davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1927-06-12

2, 1910. 1t was this British canton
the Is stars of a new constellation.
There is pl4nty of evidence that the
group of Philadelphia patriots among
whom Hopkinson was numbered was
extremely interested in astronomy in
all it's phases, and astronomical com
PARSONS were no doubt common coin
in the language of the day. The
Declaration of Independence was
read aloud for the first time to the
assembled residents of Philadelphia
from platform which had been
erected for observing the transit of
Venus in 1863. David Rittenhouse,
the famous astronomer, delivered an
Grafton before the American Philo-
sophical Society in Philadelphia on
February "a, 1875. This was in
scribed to the Delegates of the IL
United Colonies" was devoted to the
subject of astronomy, and contained
many illusions in astronomical terms
to the relations existing between
Great Britain and the American
colonies.
Rittenhouse had married Francis
Hopkinson's aunt and was his init
mate friend. When Hopkinson de-
signed seal for the University of
the State of Pennsylvania, the device
included front view of an astronom-
ical instrument known as an "orrery"
belonging to the university and in
vented and made by David Ritten-
house. Above the orrery was "a star
of the first magnitude, in full radi-
ance, being one of the 13 States of
the United States representing the
State of Pennsylvania"
There has been persistent tradi-
ton that John Adams favored the
use on the flag of stars in the form
of the constellation Lyra, an idea
which Brazil has since followed in
placing upon her flag the Southern
Cross. Lyra, it was said, had the
required number of visible stars, and
signified harmony and unison.
1t is true that Lyra. the Harp, is
one of the consultations of the June
sky. 1t may be seen in the east at
this time of year in the early eve
ming. Vega, one of the brightest
stars in the Northern Hemisphere, is
its principal star and with two other
stars of lesser radiance forms promi-
nent equilateral triangle by which
one may always identify the Harp.
Curiously enough. one of the neigh
bors of this constellation to the west
and north is the brightly glittering
Northern Crown. and it is not i'm
possible that swhen earthly crowns
were being thrown into the discard
that Summer of 1777. "new constel-
lation" from the June heavens may
have been proposed.
In many aliases the Tyre is pictured
as borne on the breast of an eagle,
Lyra's bright star Vega taking it's
name from an Arabic word meaning
''swooping eagle" We cannot say
that the eagle of the old star gazers
became the American eagle, al
though at least two historians of the
flag tell us about the seal which was
family heirloom in the Adams fam
lily cut TO represent an eagle bearing
the Tyre as the constellation Lyra
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1927-06-12
Courage and Alerness Daily Requirements in Air-a FLYNN

ing the plane. cutting off a clear view
of the landscape below. 1t was, at the
best, an untracked. uninhabited will
derness. Eielson followed what he
thought was the Tanana River for
50 miles He could not detect a single
light below him which might have in
dlcated the presence of an Indian viii
lage. His doubts as TO the identity
of the river increased. There was a
growing suspicion that he had picked
up the route of the kantishma River
and was flying in Il straight line to-
ward Mount Mckinley.
Then. far below him, he saw al
light. 1t came from log cabin. and
Eielson was tempted to land, despite
almost certain disaster to his plane.
Instead he noted the location of the
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1927-06-12
~ntnnalof of
Preserved in o Cng@

