Evening star., 1929-06-30
Capital Sidelights
RY .HnL R.lKENNEpY.


makes timely the reminder that our
National hymn, America" or MY
Country, IT'S of Thee" was first sung
on July 4, 1882, by Sunday school chill
dren at a patriotic festival in old Park
Street Church, Boston.
1t was written by Rev. Samuel Fran
| els Smith, who for more than half a
century lived at Newton Center, near
Boston, and to whom Oliver Wendell
| Holmes referred in one of his most
famous poems, 1.-The Boys of 49," as
g. A fellow of excellent pith:
Fate tried to conceal him by naming
him Smith"
| DR. Smiths own story of how he
composed this hymn is one of the many
rewards that come to a browser In the
Library Of Congress. Lowell Mason,
a noted composer of music, submitted
| to DR.. Smith a number of German
| singing books for his advice regarding
| their appropriateness for use in the
| public schools of Massachusetts,.
Turning over the leaves Of one of
! these music books" DR.. Smith mar
! rated, II found one song of a patri-
otto nature set to the tune which
England claims as hers because she has
| so long sung it to the world-'God
Save the Queen but which the Danes
claim as theirs and which the Germans
| claim as original with them, and of
| the real origin of which believe none
! is certain. The music impressed me
by its simplicity and easy movement.
I was at once moved to write a patri-
otic hymn of my own, which American
children could sing to the same tune.
| This did on a scrap of waste paper,
finishing it within probably half an
| hour.
THAT was in February, 1882. I gave
the hymn to Mr.. Mason with others
some translations, others my own COM
position-and thought no more about it.
The following Fourth of July I hap
! pened into Park Street Church. in
Boston, where Sunday school children
were enjoying a patriotic festival. 1t
was at this children's Fourth of July
| celebration that America was first
| sung, the words of which had written
q few months before. Since then I
have heard 1t sung all over the world"
The 150th anniversary Of the birth
of the Stars and Stripes was taken by
Representative Underhill Of Massa-
chusetts, who is one of the leading
workers for the magnificent develop
ment Of the Capital City, to arouse in
terest in the parent predecessor of our
| present flag - The Continental great
Union flag, our first truly American flag
Representative Underhill also i'm
presses upon US that his home town,
| Somerville, Mass, claims to be the place
where the great Union flag of the
| United American Colonies first waved
| defiance to a foe" This, he says, has
been perpetuated in the design Of the
corporate seal of the City of Somer-
vile, designed in 1871. This historical
fact is also featured, he points out, in
| the design Of new bookplate used
by the Somerville Public Library. In
| 1908 the patriotic citizens of Somer-
| vile, without financial aid from the
! Federal or State governments, erected
a unique memorial tower on Prospect
Hill to commemorate this historic event
| of Nation wide Importance.
A gracious tribute is paid by Mr..
! Underhill to fellow townsman when
| he concluded his speech by saying, II
am indebted to a constituent of mine,
| Thomas E. kissing, of 76 Prospect
| street. Somerville, for much of the data
contained in this address, and I wish
to express my appreciation of his help
full service
Although 1t Is lit years since the War
of 1912 there are still 10 widows of
soldiers and a helpless and dependent
daughter who are still drawing pen
sions from Uncle Sans gratitude chest.
Three other widows died within the
last six months.
Among the surviving widows OF the
War of 1912 Is Emma Mann, Green
bush, Mass. whose husband was
Thomas Mann, private in Elen's and
Hastings companies of the Massachu-
sets Militia.
Another is Marion A. Clark, Iowa
City, Iowa, whose husband was John r.
Clark, q private, in McClellans Com
pany, Massachusetts, Militia.
The other surviving widows are:
Armina I. Anderson, Cedar Grove,
Ga.-husband, Robert Anderson. flfer,
Nabors' a. Company, South Carolina
Militia; Emma Arnout, Rural Route 65,
Ashville, N. Y husband, Samuel
Arnout, private, Parker's Company,
New York Militia; Mary Coleman. Route
/, Claudeville, Va.-husband, Robert
Coleman, private, Davenport's Com
Graham, Brushy Run, w. Va-husband,
Isaac Graham, musician, Bodkin'S Com
pany. Virginia Militia; Mary Isgrigg,
588 Delta avenue. Cincinnati, Ohio
husband, Daniel Isgrigg, private, Gull
lum's Company, Ohio Militia; Caroline
King, East Aurora, N. Husband
Darius King, private, Stevens Company,
New York Militia; Catherine Sandidge,
Alto, Va.-husband, Anderson Sandidge,
first lieutenant, Tinsley's Company,
Virginia Militia, and Mary A. Williams,
264l Janney street, Philadelphia, Pa
husband, John M. williams, private,
Moore's Company, Maryland Militia.
The dependent daughter Is Esther
Ann Hill Morgan, independence, Greg.
X \ X 4
OF the approximately 100000 persons
in the United States drawing war pen
sions from the Federal Treasury, Ohio
heads the list Of States with 43,740 on
the rolls.
OF the 10000 annuitants on the Civil
Service retirement rolls, 2,484 are In
the District of Columbia.
The oldest annuitant on the roll Is
108 years old. AS shown by his own
declaration and by the records of the
Pension Bureau, he was born on Christ
mas day. 1920. Another annuitant is
103 years old. third 10l, and there
are more than SO between 80 and 100
and 1850 between 80 and go. The
youngest is only 33 years of age.