The Waxahachie daily light. [volume] (Waxahachie, Tex.) 1894-current, 1908-09-19
NEW NATIONAL FLAG.
How Additional Star For OK Iahoma
Mas Put On.


visit paid to the United States arse
nal here when the national flag was
being changed in consequence of the
admission of Oklahoma to the union
revealed some interesting facts. The
army flags We're being altered-3,-
size, the stars being as big as dim
ner plates. With the exception of a
couple of men, the entire work was
being carried out by women-in
compliment, perhaps, to the woman
who made the first stars and
stripes Betsy Ross.
The decision of the United States
government arranged the stars in
this order; one row of eight stars
on the top, then row of seven, two
rows of eight, another row Of seven,
and finally another of eight. This
gives 46 stars, the exact number of
states since oklahoma has been adj
y. |~SssA .,:A~s,.,. .S...S%' .,..,n. ~.
On the flags arranged in the old
way the 40 stars were placed eight
VII Wv 'cp ioN' oNNNii oti wv 'NN
ond, eight on the third, seven on the
fourth, eight on the fifth and seven
81 Tue sIS1 -' 1 81, - Tifs1 To-
make the change it was necessary to
ics inG ' n.y. ~ 6i 5s' jig "a, - Jis
all governmental flags and rearrange
them. 1t was big task, but was sue
ceSstui!y carried out within month.
The work was done very SYSTEM
atically and carefully. The dozen
girls ripped off the stars by means
of 81 wi''asS' s-tsns ehats:rHs .tt,t' - :.se'
'j6fe eltAti the stars Vi tire red. as
soon as the stars were removed from
the flag it was passed to man
standing at a large table, who, with
piece of chalk, marked the exact
spots on which the stars were to be
reaffixed. When this was done the
flag was handed to the sewing ma
chine contingent, who quickly and
carefully stitched on the stars.
The number of flags to be read
justed' being 5000, it followed that
1876 eco stars had to be removed
5000 extra stars for the new state.
These new stars were cut by means
of mallet and die. The dies, of
course, are of various sizes, and
when the workman had selected one
of the right proportions he punched
the stars out by blows with mallet
each blow making % stars. The
special workman selected for this
job had a good many more than g.
900 stars to punch out, for a great
number of the old stars were found
to be of little use after they were
removed
The naval flags are all rearranged
by the sailors, who are much more
adept with their needles than the
soldiers, and in this case the flags
were not sent to any of the govern
ment departments, but each ship at
tended to the changing Of its own
flags. The new flags were first I'M
furled on Independence day, that be-
ing the date provided by law for the
'ny ine vi 4 rag ina, Us esirTsaHHgeu
"a tadnilt oI as ssyTfiBoi ltof a. H. V state
According to an authoritative writ
er nn the subject, .varicnS ideas
have been advanced for the simplifi-
cation Mt. the field of stars, 90. Old,
Glory. The difficulty in adding new
stars is ,nat 1eyas ',ge; 2stSsss..ss y y
made up of uneven numbers, and
this makes it impossible to arrange
a field OF stars that Is perfectly bal
auced In order to obviate this diff
Guilty 1t has been suggested that the
stars be placed in a circle, SO that.
40 natter how f1faiy- aew' states ana
stars are destined to apply for a
99l.se ~ the future they .!c,opld all
be provided for by the simple expe-
dent OF adding consultations to the
end Of the circular line.
This is radical departure that
has found some favor with the gov
ernment officials intrusted with the
work of rearranging the flag, but it
has not been thought expedient to
adopt the idea without appeal to
congress, and through congress to
the nation, for 1t Is felt that such an
important matter as the redesigning
of Old Glory is a matter for national
consideration.