Ornaments. devices and checks for, the
new bills of exchange on Spain and Holland
seal for the ship papers OF the united
States.
4, seal for the Board Of Admiralty atty. 60,
The borders. ornaments and checks Tor
the new Continental currency now, in the
press work Of conslderaplei, Iehs Sta,es of
America. with a reverse.
Later the amount of money asked
for was stated as $1,000, for Hop
kinson had enemies on the Treasury
Board, and the bill had many oppor-
tunities for review and correction
After being once allowed, vouchers
were demanded, and the bill went
back and forth from author to Board
of Admiralty, Board of Treasurers,
auditor general, commissioner of &C.
counts and Congress. A controversy
arose which threatened to disrupt the
Treasury Department, and did IN TACT
result in the reorganization of the
Treasury Board and the resignation OF
two of it's members.
In it's final decision the Treasury
Board denied payment because 1t Is
within the knowledge of one OF the
members Of the board that with re-
spect to the charges of the works in.
cidental to the Treasury the said
Francis Hopkinson was not the only
person consulted on those exhibitions
Of fancy and therefore cannot claim
the sole merit Of them and is not en-
titled in this respect to the full sum
charged"
The majority of the items had to
do with the work of the Treasury, and
August %. 1881, Congress passed
resolution that the report relative
to the fancy work of Francis Hopkin-
son ought not to be acted upon"
All of these papers are still pre-
served in the Library of Congress. and
1t may be that the enmity which
caused so much delay and duplication
of bills and reports is responsible for
their survival when so many other
records have disappeared. AS Hop.
kinsons biographer points out, in
none of these papers do we find that
even by his enemies was his claim
as a designer Of the flag of the United
States ever denied.
X X
EvEN if the evidence of Hopkinson's
share in designing the flag is &C
cepted, there is still the question as
to what may have suggested the can
ton of 10 stars. This is really the
only new part of the design, for
striped flags had been long in use in
the colonies, to say nothing of their
more ancient use by the ships of Eng
land and the Hanseatic League. Colo
NAL merchant ships carried a flag OF
red and white stripes before the Revo-
luton, and we read of the Navy Jack
of red and white stripes with a snake
trailing over it, and striped flags of
other colors are described by both
American and European writers Of
that time.
Various military organizations, such
as the Philadelphia Light Horse, used
the stripes as a canton in their stand
ards. Thirteen stripes and a canton
of British crosses formed the flag
which Washington raised on January
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1927-06-12

cabin and resolved to fly few miles
| in every direction in a last effort 20
! locate himself before risking wreck.
4 few moments later his plane was
| caught by the lights of the Fairbanks
| landing field He had been on approx
mately the right route most of the
| time.
The return trip had been made in Il
temperature of below zero, but
| Eielson's worst complaint was that he
was too warm because of the heavy
clothing he wore and special device
installed by the Government for heat
ing the mail planes. The trin had been
a historic incident in the history III
Alaska. 1t meant that the outpoS.s
were within a days journey of civil
cation, where hitherto the shortest
time had been two weeks. For nearly
a month the Indians at MCGrath had
watched eXpectantly for the appear
ance of the giant man-bearing
'ptarmigan" in the sky and almost
had given up hope when the mail
plane appeared.
THE spirit of the mail flyers was well
illustrated in the death of Capt.
Hyde Pearson. one of the regular
pilots on the New York Cleveland
route. He was killed in March, 1924,
when his plane crashed in the Penn
sylvania mountains. On his body was
found an envelope marked. ITO be
opened only after my death" 1t con-
tanned a letter which read as follows:
II so west with cheerful heart.
| hope what small sacrifice / have
made will be of use to the cause.
When we fly we are damned fools.
they say. When we are dead We
weren't half bad fellows. But every
one in the aviation service is doing
the world more good than the public
can appreciate. We risk our necks
and we give our lives. We perfect
a service for the benefit of the world
at large"
Here are a few excerpts taken from
the weekly records OF the service on
file at the Post Office Department.:
March IA. 1925. Pilot Hugh Barker
left Rock Springs, Wyo.. for Salt Lake
City late in the afternoon. There was
a heavy, adverse wind. He battled
a gainst this successfully and started
down Emigration Canyon, which comes
out at Salt Lake. The fog closed in
on him, shutting off visibility in every
direction. He turned lack and landed
from an altitude of 6,40O
feet on the only available site, a level
back yard of a ranchhouse 100 by 400
feet. In this narrow space he brought
lContinued on Seventh Page.)
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1927-06-12

