Every evening, Wilmington daily commercial. (Wilmington, Del.) 1878-1928, 1922-04-13
ORIGINAL STAR SPANGLED BANNER

who enjoyed considerable local repu-
tation as q singer. be called upon.
Durang. who WAS poeSesSed OF mons
Of that false modesty which aMics
many who verge on bcing vocal artiets,
mounted a chair and put his heart
into singing The Star Spangled Ban
nor" for the first time. After no hsd
sung IL once, everybody In the lit's
tavern sang the Gong under his lead
ership. This singing was Kept up for
several hours. 40 great was tho en-
thusiasm and patriotic fervor moving
tho people Of Baltimore because of
the recent repuise OF the enemy aest
Of Britleh ships.
Song Sung in Theatre
The little tavern owned by Mrs. Ber-
ling, Which was the setting for this
historical scene. was right next door
TO tho Holiday Street Theatre. When
the theatre opened for the season, tho
song was made a part OF every per-
fornancc. However, lnstead Of playing
the anthem just before me beginning
OF tho performance. as was tho custom
IN all American theatres during mo
World War, the song vas rendered
aftervard. II was not merely Orches-
trail, the entire company Of actors Lead
ing all OF the audience in shouting the
immortal words 70 the very heavens
One PADDY Mcfarland was the lead
ing mon Of the theatrical company
then playing AZ the Holiday Street
Theatre, and no - was VINO led me
Singing
The uttered Old flag now IN the Va
tionaI Museum here was carefully pro-
served, chiefly because Il Was the in-
! SEPARATION OF the famous anthem. Prob
! ably e would have been kept sone-
where a. treasursd reminder ~ ths
I repulss Of the British at Baltimore.
/ but the whole nation took an intereet
/ IN this hattle-scarred bit Of bunting
because Of its association with Keys
/ inspired patriotic poem.
Despite the fact that the old flag
WIS mounted on net and carefully
nended. II stfli reveala the signs II
age and wear, and plainly shows that
Il has been through strenuous times.
The old emblem of this nation has
little in common with the flag Of to-
day except the general plan on which
II is made, with the blue field dotted
With white stars In the corner, and
IN. alternate red and white stripes.
However, where today there are as
starr. IN horizontal rows OF stars
each. there are in the old Fort Nc
Henry flag but Is stars all told. Be-
ginning at the edge which would be
: next the fsspole, there are three
, stars in A row. then a row OF two
. stars. then three. then two, thres
, more, and two more.
! Old Flag Has Is Stripes
In the early days. It was custo
!, mary not only 10 add a star for eaci
additional state admitted 20 the Union
but TO add a stripe TO the flag a.
well. When the country reached fl
a days Of real expansion. this had 4
b stopped, ana the stripes IN tn
= flag were reduced TO "a, 10 cnrrespon
r TO the - original colonies which wer
q formed into the United States O
r America when this country freed il
q self from British rule.
d However, the country had not gon
n back TO 13 stripes for It's flag in 1871
and there were just as many stripe
a as stars in the blue field and the oil
4 inspiration for Keys poem has !
I'd stripes.
es Key was not a Baltinorean, b.
ne was born in Frederick county, MARI
40 land He was a lawyer, practicin
ne his profession in Washington and III
50. town Of Frederick, later famous q
Oh the home Of Barbara Frietchie. Ke
was buried in the little cemetery
II Frederick. His home in Washingtc
On was one Of the sights Of the city Il
&c. a long time. being torn down not Tor
ago in order that a big new brid.
% connecting Washington with vi
=, ginia might have its Washington er
- on the site Of the old Key home. TT
bridge Is known TO Washingtonial
bo as the Key Bridge" because OF tn
ar fact
Sc. -
lg Read the classification II OF 4