The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1899-06-01
A PRICELESS BANNER.
The worlds Fair Flag, Owned by q
Chicago Man, Cannot
Be Bought.

OCOi &c W. AAAuPP -NC' OCf 49,
road, Evanston, ILL.,, is the owner of a
United States flag for which he has
refused an offer of $60,0O1. The offer
was made by an English collector of Gu
rios, and was rejected by Mr.. Knapp
with the remark that there is not
money enough in England and Amer
lea to buy that piece of silk
The flag was made by the women of
the United States as the official flag
of the worlds fair. 1t headed the OPEN
ing procession; it was the first flag to be
unfurled, and the last TO be lowered
at the exposition. Every thread of
silk in the banner was taken from the
cocoons and woven by American wom-
en-. The staff also is an interesting
composite of historic woods from all
the states and territories of the union.
Since the worlds fair this flag has
added to its honorable history by lead
ing President Mckinley's inaugural pa
rade, serving as Chicago's flag ut At
lanta, in New York and elsewhere. Mr..
Knapp intends sending it to the Paris
exposition, where it will doubtless be
the official flag
The silk of which the flag is made
was all grown in America, 20 states con-
| tribl4ting the raw material. Not a
thread of imported silk was allowed
to enter the flag, which measures 6x6Xa
feet, with a fringe of gold silk four
inches wide. 1t is also the first flag
to contain A stars on blue field.
But perhaps the most unique part
of the flag is the staff 1t is made of
piece of Illinois cherry 10 feet long,
surmounted by a golden eagle. The
staff is inlaid with pieces of historic
wood, representing each state and ter
ritory of the union. The inIaid pieces
are placed in a row running DOWN
ward along the lower section of the
staff, starting with design consisting
of IL stars about five feet from the
lower end of the staff. In the center of
the design is larger star made from u
piece of one of the oak supports of
the old liberty bell in Philadelphia, and
around it, in circle, are grouped the
other II stars. Connecticut is repre-
scented by star made from a piece of
the famous charter oak of colonial his
tory, Massachusetts by piece of the
! old elm from Boston common, Nir-
| ginia by a piece of the old Monitor,
and each of the original 10 colonies
has contributed wood equally historic.
The 81 remaining states are repre-
scented by squares and the five terri
| Inv Il e
| historic wood. Illinois has a piece of
walnut taken from the residence of
! Shadrach Bond, first governor of the
state, located at the old capital at Kas-
kaskia. Nebraska's square came from
the flagstaff of old Fort Kearney, while
the diamond of Arizona is the oldest
| piece of wood in the flagstaff. 1t was
taken from the famous ruins of Casas
Grandes, near the ella river, in pinal
| county, Ariz. These were standing
when Nazquez de Coronado, the first
| Spanish explorer, visited Arizona in
/ f540. The wood was taken from the
only joist remaining in the building.
The idea of such a flag originated
with Mr.. Knapp soon after congress
appropriated money for the world $
fair. He told his plans to the board of
worlds fair commissioners and on April
4, 1891, the board passed resolution
empowering MIR. Knapp to work out his
idea, the product to be the otfcia. l.. =
of the worlds fair. He immediate. :
went to work sending circulars to the
commissioners of the various states and
territories, explaining the plans and
asking for pieces OF historic wood. More
difficulty was experienced in getting
the native silk and women to weave it,
but through an order placed with the
American Silk Culture association. COM
posed entirely of women, Mr.. Knapp Sc
cured flag made entirely by women
from sill raised by women OF 90 states.
Curiously enough, the flag was made
in Arch street, Philadelphia. on the
same street, and within a few blocks
of the house in which the women of
Philadelphia made the Paul Jones flag,
lis years before.
The flag arrived in Chicago October
20, 1892, and was hung on the handsome
staff. The next day it headed the
opening parade. On the opening day,
May l. 1898, the flag was presented to
the board of lady managers of the fair
by Mr.. Knapp. After the worlds fair
the official flag was shown at the prize
winners exhibit in New York 1t was
there that the attention of the English
collector was attracted to it. He began
with an offer of 900 for it and raised
the bill daily until it reached 100000.
Mr.. Knapp grew angry then at the
Englishman's evident conviction that
anything in America could be bought.
This flag is not for sale" Mr.. Knapp