The Irish standard., 1898-03-05
History of the Glorious Flag Of
the United States.
HONOR TO A PATRIOTIC WOMAN
The Fair Seamstress Who Woye
the Stars and Stripes.
A MONUMENT TO HER MEMORY,
Elizabeth Ross Who Made the
First American Flag.

flTSI American RAG. d
For the first time in the history Of the
United States it is proposed to erect a
monument to the memory of patriotic
woman, and to Minneapolis citizens is
due the credit of having undertaken such
a project. The movement, however, will
not be a local one. by any means. AL
though in its incipiency, national in
terest has already been awakened, and
its promoters feel assured that when the
movement is we'll under way there will
be no lack Of support.
The Elizabeth Ross Monument Asso-
citation was organized last July, and i'll
corporated under the laws of Minnesota.
Its object is the erection of monument
to the memory of Elizabeth Ross, the
maker and designer of the American flag.
The officers of the association are: Presi-
dent, Rev. E. c. Clemans; vice-president,
H. F. Wharton; secretary, Edward S.
Cav; treasurer, ]. M. Pulliam. The Of
fee of the association is 6O4 Northwest
ern building.
The place for the erection of the monu-
ment is Philadelphia, where Betsy Ross
lived and died, but the movement to
raise funds for such a monument belongs
not to Philadelphia, but to the whole ma
tion, and for Minneapolis to take the ini-
tiative is but doing what other patriotic
cities ought to have done, but now have
lost their opportunity for so doing. The
secretary of the association has been to
Philadelphia and interviewed the differ
ent papers and prominent citizens, and
secured their hearty indorsment of the
their admiration of the patriotic enter
prise of the citizens of Minneapolis.
The object of the association in erect
ing this monument has received the in
dorsement and approval of some of the
leading men Of the country. President
and Mrs. Mckinley were the first con-
tributors, and became the first honorary
members of the association. Letters of
commentator and approval have been
received from Vice President Hobart,
Secretary of War Russell A. Alger, Sec
retary of Treasury Lyman ]. Gage, ex-
President Benjamin Harrison, Senator
G. K. Davis, Stephen M. White, Con-
gresham Joel P. Heatwole, D. M.
Clough, Gov. Holcomb, Of Nebraska;
Gov. Bushnell, of Ohio; Gov. Wolcott, of
Massachusetts; Gov. Loundes, OF Mary
land Gov. Wells, of Utah; Gov. Rogers,
of Washington; Gov. Budd, of Califor-
mia; Mrs. Gen. Grant and daughter, Mrs.
Nellis Grant Sartoris, Mrs. John A. Lo.
gan, w. ]. Bryan, State Superintendent
Pendergast, President Cyrus Northrop,
the grand commander of the K of M. of
Pennsylvania, Sir Howard l.. Calder, and
host of others occupying like positions.
The association proposes to raise
money enough for the monument by pop
u]ar subscriptions from individuals, pa
triotic societies and the school children
CT America. The fee of honorary men,
bership in the association is SIS, but sub
scriptions for any amount will be re-
ceived by the secretary of the association
E. S. Cav, 604 Northwestern building
Minneapolis, and for sums of 81 or more
pictures of the Betty Ross mansion in
Philadelphia or picture of the consul
tation between Betsy Ross and the COM
mittee of the continental congress, con-
sisting of George Washington, George
Ross and Robert Morris, as to the maxi
ing of the flag will be sent.
The house in which Betsy Ross made
the first American flag is still standing
in Philadelphia, 239 Arch street. The
structure is two stories to the caves
with eye-like windows and a long, slcp-
ing shingle roof. With massive modern
structures towering all around it, a
quaint little building with gabled roof
and dormer windows is the connecting
link between the modest little town OF
Penn and the mighty city which now
stretches out for miles beyond The
building is good for another hundred
years, for its heavy shutters, joined with
hand made nails and hinges with hand
SCIeWS, are Sllll as SIrOnR as Wlen
they We're hung in 1852. The heavy oak
floor in the little parlor is still as stout
as when Betsy Ross, over hundred
years ago, rocked her high backed chair
over 1t as she sewed the first American
stars and stripes.
The earliest mention Of the stars and
stripes as Washington's at-of-arms
was by Lawrence Washington, worship
full mayor of Northampton, England, 1882
In 154O he placed it upon the porch of his
manor house. Again they appear (the
stars and stripes) in the tomb of Anne
hys wyf," in 1864. At the old English
church at Brighton, the tombs of Wash
jngton's ancestors are marked by mem.