and surrounded by a circle Of Is
stars.
The design may have been known
to the elder John Adams and pro-
posed by him for the flag in 1877,
but apparently he did not suggest it
when upon the seal committee a year
earlier. However, his design at that
time did include a representation of
Hercules. and Hercules happens to
be another constellation of the June
sky, situated between Lyra and the
Northern Crown.
X X X
OF the tradition which would trace
the origin of the starry flag to the
design of the Washington coatof-
arms Cigrand has this to say:
"The earliest reference which have
been able to find which announces the
Washington shield blazoned with
stars and stripes relates to a public
banquet at Baltimore. Md, in 1851,
where the ideas of an English poet,
Martin Topper. We're voiced. proclaim
ing that the American flag. with its
heraldic notions, was borrowed from
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1927-06-12

utes. A few minutes later he passed
over a stream which was not on his
map. He thought it was the Kan
tishma River. A few minutes later he
crossed it again and thought it was
the Tanana. Then he came to the
junction of two rivers. Such n meet
ing place of waters was provided for
on the map where the Nenana runs
INTO the Tanana, but the little Indian
village of Nenana, the starting point
of dog sled expeditions into Arctic
Alaska, should be at this point.
Eielson strained his eyes in vain for
the village. Then for the first time the
aviator realized that he was lost, that
he did not even know the compass
direction to Fairbanks.
BY this time the dark was enfold
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1927-06-12

of time in mail delivery made posi-
bile by the service he inaugurated.
EieIson flew from Fairbanks to Nc
Grath without incident in three hours.
Formerly it had taken from 10 to Is
days to get the mail over this route by
dog team. The schedule called for re-
manning overnight at McGrath and re-
turning to Fairbanks the next morn
ing. Eielson arrived at pm. tie
believed he had plenty of time to get
back to the home station before DUSK
which started about pm. the trl-
fling risk involved, he felt, was better
than to face the troubles of cold mo-
tor In the morning without expert
mechanical assistance.
He reached Lake Minchumina' the
halfway point. in an hour and Is min
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1927-06-12


n bergh made his heroic
NM 3,6OO-mile flight across the
Atlantic from New York to
Paris two services LAID
proud claim to the Galahad of the
clouds as one of their graduates.
First comes the Army. 1t had
taught him to use wings. 1t had push
ed a fledgling out of the nest and into
the air.
this rigorous school of flight he had
become endowed with the endurance
habit-with the mental attitude to-
wards fight as part of the routine of
every working day, and compare
lively safe, commonplace routine at
that
Lindbergh was the product of both
services. Both contributed something
to the ultimate result although. of
course the main factor was Lindbergh
himself. He had been a contract mail
flyer and never member of the little
band of pilots in the direct service of
the Government. But he had been
stepped in the traditions of the Serv-
ice. 1t was as much the air mail serv-
ice as the Army that flew across the
Atlantic.
Transportation Of mails by air is. on
the surface. less picturesque affair
services. The qualities striven for are
regularity, reliability and safety. The
mail flyer plunges night after night
through binding snowstorms, Squeez-
es through dangerous mountain pass
ss, and braves the treacherous lanes
through swamps of fog and mist. He
speeds along roads of light on the
wings of the wind. And with very few
exceptions he reaches his destination.
1t is not on the schedule that he be
killed or disabled.
The records of the service are filled
with picturesque and heroic exploits.
But these accounts remain, for the
most part, in the files or are circu-
lated only among the personnel Of the
air mail workers. Only the most
thrilling of them get to the, public.
The mail flyer crashes occasionally.
80 does locomotive run off the track
occasionally. When he crashes. ii he
is alive, his first thought usually rs
of how the mail can be gotten through
to the next relay point so that the
dependability of the trans-continental
aeryice will not be disturbed.
In their reports the flyers often try
70 treat humorOusly their misfortunes
Acts of heroism are more likely to be
considered as passing annoyances.
a notable incident in the air
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1927-06-12
RY JENNY CHIFFON WALKER.

