The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1900-07-08

in the historic places Of the states which
they represent. The Pennsylvania star
was made in the house of Betsy Ross,
in the historic old room where she totled
and sewed making the first American
flag, which has immortalized her name
for all time, and which was first hoistcd
to the breeze In f776. Another part Of The
star was made at Carpenters hall, in the
room where the first continental congress
met. It was finished by Miss Milford
sitting in Hancocks chair In Independ-
ence hall, the chair he occupied when no
signed the declaration Of independence.
The star representing New Jersey WAS
made in Washington's old headquarters
at Morristown
The Maryland star was made at Fort
McHenry, in honor of Francis Scott Key 8
flag-the celebrated and everlasting
'Star-Spangled Banner
Virginia star was made in the Lafay-
cite room at Washington's home. Mount
New York's star represents two Ameri-
can victories. 1t was made partly IN the
long room" at Fraunce's Tavern. where
Washington babe farewell to his officers,
after the Revolution. and partly on board
the flagship New York
The number of stitches in the flag, as
counted by Miss milford in making them,
is 325.000. Each one is perfect, and enti-
tied to prize In any sewing school in
the world
Inc nag has never Eeen c1Iner DhOl0-
graphed or stretched in its entirety. Ow
ing to its size this counld only be done
in vast sections. The flag can never float
to the breeze, as no blizzard ever yet felt
on earth could hold the entire weight of
It's p1nioES at one time. When the flag
was finished 1t took Miss Milford aided
by her mother and sister three entire
days to fold it to fit the box, which now
holds 1t.
And when. the day after the Dewey pa
rade, it was brought 10 Madison Square
Garden for public exhibition, 1t took siA
men to move and carry the box and flag.
These facts will help to make one appre-
c1ate the vast amount of patriotic enthu-
siasm which suggested the undertaking
and enabled one rather delicate girl to
carry it cut to the tedious end
Josephine Milford was born thirty
years ago in the old family homestead
at Madison. N j. AT that time her father
street. But one day crash came and
swept all his wealth away, and ON that
day began the tragedy of little jose
The father died Of a chronic disease,
superinduced by worry. Then trouble, as
is its way, came in shoals. The beautiful
picturesque family mansion, situated on
a lovely rising, grassy knoll, amid beau
tiful trees each one Of which the father
had planted and cared for, was heavily
mortgaged. Mrs. Milford and the girls
felt that to let the old place go would
break their hearts.
Josephine Mulford was then past fif-
teen years old, an extremely clever girl,
artistic in talents and tastes. She start
ed dancing classes in the different towns
and cities of New Jersey.
Her younger sister, Miss Mllicent Null
ford, who Is an accomplished musician.
furnished the music. For years the two
brave girls made sufficient money to keep
their mother and themselves in comfort
and to prevent the mortgage from being
foreclosed. Some years ago the Herald
offered prize for the most original and
artlstically dressed doll. There were hun
dreds of contestants. The judges unani-
mously accorded it to Miss Josephine
When Miss Milford first started the
flag she had no idea of asking the nation
TO buy it by popular subscription. Her
idea was to have the materials donated,
while she would willingly give her time
and labor to the work. But when once
she had commenced she was no longer
able to provide for the family needs. Mr..
Frank Stockton was then living in their
house. He first suggested to Miss Null
ford that the flag be bought by popular
subscription and presented in commence
ration of their victories to the heroes Of
the war
Miss Mulford entered heartily into the
suggestion, delighted to make all who
would sharers in her splendid patriotic
work. and with the hope that the money
thus obtained In reward for her great
work of love and labor would pay off the
mortgage ON her old home and secure 1t
for her mother.
Poor girl! 1t was given to her to splen-
didly accomplish her task, as far as max
ing the flag was concerned. But she had
the bitterness of dying without accom-
| pliShing her hearts desire of freeing her
home from it's indebtedness. She sue
ceeded in raising about $4,000 and then
! interest in the project ceased.
Worry and the great strain Of the work
| preyed on her constitution naturally del
! icate and two months ago she was taken
| i'll with nervous prostration. She went
to All Souls hospital in Morristown
! where she died last Monday after suffer-
| ing for several weeks.
| During the days preceding hey death
| she never mentioned the tiag-aS the doc
| tors had commanded her to Danish all
! thought of 1t. She obeyed them implicit
! ly, and just before dying she pathetically
confided to her sister that she had made
| the sacrifice of not thinking of the flag
! in the hope that it would help her to get
| well and continue her efforts.
By q sad coincidence the sale of her
! home was to have taken place the day of
| friends the sale was postponed for two
| weeks, with the hope that sufficient funds
| might yet lie raised to save the old place
| from the hammer On last Tuesday her
| body was brought to Madison and laid
out in the darl1oned drawing room of the
/ home she had so ardently loved and toll
! ed for.
When called the next day found no
| one there but the immediate family and
! an old friend. There were no flowers, 10
! carriages, nothing to show that the peo-
| pie OF Madison or of America knew that
! heroine had passed away
AS I drove up to the old homestead