Red Lodge daily news combined with Carbon County news., 1933-05-10
By ELMO SCOTT WATSON

BY ELMO SCOTT WATSON
E HAVE a national anthem-"The
k@ Star Spangled Banner" We have
@NNu a national fag-the Stars and
WQ Stripes. The eagle is our national
W IOnNNv bird with the turkey as the "un-
kMl XIM official national bird on Thanks
YVM giving and ChristmasD j. Several
7 ieQWt years ago q nationwide %referen-
dunn to choose q national flower,
conducted by the American Nature
49, association, resulted In the wild
- rose polling the greatest number
of votes, getting almost twice as many as the
~columbine, the nearest contender, and three
times as many as the violet, which placed third.
And now there Is a plan on foot for holding
q national referendum to choose q national tree,
thus giving us another symbol around which TO
center our loyalty to our country. Between now
and January, 1884, the people will register their
will as to what tree has the greatest appeal to
Americans, best typifes the American spirit and
has been an important factor In our history.
The result of the poll win then be presented to
congress for whatever action 1t chooses to take
In making the choice official.
II Is difficult to predict what the result will
be. Undoubtedly there will be many votes for
the elm because there Is still fresh In our memo
ries the thousands of elm trees which were plant
ed last year, during the Washington bi-centen-
NAL, In commemoration of Washington and of
the historic elm In Cambridge. Mass, under
which he took command of the Continental army.
No doubt some of the states will hope that
their official state tree will be honored by be-
ing made the national tree. But that rather
limits the choice, for there are only six which
have such official state trees or trees so char
a~cteristic of those commonwealth as to be state
trees. South Carolina Is the Palmetto state, but
1t is doubtful IL the palmetto Is likely to be
the national choice. For the national tree should
be one which can be found In every section
of the country and the palmetto is found only
In the south. The same consideration may pre-
vail against Indiana's official state tree, the tu-
lip tree, and against that variety of the horse
chestnut which has given to Ohio Its popular
name Of the Buckeye state. California, no doubt,
would be well pleased to have its giant sequoias
or redwoods thus honored, but there again rises
the objection that they are indigenous to only
one part Of the country.
Illinois state tree is the oak and the oak is
found In one form or another In nearly every
part Of the United States. But objection already
has been raised to this as the national tree be
cause 1t is "hard-hearted' and such a tree could
mot very well typify the American people.
II historic association is to play a part In
the selection of a national tree, there are In
Vulnerable individuals of several different species
which will demand consideration for their par
ticular kind.
Several years ago the American Tree associa
ton, under the leadership of Charles LathroI
pack embarked upon the laudable enterprise Of
establishing a hall of fame for trees and invlt
,nr citizens In all parts Of the country to nomI
- hfeto~tn t~oaq In their communities fol
places In this gallery of honor. The following L
by no means a complete list of those which hav'
heen registered In the hall of fame (some still
standing and others long since passed away Blu
It will give an idea of the intimate association
of some monarch Of the forest with some his
tory-making event:
Washington elm near Palmer, Mass, on tn
Springfield Boston highway, of which 1t Is re
corded that "beneath this tree Washington
rested and refreshed himself and delivered
short address only three days previous to TAX
Ing command of the army at Cambridge"
Tibertv tree, an elm which stood on Bosto
Cannon and under which meetings to protes
AGAINST the Stamp act and other expressions D
England we're held by the patriots. 1t was Gu
down In IT'S. while the British army occupie
Boston, for hrewood and for revenge upon tn
rebels"
Treaty tree, near vincennes, Ind, sole SUI
v,vor of a walnut grove In which Gen. Willial
Henry Harrison held council with the gref
Indian chief, Tecumseh, August 1916. 1910.
Boone's "Bar" tree, on Boone's creek, a sma
tributary of the Wautauga In eastern Tennessee
which while still standing bore the Inscription
carved by the noted pioneer, sd. Boon cilled
BAR on this tree year 1850"
John Browns tree, a white oak near Bar
hamsted, Conn, under whose branches Jof
Brown of Osawatomie and Harper's Ferry fan
played as a child, calling 1t my tree" and r
visiting It every time he returned to the q
cestral home In Connecticut. 1t Is also called Il
Council tree, because of its use for that purpo
by Indians of that vicinity.
Morse elm In Washington, ID. O., named I
Samuel #. b. Morse, inventor OF the TELEGRAPH