The Birmingham age-herald., 1903-06-28
MAKING FLAGS.
Factories Are Now Turning Out Old
 Glory Galore.

Now is the time for scattering "Old Glory" in all sizes from baby flags to banners throughout the length and breadth of the land for the Fourth of July celebrations. Since May dealers have been sending out flags by the tens of thousands for the outside trade. From now on tens of thousands more will be re- uured for the local trade alone. The manager of one large factory In New York says that GOO flags are sold in that city alone every Fourth of July.
 Decoration Day is scarcely out of the way before the business for the Fourth sets in. Most of the small flags sold for Decoration Day are left in cemeteries and of course are not available for the national holiday The most popular nag for the general trade is little muslin affair. about one foot square, which sells In the candy stores for cents. They are popular with children because they are cheap. Picnic parties and political orga nizations like them because large number can be stuck about in odd places, and very showy display made for little money As these small flags are sold by the gross at a price that gives them 10 the retailer at less than cents piece, he makes a very good proht-far more than he does on fireworks.
 Hundreds of women and girls are em- ployed all winter making these small flags They make big flags. also. but this is a branch of the work trusted only to skilled hands. The girls are kept at work on the small flags. in sizes of from four inches square to four feet. That IS the largest size in which the cheaper grade of flag is made. The little pine sticks to which they are fastened come from the northwest. They are shipped in great bales, each stick of uniform length, from the lumber districts The manufacturers saw them into sizes to suit their trade.
 A flag of standard bunting, such as is used for street decorations and in club rooms. cost anywhere from 25 to $40, ac- cording to size Some of the huge flags stretched across the streets in political campaigns cost from $50 to $75. These are made on frames, six or eight women working on single flag at one time. It takes six women about three weeks to fin- ish a large flag. The construction of "Old Glory requires more care than one would suppose. If the bars are not sewn even the flag will look like bunch of barber's poles when it is hung, and the manufacturc~ has it thrown back on his hands.
 SIX flags, such as are made for na- tional guardsmen and for presentation purposes, are quite another proposition The cheapest sort of silk flag costs $200 and it may run to $500 without producing anything very elaborate The red and white bars for the best silk flags are made abroad. The difference in costs de- bends mainly on whether the decaorations are in gold or silver. The stars must be white of course but it makes all the difference whether they are of sterling silver or silver plate.
 Many flags of foreign nations for local organizations are made in this country. The market for these extends from the Atlantic to the Pacific. The Irish flag is very much in demand. One of ordinary make, such as is usually seen in St. Pat ricks Day parades. of green bunting with painted harp, may be bought for $5. A green flag. with no other ornamentation than a sterling silver harp, costs $lOO. Very few British flags are made here. Societies and individuals who own them prefer to get them from home.
 Germans and Italians buy a great many flags. The German is usually satisfied with his plain tri-color. So is the French man But Italians are fond of rich orna- mentation.