Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1918-06-14
Happy if H er Painstaking
Stitches Help Keep Men
and Women of Today True
to Democracy
Wrath of Colonial Seamstress
Tells of Pride to Girl Wis.
itor to Arch Street House
Birthplace of Old Glory Scene
Today of Most Elaborate
Celebration Ever Conducted
There
By SARA LOCKWOOD

An AIR of excited importance TODAY
4 \ pervades the little shop at 2ss
Arch street. which, despite its environ
ment Of busting industrialism. has re-
tanned such sleepy staidness that psss-
crshy usually forget even to glance that
way.
To the uninitiated, thew Gathered fog
which has hung for months over the
portals has meant nothing more than
thousands of other flags floating in the
breezes. Even the sign across the mar
row building: Birthplace of Old Glory"
evoked little response from any except
visitors to the city
La: on Flag Dor none ccuIa I-es il
ny Without stopping = marv,i White
tn .N,n, rican flaS. v,,'ra toby hcn a
special meaning he-alsc cf tic lij.n
anniversary Of it's aioo %, holds the
cent: OF attraction, the Stand.rds ami
f.tIitr. of All the a:ihl naiinns hold
forth at the home of Betsy Ross.
The wooden shield in the center Of the
building, with its faded portrait of
George Washington. is draped with new
flags. A pavilion gaily bedecked in ma
tonal colors has been erected over night
as the setting for the programs which
VIII he held this afternoon and tonight.
Service Flag for 2O.147
Emblazoned on tie adjoining wall in
all the glory of red. white and blue elec-
trio lights is huge tableau proclaim
ing God. Humanity. Democracy" above
a service flag denotng that 2o,147 Phila-
delphia boys are doing their bits today
under the same standard the Quaker
seamstress first made in 1875,
A girl from the newer West, where the
only historic antiques are those nature
has left as landmarks on hills and
prairies. was tie first to enter the shop
today. He faith in Betsy Ross stories.
heard since childhood. wre unshaken. It
was with a certain reverence that she
asked to see the relics of Americas early
days.
There wasn't even glance from the
shopkeeper as he directed her to the rear
room In the midst of vari-colored
flags. buttons quaint old prints and
other souvenirs he dashed frantically
about making plans and giving orders
for the Flag Day programs which are
TO revive memories of Betsy Ross and
her part in the nations history.
The cool dimness Of the room in whirh
the pretty Colonial seamstress sewed to-
SetHeT lne bunting lot tne 1lTSt Aner1-
can flag was relief to the western
girl. She sank into one of the stiff
backed chairs to look and dream.
The queer little old fireplace was the
only really familiar object The blue
tiles with their Dutch windmills were
the same pictured in the only paintings
the country knows of Betsy Ross. There
were logs on the andirons, but a bright
red fire-extinguisher close beside dis
PEELED any romantic notions of bygone
days Strange photographs decked the
low wooden mantle beside signs of
warning: Boys Must Remove Their
Hats" and mo Smoking"
The walls were covered with steel
engravings and old-fashioned pictures.
most of them OF Washington. An easel
in the corner held the familiar picture
which many critics have declared a
monstrous fake. In 1t Betsy Ross Is
represented showing the newly complet-
ed flag to Washington. Robert Morris !
and George Ross.
Poor Betsy would scarcely recognize |
the place now, / imagine the girl MUIR /.