Catoctin clarion. [volume] (Mechanicstown, Md.) 1871-1940, 1901-06-20
NOTICES OF STATES.
HOW MANY OF THEM, WITH THEIR
MEANINGS, DO YOU KNOW7

The Great scnl of the United States
Was Designed by I'M EnElishmnn'
Who Also Suggested the Motto
Adopted, "E Pluribus Unum."
IF YOU desire to have fun with
learned acquaintance, ask him simple
questions about his country, Its histo-
nv, financial condition, political divi-
sions, geographical lines, climatology,
topography, etc. Questions that any
schoolboy can answer Dr. Knowall Will
stumble clumsily over, often getting o
bad fall There Is ono question that
have never heard any one answer
namely, What nrc the notices OF the
several states Of the Union and their
mcaningY" a clever nan may name
That of his own stnte and guess Mt
those Of three or four Of the more I'M
portant sister states, but he Is unlikely
TO know the meanings Of any that are
in the original Latin. Try some able
professor In o crowd and SEQ him tloun.
der.
Ask the professor If no knows that
the great seal Of the United States was
designed by an Englishnan. Sir John
Prcstwich, who also suggested the mot
to, az PMribus Unum" Our ablcst
men had failed to propose anything ac-
ccptablc, Franklin. Jefferson, Adams,
Lowell Scott, Houston and others vast.
ing nearly four years on the task.
Franklin proposed Moses dividing the
Red sea with this motto, rebellion to
Tyrants Is Obedience to God;" Adams
proposed the choice Of Hercules and
jefferson the children Of Israel In the
Wilderness. Doesn't 1t seem funny
Some Of the suggested notices were
"Brllo vel Pace" Q'or War or Peace.
"Scmpcr" QForcvcr). "Dco Favcntc'
with Gods Favor, "Virtus Sola In.
victa" Virtue Alone Invinciblc), etc.
After six years the Englishman's de-
vice was adopted. and 1t yet remains
the arms of the United States,
II the professor is familiar with the
diverse Of the great seal, nsk him
what he has to say of the reverse, and
the chances are 100 to that he cnn-
not rccollcct the unfinished pyramid,
the eye in the triangle, the glory prop
or, the motto over the eye, "Annuit
Cuptis" God Has Favored the Under
taking), and that under Hll "Novus
Ordo Scculorun" "a New Series Of
Ages. The diverse IF the great seal,
with Its splendid eagle, tn" bundle Of
arrows, the olive branch, the IL stripes,
the l3 stars, the glory breaking from
the clouds and the "E Tlurhus Iuun,'
Is magniticcntly American. but the
pyramid. the desert, tho forbiading
Egyptian sky and the eye In the trl.
angle on the reverse ore simply bar
barous.
The great seal OF the Conf,Slrracy
by strange nrbitramcnt of fate was
never used. 1t was made IN England
aud reached RiChmond about the time
of Its evacuation by the armies of the
lost cause and the Confederate gov
Crnmcnt. Its motto was "Dro Ninlicr'
God Maintalns). The seal Is n hand
some silver die about three inches ID
diameter, bearing nn equestrian por-
trait of Washington (aftcr the statue
in Richmond, surrounded with n
wreath composed Of cotton. tobacco
sugar cane, corn, wheat and r!Ce-thG
principal products Of the Confederate
states. II cost In England about $500,
with press, waters. seal papers. wax,
silk cords, etc, 1t was presented to the
state of South Carolina about 1887 and
Is kept In the office Of the secretary OF
state.
Ask the professor If he remembers
that Minnesota, founded by Americans,
Is the only state In the Union that has
n French motto. The one originally So
lcctcd and ordered engraved WAS Latin,
but the die was spoiled aud the Fr"nrh
substitute was adopted. 'L'Etoilc du
Nord" CThe Star of the North. Does
the professor recall that Montana is the
only state with Spanish mottof
Strange that fur traders should have
adopted "Oro y Plata" Gold and sd
ver) If you say that one state has n
Greek motto, he probably will do some
pretty hard thinking before answering
that 1t Is California. Eureka" ia h,-
lievcd to be Greek for * have found"
The only Italian motto belongs TO Ma
ryland, ana 1t originally belonged TO the
Calvert family, "FutI Mnschi, Parole
Femme" deeds Arc Males, Words
Fclnalcs). To be trille palmer, "Man-
ly Deeds, Womanly Words" Ask the
professor If he knows that Washington
is the only state with an Indian motto.
"Al-ki'' is pure Chinook for by and by.
in the future or crcaftcr.--EXchaugv