The Ely miner. [volume] (Ely, Minn.) 1895-1986, 1929-12-27

this resolution should 60 to 'the wild
ow Ross" TO have her make il for
them Whether or not Betsy Ross de-
signed the first Stars and Stripes or
whether that honor belongs to Fran
els Hopkinson of New Jersey is mat
ter for dispute among historians. AT
any rate Betsy Ross seems TO have
been connected il some way with the
early history of our national banner
and the Betsy Ross legend" If legend
it be, seems TO be firmly fixed In our
national tradition of the origin of our
flag.
There is one event connected with
the flag which took place on January
l, however, which is undisputed. That
is the fact that on January 1, 1776.
Gen. George Washington raised over
his camp at Cambridge, Mass, a flag
in the canton, had the thirteen alter
nate red and white stripes, represent
ing the thirteen colonies. This flag
was referred to in the correspondence
Of the day as the american colors,"
and may safely be regarded as the
first American flag. Since the thirteen
colonies represented in the thirteen
stripes, although fighting for their
rights, had not yet broken entirely
away from the mother country, the
British Union Jack was retained to
show their connection with England.
Six months later, however, the ties
which bound them were severed by the
Declaration of Independence. and then
the need for a new banner resulted in
the doing away with the Union Jack
Then came the historic resolution Of
June IA, 1777, the stars were placed
in the canton and the flag of the Unit
ed States became the Stars and
Stripes.
On January l, 1900. there was born
at Wallingford, Conn, a man who was
destined to become an important fig-
ure in American Journalism and to in
troduce an innovation which was TO
be the forerunner of one of the most
important factors in our modern news
papers. For il was Moses Yale Beach
who conceived the idea of speedy
transmission of news which resulted
ultimately in the founding of the AS
ISOLATED Press, the greatest news gath
ering organization in the world. A
cabinet maker, inventor and paper
mill owner in his youth, the turning
point in Beach's career came in 1921
when be married a sister of Benjamin
Day, founder of the New York Sun.
In 1885 he purchased an interest in
that paper and later became its prol-
prietor. Beach brought TO the Sun
original methods for securing the first
tidings of important events Express
trains were run between various
points at his expense, and before the
telegraph was invented he used car
rier pigeons to bring early European
news from incoming steamers. as well
as from political gatherings. race
tracks, etc. During the Mexican war.
finding the means Of transmitting news
so slow, be established a ''pony ex-
press" system of couriers which re-
duced the time by one-third Laying
the matter before his fellow publish
ers form of cooperative alliance
was worked out which was forerun-
ner of the modern Associated Press.
The War Of 1872 saw another impor-
rant event taking place on New Years
day. For II was on January 1. 1915,
that the British made their first at
tack on New Orleans, and a week la
ter occurred the decisive engagement
In which @Old Hickory" Jackson SO
decisively defeated Pakenham's vet
Grams.
On January 1, 1922, the first Amer
lean settlers arrived In Texas, an
event which forecast the struggle for
second war Of independence in North
America and the the addition Of the
Great Southwest to the United States.
On January ]. 1881, William Lloyd
Garrison, the Abolitionist, published
the first issue Of the Liberator, the
paper which was to have so great an
influence In the slavery dispute. And
what Garrison started on January i,
1881, was finished by Abraham Lin
coin 81 years later. On January 1,
1863. his historic emancipation proc
iamation went into effect, and the
death blow to slavery In the United
States was struck.