L@ ESOLVED, That the flag OF
- the thirteen United States
IL be thirteen stripes, alter
nate red and white that the
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1927-06-12

lie the resolutions of Congress on
naval affairs, to distribute regulations
and naval signals and to act as an
advisory committee. They We're also
to settle the naval accounts, and ii
was perhaps the experience gained in
this accounting. as well as his legal
training. which later recommended
Hopkinson for the position of treas
urer of loans. 1t was while serving
in this capacity that the idea seems
to have occurred to him to present
bill for several little services he had
been in the habit of performing.
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1927-06-12

Like many other inventors, poets
and artists-and Hopkinson was all
three-he was very often in lack of
funds In the letters quoted by Mr..
Hastings there are many references
to the difficulties of living on his sal
airy, especially with the depreciation
of money existing at that time.
The bill, as first presented to the
Board of Admiralty. makes no men
ton of money, but it itemized as fol-
lows:
The flag of the United States of America.
Four devices for the Continental currency
A seal for the Board of Treasury.
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1927-06-12

December %, 1925, he encountered
snow and mist. The regular route
over the mountains goes over Saddle
Pass, but Scott had scant hope of get
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1927-06-12

mail service epic is that OF Pilot Paul
p. Scott, on the mountain division
between Salt Lake City and Cheyenne.
Almost from the start of his flight on
The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1927-02-04
Panon1a's Noah's Arb

Barro Colorado island was ftsHled
when the valleys about it were flooded
by the impounding of the water of the
Chagres river to form Gatun lake, says
the Detroit News. 1t resembles
Noah's ark in that there gathered as
the waters rose nearly every form Of
animal life in the vicinity, seeking
escape from the rising food.
Despite that it is only two miles
from the Panama river. it has been
found to harbor amphibians. of new
and strange habits as yet unstudied
and innumerable species of insects
never described, as well as many
strange and exotic plants. number
ing 1000 or more. 1t abounds with
anteaters, slOths, armadillos. peccaries.
tapirs. agoutis, COATS, the ocelot. the
jaguar, many species of bat. monkeys
of various kinds and the famous black
howlers.
The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1927-02-04
What Is Iron Made Of?

This looks like a singular, not to
say foolish. question. and yet some
chemists are beginning to doubt
whether iron is really chemical ele-
ment. They think that instead OF be-
ing I'M elementary substance it may
he a highly complex compound, and
that eventually means may be found
Of separating or isolating the bodies,
or elements of which iron is made up.
Different substances are ordinarily
combined either by simple intermix-
ture. as oxygen and nitrogen are inter-
mixed in the air. or by solution, or by
chemical combination.
But of late il has been suggested
that there may be fourth state of
combination still more intimate than
that which is implied by the usual ex-
preston "chemical union" The com
bination of yet unrecognized elements
which make what we call iron would
he an example of the fourth state.
What this conception necessitates
may he judged from the fact that 1t
seems to do away with the atom as
the smallest elementary particle Of
matter.-W Washington Star.
The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1927-02-04
Saxophones Used
in Fight on Devil

The saxophone-"instrument Of the
devil"-is being enlisted by the
churches in their fight on the devil, 1t
is indicated in advices reaching the
Conn Music Center, Elkhart, Ind. ALL
saxophone quartettes and sextettes in
church and Sunday school are among
the devils own weapons" being used
to win folks over to religion.
"Not so long ago it was quite COM
mon for church people to shun the
mention of saxophone, let alone 60 to
hear one played" says James F. Boy
er, supervisor of the Conn Music Gen.
ter. "The sentiment seemed to be,
even among musicians, that the saxo-
phone wasn't much good fcf but jazz,
and for a while it did appear that
the jazz artists were the only ones to
recognize and make use of this COM
paratively new addition to the brass
instrument family. Reports now COM
ing in here, however, indicate a
changed attitude on the part of the
public. Artists know that the saxo-
phone tones come nearest Of all others
In resemblance to the human voice, and
recognize that there is nothing so beau
tiful unsteady as a saxOphone solo.
HI. Benne Henton, one of the greatest
living masters of this instrument, claims
that no cleaner, more elevating or in
spirational music can come from any
instrument, and will not play anything
that has the slightest faint of jazz in
it. Saxophone quartettes and saxo-
phone sextettes are winning place
for themselves in churches, especially
those that cannot afford pipe organ,
and other churches have found that
the appearance Of nm orchestra at
church functions invariably draws in
creased attendance. This is indeed
fighting the dev,l with his own wea-
pons."
The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1927-02-04
Writer Speculdfes on
Possible "Dog Heaven"

