The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1903-06-29
FLAGS FOR FOURTH OF JULY.
Now Crop Always Needed and Fac
tories Already Busy.
Philadelphia Ledger.

Philadelphia Ledger.
Now is the time for scattering "Old
banners, throughout the length and
breadth of the land for the 4th of. July
celebra tons. Since May dealers have been
sending flags out by tens OF thousands for
the outside trade. From now on tens of
thousands more will be required for the
local trade alone. The manager of one
large factory in New York says that &c.,
600 flags are sold in that city alone every
4th of July.
Decoration day is scarcely out of the
way before the business for the 4th sets
ration day are left in cemeteries and, of
course. are not available for the national
holiday. The most popular flag for the
general trade is a little. muslin affair.
candy stores for cents. They are popu-
lar with the children because they are
cheap. Picnic parties and political organ
izations like them because large number
can be stuck about in odd places and a
very SNOWY display made for little money.
AS these small flags are sold by the gross
at a price that gives them to the retailer
at less than cents apiece, me makes a
very good proft-far more than he does on
fireworks.
Hundreds OF women and girls are en-
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
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, costs anywhere from SIS to $40, ac-
cording to size. Some of the huge flags
stretched across the streets in political
ions To
made on frames. six or eight women work.
ing on a single flag at one time. 1t takes
six women about three weeks to finish a
large flag. The construction of ''Old Glory
requires more care than one would sup
pose. If the bars are not sewn even, the
flag will look like bunch of BARRIERS poles
when it is hung, and the manufacturer has
it thrown back on his hands.
Silk flags, such as are made for National
Guardsmen and for presentation purposes.
are quite another proposition. The cheap
run to $500 without producing anything very
elaborate. The red and white bars for the
best silk flags are made abroad. The diff
ference in cost depends mainly or whether
the decorations are in gold or silver. The
stars must be white, Of course, but ii makes
all the difference whether they are of ster-
ling silver 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 IL
make, such is usually seen in st. Pat
ricks day parades, OF green bunting with
painted harp, may be bought for IS. A
green flag with no other ornamentation thar
a sterling silver harp costs $780, 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 tricO0r. So is the Frenchman
But Italians are fond of rich ornaments
ton.