The San Francisco call., 1906-08-12
Flies His Flag
Day and Night

A FARMER who lives In Sprin gheld
"A Village. In Union County. New
Jersey is the most consistent
patriot known TO modern history. His
name is Charles F. Andrews. and by
though he denies the distinction and
says: Il fought in twelve battles OF the
Civil War and was in innumerable skir-
mishes. and the best lighting rank I
ever reached was orderly sergeant.
After I got back I was commissioned .
captain on the Governors stan. but I
never served. I was too busy growing
my crops"
But Mr.. Andrews has not been too
busy to keep the Stars and Stripes
flying night and day since his mother.
long since dead. holsted them IN the
spring of 1851. when her four sons en-
listed in the Union ranks. Only one OF
them came BACK. One died in Florence
prison in South Carolina and two others
were killed in battle-one at Chancsl-
Iorsville. the other at Sailors Run.
when the war was about over. Charles
Andrews came home after Petersburg.
having lost an arm. The nag had been
flying while the Andrews boys were
away, and when Charles came back
alone he declared that 1t should always
fly. so long as he lived. at least. but
for Memorial day, the Fourth OF July
and the anniversaries OF the battles he
took part In he has especially large
ones. which he hoIsts Even the nag
poles wear out. and as one after an
other has succumbed TO the seasons Il
has been replaced by larger and finer
one. until the existing pole towers
among the oak and hickory trees which
surround it full seventy feet IN air.
1t is pleasant to record that tbs pa
triotic farmer has prospered. His fields
have yielded him their increase and his
hocks have multiplied. and In his ripe
old age he sits on his shaded porch sur
rounded by his grandchildren. and
while the flag waves over them he
rehearses the stories Of Antietam. Get
tysburg and Cold Harbor.
For a long time after the war the
people called Andrews crazy. but in
recent times they have accorded him
and his flag the honor that his deter
mination to keep the Stars and Stripes
ahoat deserve.
Times were little hard with the
old soldier after the war was over. and
the effort to keep Old Glory flying cost
him no small part of his meager earn
ngs. He says himself the nag has not
always been bunting and rarely silk.
More frequently IL has been a printed
cotton banner; but whatever II has
been the stars were the total number
OF states and the stripes were there.
Sometimes it has been small and often
ragged, but it never came down until
the other one was up.
Il rugged the first pole with double
halliards. so that II has never ceased
TO fly" said he the other day For
more than twenty years I have not
been worried about the nag. but used
TO feel that 1T was pretty shabby when
couldn't always replace 1t az would
have liked. But II still few. Now I
buy dozen nags at time. and don't
let them get ragged. When the weather
is bad / send up a stout small one and
when the weather is fine / fly a big
one. and on anniversary days a very
big one; but since June 10. 1884. forty
two years. that flag has hoated. Before
that mother kept II rp while we boys
were away from April 10. 1851. Only
she followed the army custom and
holsted II at 8 o'clock and hauled Il
down at sunset. There Il is" said the
old soldier, coming TO attention and
saluting II as he spoke, and there II
stays SO long as I live and after ny
death, so long my children and
grandchildren observe my wishes"