The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1937-02-18


posedly waved her flag of defiance in
the face of Stonewall Jackson and his
"rebel horde" That was almost three
quarters of a century ago, but the
storied flag still waves mid "the clus-
tered spires of Frederick"
Really the flag, carefully framed,
rests on the crowded wall of an hum
BILE little room on quaint South Mar
ket street. But, in spirit, it waves
about in argument in many a Fred
erick home. And it waves many tour
lists in and out of the little town, send
ing them forth in rather a state of
confusion.
Motorists passing through Freder-
ick-and there are many of them-are
well advised in advance of their arri-
val that it was here that Mrs. Fritchie
perpetrated her gallantry. The two
main highways leading through the
town are redundantly placarded with
arresting signs advertising the Frit-
chic Triangle, the Barbara Fritchie
home, the house containing the orig
inal relics of Barbara Fritchie, and
hotel, tea room and chocolate shops
bearing the heroine's name. It's all
very confusing to the tourists but many
of them like to be confused and, ac-
cordingly stop at one or more OF the
establishments bearing the Fritchle
trade mark. AS many as 1000 persons
have signed the registry at the Bar
bara Fritchie home in one month
and at sizish fee per head.
The curiosity of these tourists is
Unsuitable. Most of them approach
their shrine with some knowledge OF
the Whittier poem, which has turned
a quiet little old lady, who used to
go calmly about her business on the
streets of Fredericktown, into figure
of heroic proportions throughout the
English-speaking world.
Throughout the year, but especially
in the hot months, they come into the
town in droves from every State in
the Union and cluster first about the
reconstructed home. 1t is rare day
that does not find several cars parked
before the little house by the bridge
on Patrick street.
Once inside the house, the curious
may traverse supposed reproductions
of the rooms in which Mrs. Fritchle
led her quiet, unexciting life. They
NAV stand at the tiny dormer window
from which, according to the Whittier
poem, she waved the flag. They may
feast their eyes on the furniture and
objects which surrounded the hero
inc in life-chairs, mantlepiece, desks,
butter churners, dresses, glove stretch
ers and innumerable bits of brlc-a-
brac. And, rumor has it, there have
been times when, if the tourist was
curious and opulent enough, he could
purchase a fragment of the historic
flag. This has not been proved, but
some Fredericktonians say that in the
forgiven past several flags have been
cut up and dispensed to the nations
curiosity seekers as pieces OF the ban
ner which Dame Fritchie reputedly
waved at General Jackson.
$3.50
Many of the visitors at the shrine
believe that they are in the hallowed
walls which once held the brave Mrs.
Fritchie. Actually the house was con-
structed in 1926 as a rather free re-
production of the original. 1t stands
on the bank of a stream, which now
flows over the site of the original
house, and differs from its model in
both size and number of rooms. 1t was
necessary, of course, to have the dor
mer windows for the benefit OF those
who would come to the house with
literal Interpretation of Mr.. Winters
poem.
People who visit the house now will
not be recompensed with as much au-
Ehenticity as were the tourists of
three years ago. When the corporation
of the Fritchie Home Company was
formed in 1926, call was sent out for
all extant Fritchie relics. Frederick
garrets and cellars were ransacked
and within a short period the recon-
structed house had been admirably
furnished with all the necessities Of
life. The citizens responded with china
and silverware, soup ladies and cof-
fee pots, and old-fashioned "tuck
comb and all sorts of articles of
wearing apparel. One surprised wo-
man received $1,000 for silk dress
which once encased the diminutive
form of Mrs. Fritchie.
The bulk of the relics were gath
cred from the collection of Mrs. Henry
Hanshew, Barbara Fritchie's niece, and
Miss Eleanor D. Abbott, her grand
niece. Previously, Miss Abbott and
her mother had displayed their relics
in their home, where approximately
5000 visitors registered over period
of twenty-seven years. "a small num-
Der alongside the 1000 who have