The Washington herald. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1906-1939, 1908-02-19

A certain charming American woman
who halls from the FAR West is entitled
10 two birthdays. one by right of personal
privilege the other by virtue of the gift
OF Robert Louis Stevenson; but il re-
NAMED for the State of Ohio to claim six
birthdays. Every other one Of the forty
six States Of the American Union has a
birthday that was either the date OF its
ratification Of the Constitutional it were
one Of the original thirteen colonies-or
the date on which its Statehood bill was
passed BY Congress. if II were one Of the
other thirty-three. Ohio enjoys the
unique distinction of being in the Union
by accident. as it were. because of the in
formality Of its entrance. a Statehood bill
for its benefit having never been passed.
At one time historians. delving among the
records of enabling acts. Territorial acts.
and State government and Federal acts
relative 20 Ohio. yariously credited that
State with six different days as days of
It's birth-April y and November %. Of
1872. "the winter of lSc3-1S03." and Febru-
airy 10, March l. and March s. 1858.
For awhile the State authorities recOg-
nized March 1 as the legal birthday. be-
cause on that day the Territorial officials
went out and. the State officials took up
the reins of government. Then they, by
an act of the legislature. decided that
bills closing the Territorial affairs be
paid on March B. and that gave rise 20 the
belief that that must determine the birth
day OF the State. To settle the matter
Prof. I. ". Andrews Of Marietta Col
lege, wrote the State Department in
Washington to establish the date This
bit OF memorandum was sent in answer
20 this query:
Enabling act Of Congress 10 form
state of Ohio approved April 50. 1902. An
act TO provide for the due execution of the
laws Of the United States within the
State OF Ohio approved February 70, 1895.
BY this act Ohio was admitted to the
Union So on this supreme decision this
day has been set aside az Ohio's birth
day. and celebrating the 105th anniversary
OF the States birth are not only 4.500.000
people within its borders. but thousands
more who have gone out 10 help in the
upbuilding Of other communities
When the Revolution closed a century
and a quarter ago. the eyes OF the ever
restless American began to turn to the
great unknown Northwest. There lay
lands claimed by Virginia and Connect
N''tf JANUS WHICH. NuEu lAcN AdN Dttn
ceded 20 the general government. were
ready 10 be portiOned out among officers
who had served faithfully in the fight for
freedom. Only the trappers from Canada,
renegades and outlaws from the English
settlements and occasional travellers knew
the land. Mounds of marvellous work
manship through the valleys Of the Sci
oto, the Muskingum, and the Miamis bore
witness TO a great agricultural and peace
loving people who had lived out their
lives there ages before and passed out
into the great unknown. More recent evil
dences were found of the intertribal war
fares OF the Shawnee, MingO. and Della
ware Indians.
La Sale had crossed this country long
ago. and the FrenChman, LOngeuil, COM
mander of Detroit. went far enough into
Ohio TO secure the tusk of a great NAM
moth To send 10 Paris. Christopher
GeIst. agent for the Ohio Company Of
West Virginia. went into the Ohio cOun-
try In 174J and established a trading post
about hundred miles from the mouth Of
the Great Miami. Johnny Applesecd. 90
planting nurseries for future orchards.
went up and down the valleys. and long,
long ago white woman with her Indian
husband lived there and forgot her New
England home.