Been thinking again. Been sitting
ing. Nice little dog. She has mors
sense and more humanity almost thar.
.Dts of humans whom | have met uE
with. What wonderful thing is tho
love and care of an animal for her
young! People have been S.,t"t.a
over to see her puppies-three ugly
little bull pups, with not much TO see
but wrinkles, says dog lancier in
Adventure Magazine.
Yesterday they disappeared mye'
teriously from their nest in the cor
ner of my little barn. looked round
and by and by found them. She had
dug large round hole under the
house and there she had taken them.
brought them out to the lawn She
smiled at me, in sngeig3r aud moth
erly manner and promptly lifted one
tty his hind thigh and ho,e lie s~iy
~ her newly made nest. In very
few minutes they were all back un;
ger the house. Then she came and
looked up. smiling at me. and request
ed me to scratch her under the ear.
It would be rather nice if there ac-
tually were dog star. w0fid it mott
Where we might in the hereafter
meet up with our old degst End hear
aust what they had to say.
The complete trust an1 cCnirade-
ship that dog offers to man is q
lovely thing. Too bad 50 raa2y men
&re not even fit for the trust of little
TALLER dog 1t is such an unwavering
and utter trust. IL ought to make a
rlan the better, causing him to sense
something of his responsibility, TO the
animal creation. Don't you think so;
1t would be rather correct. think,
IL in the hereafter there is dog star
ia which the dogs will live happily
together with all the doggy affairs ar
ranged to suit themselves. Then, per-
haps those humans who in this world
have been unworthy of the confidence
CT their dogs will be led r"l1s@ on
chains en2 :iet dpun Gl0 bones, and
occasionally dipped in sheep dip to
kill their fieas. Ell? Shut in the pound
and left there till some dog comes
along and agrees to pay for their
license?
How's that for an idea, now? Think
I'm mad for sure, don't you? Well
maybe | am, but it was the mother
of the puppies below my house who
put me wise to it. You'd better look
out. Maybe you will haee TO wear q
muzzle yet, in dog star land.
The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1927-02-04
Three Odd Churas

correspondent at Sydney, N. S.
W.. sends the following strange story
to the London Mall:
More than three years ago tor
toiSe crawled into the grounds of Ma
rengo Chase. Morpeth, N. S. W., the
residence of Capt. D. ]. Marshall. At
thn same time bat appeared.
The tortoise and the hat were
friends and their association caused
much amusement. After wandering
about the grounds for three months,
the tortoise left. followed by the bat
y ither the tortoise nor the bat
was seen again for three years, but
recently Captain Marshall was as
tonished by the temperance in his
grounds of the tortoise and the bat.
During their absence they had made
new friend-a magpie, and the queer
trio now live In amity.
The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1927-02-04
May End Mossui.o Plogue

An end to mosquito plague may be
brought about by raising brand of
non-stinging mosquitoes guaranteed
to eXpel the singing variety, accord
ing to a paper by a well-known scen-
fist, read in the Academy of Sciences,
Paris. The scientist described how
he had found in certain parts Of
Brittany a variety of common mos
quitoes which never entered houses
and never stung human beings. Fur
thermore, he noted that where these
were found there was never any sign
of the singing variety. AS an expert
ment he transported some of the
harmless variety from Brittany to the
Charente department and found the
non-stingers supplanted their singing
brothers in short time.