do with its design, the question
arises, whom were these Starr and
Stripes hrst aung to the bree3ef
CAnby contends that the Starr and
Stripes were In common use soon After
the Declaration Of Independence. Ad-
mirable Preble says not, and for year
at least there seems to have been a
tumble Of tho Continental and
nass with the Stars and Stripes
Light for Country Homes.-Els
lighting IL commonly in the CO.