Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1902-07-11
AMERICAN FLAGS.
The Oh'Told Story Of the Origin Of "Old
Glory"

Glory"
The Congress of the United States
States in 1777 appointed a committee
to design a suitable flag for the ma.
tion." George Washington and Rob.
ert Morris were on this committee
Washington made pencil sketch of a
flag and he with Robert Morris took
it to Mrs. Elizabeth Ross of Philadel.
phia and engaged her to make flag.
Mrs. Ross was a milliner, and most OF
her customers were Quaker ladies OF
that city.
The story goes that Washington ex.
planned their idea of the flag and
showed her q star with six points
Mrs. Ross thought the stars OF the sky
seemed to have but five points, and
she folded bit of paper, and with a
single slip OF her scissors cut a per.
feet star of five points, which was
adopted.
The house in which the flag was
made is a two.and-a.half story dwell.
ing on Arch street erected more than
200 years ago, and it still stands as a
monument to Betsey Ross and the
American flag. The bricks from
which it was built came over from
England as ballast in the hold OF
William Penn's ship. and Penn super
intended the building of the house.
At Northamptonshire, in England,
in village called Great Brington, is
an old church containing the tomb OF
one OF George Washington's ancestors.
Lawrence Washington, who died in
1G16, leaving behind him eight sons
and nine daughters. Two OF the sons
came to America and from one OF
them descended our Washington.
Several OF the Washington family
are buried here, and the coast OF arms
OF the Washington family is engraved
on one Of the stones, which has an
inscription to "Eliz. Washington"
who died 1922. Now on this coat of
arms appear three stars. with the
stripes or bars beneath them; no one
could see it without being reminded
of the +" Star Spangled Banner"
Undoubtedly, when Washington
was arranging and planning for the
flag he took the iden OF the stripes
from his own old coat-of.arms. Not
wanting to make the new banner too
personal, so to speak, he kept in the
blue field and the crosses used in the
British flag. Congress, when it took
up the matter, was pleased to follow
the coat OF arms of the great gen.
eral who was fighting for them, and
substituted the beautiful stars. Chas
Sumner took a deep interest in all
these traces Of the Washington fam.
lily in Dngland, and he said: "The
source of the design OF the American
flag lies on the old floor of Brington
church." He had copy OF the coat
of.arms made by a local mason in na-
tive stone.
The Presidents Own Flag.
Not everybody knows that the
President of the United States has his
own flag, which he is entitled to hoist
over any boat of the United States
navy in which he may happen to be
It is not new flag. The Presidents
flag is an institution q century old,
and has. in some shape, practically
been in existence ever since we be.
came q nation.
Congress never legislated on the
Presidents flag. 1t was established
arbitrarily by the Secretary of the
Navy, though there was never . set of
rules regarding it until 1865, when
Secretary Gideon Welles promulgated
orders which permitted the President
to display his flag at the main royal
OF any vessel honored by his presence,
the flag of the commanding officer to
be struck for the tune being. These
regulations were reaffirmed in 1866,
and again in 1869, and have been in
force ever since. At that time the
Presidents flag was the blue field Of
the Stars and Stripes, but in 1879, by
order OF the Secretary of the Navy, the
coat.of arms OF the United States was
placed on the flag, in white, with the
constellation above in single curved
line. A few years later the colors OF
the design were changed to brown and
a crest was added, showing the stars
within ring OF clouds. There being
no way OF representing clouds with
bunting. the design was painted. This
was unsatisfactory, as a few hours of
whipping in the wind cracked the
paint and ruined the effect.
President Roosevelt's suggestions
that the flag be changed to overcome
inartistic details and do away with
the paint, we're received with favor
and the Presidents flag is now the
blue background of the Union Jack
on which is pure white eagle, its
feathers heavily outlined in black.
The constellation is in white, with the
rays of the sunburst in heavy stitch
ing of yellow. The flag is OF bunting
aud measures fourteen by ten and one.
half feet, for outdoor use, and is OF
heavy taffeta silk, with gold thread