The Birmingham age-herald., 1923-02-25
Flags Made RightHere
 in Birmingham

Every age produces it's heroes. or heroines-men and women who stand out from the masses by reason of heroic deeds, or by taking daring and unprecedented position on some vital question, or by just slipping into some little unique niche all their own, and filling a need that everybody else has overlooked.
 Such a person is Mrs. Henry Swope of 9l6 Eighteenth street, south, who has won for herself the title of the Betsy Ross of the South" Although Mrs Swope has been given the title of one of Americas hcroines, she does not pose as a heroine herself. In fact she would not like to think of herself as being different" from the general run of people in any particular, and really she is not very much. One meeting her cas- ually for the first time would think her just 9 plain, sweet, sensible wom- an, with strong motherly appeal for those of us who haven't 8 mother of our very own, to whom we may go with our little everyday sorrows. Perhaps different Is not the word 10 describe her-"distinction" is bet ter.
 Mrs Swope has the distinction of having-made more American flags than any other individual we know of, her record to date being 515. She never turns anybody down who Is in need of a flag for any occasion whatever.
 Some years ago when one unit of the old Confederate Veterans were going off to a reunion, and for some E unaccountable reason their flag could not be found, and they were in the last stages of desperation for i fear they would have to go off with out one Mrs. Swope volunteered to k make them a brand new one. They got off to the reunion on time, and as pleased as crowd of boys with new brooches on.
 Two of Mrs. Swope's standards have gone to the White House at S Washington. She sent one to Presi dent Wilson just before he went to the peace conference in France, and presented President Harding with one on the occasion of his inausurae 5 ton.
 Several regiments carried flags presented by Mrs. Swope to France with them. She also gave a good many privates who went to the World war small flags to carry with them from here. The 526 of our own boys who left Birmingham ! in one train for training camp each carried a tiny replica of Old Glory in his kit.
 Colonel Crenshaw. who wak- sta toned at the State Fair Grounds here in 1917, was the recipient of a beautiful silk pennant; and upon its return, the Rainbow Division was honored by Mrs. Swope in like man ner. The first flag used by the local unit of the American Legion was given them by this very patriotic lady.
 She has made the Alabama state flags used at every reunion of the United Daughters of the Confeder acy. And so on down the line. Her banners fly from the fiagstaffs of many training schools all over the country. and also public schools in this city and surrounding district.
 She has just completed two beau tiful ones for the Birmingham News, to be given by that paper as prizes, one to the county school sending in the most tinfol and the other one to the city school whose pupils send in the most.
 The Women's Relief Corps, of which Mrs. Swope is a member, and under whose supervision some of these flags were made, is soon going to present the Boys Industrial Schooi with a handsome pennant.
 Not all of the flags made by Mrs. Swope are given as presents. Some of them are made to orderl and bring handsome prices. All money so made is used for benevolent purposes. Much of it goes to provide enter tainment and little luxuries for the old Confederate Veterans. and some Of it is used in alleviating and ame- liorating the sufferings of our World war veterans who are still sick or in distress.
 Every Friday the women's Relief Corps meets at the home of Mrs. Agnes Shipman, Thirty-f first street and Twelfth avenue, where they piece and quilt quilts, which are sold and the money put into the flag fund. ana used for the purposes above stated.
 T just love the flag said Mrs Swope, as she smoothed its silken surface. and I never miss an op- portunity to try to instill this love into others. Especially children" AZALIA DIsCUSSES CUSTOMS