Elko independent. [volume] (Elko, Nev.) 1915-current, 1915-06-21

see the right. We need them now
and then to tell us of the deeds of the
glorious men who drew :heir swords
at Lees or Longstreet.s or Johnston's
bidding or of those who famed the
dcmigods of war where Grant or Sher-
man or Sheridan led; of those whose
campfires shone out on the dark walls
of Blue Ridge, or lit up with their
glow the waters of Gauley and OF
SHENANDOAH; of those who sleep in
graves consecrated forever more,
where the stars look down tonight
through shadowy trees in Spottsyl.
vanian woods and Stafford Groves of
the long lines whose musketry rang
out their sublime peal in the early
gray of that April morning at Shiloh,
whose fierce battle shout at Chancel.
lorsville or in the wilderness mingled
with the farewell sounds that broke
oil Jackson's and on Sedwick's ears.
sounds scarcely stilled ere the accla-
nations of angels awoke them to
sublimer greeting.
Who walks tonight among the
trenches where the flower of Europe
is dying and cheers the sons of France
to untold deeds of valor? Who bur
the little corporal with his three-cor-
nered hat and his little spy-glass.
What songs awaken the killed war
riors from Loeb Lomond and Ben
h.
while they troop to death as to
feast? The songs of Wallace and of
Bruce
What gigantic figure stalks behind
the German trenches inspiring tn"
legions of the Rhine with dreams of
German world power so that they
gratefully die for the Fatherland? The
man of blood and iron, the man of
German unity, that stupendous combI-
nation of intellect and energy Otto
Won Bismarck.
And so we Americans would not
erase a single name from the tablets
Of memory of those who dropped their
stainless swords after AppomattoX and
returned to lead the nation to the vic
tories of peace. May they ever be
the theme to awaken oratory's sublim-
est efforts. May they ever be the
shrine at which poetry shall offer its
most harmonious numbers.
These flags which we salute tonight
are presented by the loving hands of
the women of Nevada, the same
hands which if duty called us would
tremblingly clasp the belt of war about
us and send us forth to do or die for
our native land and then turn back
10 spend the long nights in prayer for
our return each in her own Garden
of Gethsemene. And there is no star
upon that field of blue that shines so
steadfastly as the faith, and love
and loyalty of the mothers of Amer
lea; and there is no bar of red upon
that device that can represent one
heartrending hour of the sacrifice
those mothers have gone through to
make this country great in citizen
ship.
These flags are presented to the
Battleship Nevada by the Four Wom-
chs Relief Corps of Nevada. in Tono-
pah, in Virginia, in Carson City, and
IN Reno. They take unmeasured
pride in their achievement for this Is
the first state where the women have
presented set of standards to their
batleship. The blue flag with the seal
is the first official flag of the state OF
Nevada so sanctioned by the last leg
islature of Nevada. We should look
upon 1t with interested eyes for no
man can tell through what storm or
stress or catastrophe or triumph or
glory it may be born. 1t may be one
OF the memories of the generation. We
may be making history. II may never
come back to us. 1t may come back
to us hallowed by the lives of our
sons. But wherever II flies upon the
seven seas It represents the gift of an
honorable people and may no dishonor
come to It.
The blue flag with the anchor de.
| VICE IL tne ENHNWl WDtluiiuu IJhblBn'
and old Glory itself is the Naval Ba.
tallion Infantry flag. This represents
the set of flags upon each OF our bat
tloships. These are beautiful gifts by
the women of this state conceived in
spirit which is too often allowed to
languish.
SO finally these flags represent the
pioneer spirit that bore old Glory aloft
along the iron trail or in its folds
wrapped the bodies OF those they left
behind; the pioneers who carried that
flag from the Mississippi to the coast
and planted It where they subdued
the wilderness and conquered the
granite hills. It's history and the bible
was their only literature. II was their
only source of entertainment as
around the bivouc in the evening they
recalled to their sons and daughters
| the valorous deeds they wrought I'M