The Ely miner. [volume] (Ely, Minn.) 1895-1986, 1933-05-12
BY ELMO SCOTT WATSON

:: i. !. !. :
wR HAVE a national anthem-'The
kE A Star Spangled Banner" We have
kl MEM a national fag-the Stars and
NN G#SA Stripes The eagle is our national
MY ,k6fWs bird with the turkey the "un-
elA HNVa official national bird" on Thanks
Nv pW giving and ChristmasD. Several
Fl'leRW years ago a nationwide referen-
Al 7 DUN TO choose a national flower,
| II conducted by the American Nature
association resulted in the wild
rose polling the greatest number
of votes, getting almost twice many the
columbine, the nearest contender, and three
times as many the violet, which placed third.
And there is a plan on foot for holding
national referendum to choose national tree,
thus giving US another symbol around which to
center 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 important factor in our history.
The result of the poll will then be presented to
congress for whatever action it chooses to take
in making the choice official
1t 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 bicenten-
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
acteristic of those commonwealth as to be state
trees. South Carolina is the Palmetto state but
it is doubtful if 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 it's giant sequoias
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 another in nearly every
part of the United States But objection already
has been raised to this the national tree be-
cause it is "hard-hearted' and such tree could
not very well typify the American people,
If historic association is to play a part in
the selection of 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 Lathrop
Pack embarked upon the laudable enterprise of
establishing hall of fame for trees and nvit-
ing citizens in all parts of the country to nomi-
nate historic trees in their communities for
places in this gallery of honor. The following is
by no means complete list of those which have
been registered in the hall of fame (some still
standing and others long since passed away but
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, the
Springfield Boston highway of which 1t is
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"
Liberty tree an elm which stood on Boston
Common and under which meetings to protest
against the Stamp act and other expressions by
England were held by the patriots 1t was cut
down in ITS. while the British army occupied
Boston, for frewood and for revenge upon the
rebels"
vivor of walnut grove in which Gen. William
Henry Harrison held council with the great
Indian chief Tecumseh, August 1916. 1870
Boones bar" tree on Boones creek a small
tributary of the Wautauga in eastern Tennessee
which while still standing bore the inscription
carved by the noted pioneer, 3D. Boon cilled
BAR on this tree year 1850"
John Browns tree, white oak near Bark
hamsted Conn, under whose branches John
Brown of Osawatomie and Harper's Ferry fame
played as a child. calling ii my tree" and re-
visiting it every time he returned to the an
cestral home in Connecticut. 1t is also called the
Council tree. because of its use for that purpose
by Indians of that vicinity.
Morse elm in Washington. D. c., named for
Samuel F. B. Morse, inventor of the telegraph