The Colorado statesman., 1917-06-30

sion of Mr.. G. F. Gunther of Chicago this was the
first one raised, but was shot away. The flag
owned by the Lttlepages is the second one run up
Resan's Flag
In the rooms of the Stevenson Post at Roxbury,
Mass. is preserved of the strangest banners
the world has seen. In a tobacco factory in
Richmond, in Civil war times, many Federal SOL
diers prisoners. among them Timothy j..
Regain Regan conceived the idea of making flag
of Federal Stars and Stripes even in the close
confinement of their prison. There were about ~
men and they secretly got together the material
flannel shirt made the blue ground, shirt of
white cotton furnished the white stars, and goods
bought sufficient to make the red and white
stripes. In hiding, they worked at their task till at
last 1t was finished. 1t was thrown TO the wind at
once in a place which sheltered from the
view of the guards, then torn into strips and d-
vided among the men. After the war, Regan, by
persistent effort, managed to get together all the
pieces and had them sewn Into Tag, which Is
at Roxbury.
The flag of the Maine, the ship whpse sinking
precipitated the Spanish-American war IL 1s9S is
kept at Annapolis. Near by the banners captured
by Dewey at Manila from the Spanish, as well as
trophies of the battle of Santiago.
The banner which 1oated the North pole
raised there April 6, 1909, by Commander Robert
E. Peary, lies for safekeeplng in the vaults of
q safe deposit company in Washington. 1t was
made by Mrs Peary, the stars being worked In
silk embroidery. 1t flown in the wind on the
shores of the Polar for more than n fourth
of its circumference. The bits of white with
which It is dotted indicate the fragments which
the explorer left with records at different places
in his journey. Some were deposited at Cape
Morris K. Jessup, the farthest northern point OF
land earth one was left at Cape Thomas HuD-
bard, another at the starting point of the dash
for the pole-Cape ColImbia-fve bits are In the
Ice of "Peary's Farthest North" in 1906, and one
is yet in the eternal stiffness of the North pole
itself.
Oldest Flag In Museum.
The oldest flag in the National museum at
which there is authentic record. This is the ban
ner of John Paul Jones. On the very day the law
was enacted establishing a national flag for the
United States of America. June A. 1777, congress
appointed John Paul Jones to be commander of
the Ranger History does not relate, with au-
thority, the exact date of the making Of the
Rangers flag, but 1t must have been very soon
after the congressional enactment, because the
war department states that "The ship Ranger.
bearing the Stars and Stripes and commanded
by Capt. Paul Jones, arrived at a French port
about December l, 1777 and her flag received, on
February II, 177S the first salute ever paid to an
American flag by foreign naval vessels"
Later Paul Jones set his loved ensign high
above the Bon Homme Richard and 1t waved tri-
umphant many a fierce encounter with the
foes of the country The most notable of
these was when 1t came in contact with the Brit
ish ship Serapis in 1T79 and went down. Commo-
dor Jones rescued his precious STARRY flag" and
hoisted it the captured Serapis, bringing 1t
home covered with honor
The museum authorities believe this to be the