The Montgomery advertiser., 1903-06-21
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 n "FLAa HOUSE," BIRTHPLAcg or NATIONAL E19BLEM l a DECORATED IN HONOR OF FLAG DAY, JUNE 14TH r
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 One hundred and twenty-six years ago on June l4, TIT, the Stars and Stripes | sprang into being.
 One hundred and twenty-six years ago this June 14 the American Congress Tn l session at Philadelphia resolved: That l the flag of the United States be thirteen | stripes. alternate red and whttes the union to be thirteen stars, white, on blue field, representing new consteiias tion, the stars to be arranged in cir cis.' I It has often been asked what suggest ed the design for the stsr-spangled ban ner There are many traditions anoa, concerning the origin of the design, but the one in which there Is undoubtedly the most truth is that which credits the design to Washington.
 The General found In the coat-of-arrns of his own family a hint from which he | drew the design for the flag. l The coat-of-arms of the Washington l family has two red bars on white ground, and three gilt stars above the top bar.
 When the time arrived for a fiag to be decided upon, the vessels on the seas as | well as the armies on land being in need | of a standard to mark and lead them' | Washington decided that his coat-of- | arms with a few notifications would be | a fitting emblem for the new nation. The decision once made to give America i A flag which would answer for all the | colonies, Washington as the head or l committee of three. consisting or Robert Morris and Colonel Ross, met to discuss I ways and means of planning the ban- | ner and having it made.
 The flag proposed by General Washing | ton was decided upon. and Colonel Ross suggested that they visit his niece and solicit her assistance.
 Washington, knowing from personal experience Mrs. Ross's skill with the I needle, as, according to tradition, she embroidered his shirt ruffles. immediate | ly agreed to the plan, and the three max CTS of history made a trip down to the quaint little house, 2ss Arch Street, Phiia- delphia, which is still standing, to con- suit the attractive ouakeress. l Betsy Ross enthusiastically undertook | the work, and in a few days beautiful star-spangled banner was ready to be | unfurled.
 She had suggested one alteration in the design submitted by Washington. The 1 General had made his stars six-pointed as they were on his coat-of-arms; Betsy Ross made hers with i've points-and
 with i've poiists they have been made ever since
 For several years Mrs. Ross made the flags for the Government. The prices she. received for them varied. For the flags for the fleet In the Delaware, the Treasury paid her 414 12s. 2d. Henceforth Betsy Ross went to work making flags for an occupation. Her husband, John Ross. died young. and Betsy continued to dwell in Arch Street. carrying on the business.
 The business descended to her children and was carried on by her daughter, Clarissa Claypoole, who relinquished 1t on becoming a member of the Society of Friends, lest her handiwork should be used in time of war.
 According to ancient records the Stars and Stripes were first publicly displayed on the first anniversary of American in- dependence, which was celebrated at Philadelphia, Charleston, g. C., and other places, July {. TIT.
 The first using of the Stars and Stripes in military service was at Fort stamoix. renamed Fort Schuyler, now Rome. N. r.. in TIT.
 On August 2 of that year the fort was besieged by the English and Indians; the brave garrison was without a nag, but one was made in the fort
 The red stripes were made of a petti- coat furnished by a woman, the white stripes and stars were supplied by an officer who gave his shirt for that pur- pose, and the blue was piece of Colonel Gansevoort's military cloak. Three women worked on the flag. and it was raised to victory when. on the And of August, the redmen and the English
 were defeated at the fort ha ha ak ha haf nf the Brandywine, September II, TIT: at Germantown. October of the same year. and 1t also hoated over the surrender of Burgoyne.
 This flag cheered the patriots at Wal ley Forge during the next winter; 1t waved at Yorktown and shared in the rejoicing at the end of the war.
 As long as the States remained thir- teen in number the original design of the circle of stars was satisfactory but when, in 17e1. Vermont, and In 170e Ken, lucky. were taken into the Union, 1t was decided to arrange the stars In the form of one constellation.
 In l7s5 1t was decided to add a stripe as well as a star for each State which came into the Union: consequently in that year Vermont and Kentucky were marked on the flag one by white and the other by a red stripe
 ooHic NAcS Pfophctt AOOkAH8 duCAQ some twenty years or more, saw that this plan of adding a stripe as we'll as a star for each State added to the Union would mean a constant changing of the flag, and as great growth of the country was foreseen, it was soon appreciated that in a few years, by this plan, the
 flag would become so large and ungainly that it's beauty would be lost
 Tn 1s10 a cosor,tttan ,.,as al.ot.a h,- rso., gress to decide upon a permanent design for the flag. and the result was that the original thirteen stripes were again used. the stars being arranged on the blue field in the form of square. with one con steiladon for each new State.
 In 1918 this plan was formally adopted by Congress, and the flag with its thir- teen stripes and stars corresponding in number to the States In the Union be- came the established emblem of the Union.
 Mrs Reid. wife of the famous sea cap tain. made the first flag of the new de- sign July ( ISIS; the number of stars was twenty. Illinois being admitted that year.
 This design. adopted in 1878, is our flag of today with the addition of twenty