THE ALLIANCE-
INDEPENDENT,
OUR FIRST OLD GLORY
HISTORY OF THE ORIGINAL
AMERICAN FLAG.
It Wat Mud by Mrs. HeUey Hon
Under Direction of Geu. George
Washington How 80 we of the Stttrt
Got Lost.
HE STORY OF
the origin o the
J first American flag
."Z has bfpn told a
SS rmmt mantf timoc
f$$ Uti curiously sub-
'.' it In variations
Home of the facts
here set forth have
never before been
stated accurately.
There seems to be
no question but that the stars and
stripes adopted by this government as
a national emblem had birth in the
colonial house now standing in Phila
delphia, 239 Arch street. Mrs. Betsy
Ross was the maker. The War depart
ment, State and Colonial records from
Maine to California fully confirm this.
The number of stars and stripes was
mm ' nil
MRS. BETSEY KOSS.
fixed by an act of Congress at thirteen
stars and thirteen stripes, representing
the thirteen States in the Uion.
Ilistory tells us that Mrs. Ross re
ceived the contract for making all the
government flags, but after the design
was heralded over the country people
seized upon it and applied it in every
conceivable fashion, even taking to
red, white and blue shirts and all man
ner of patriotic garments. The mak
ers, of course, were not all artists and
the loss of one or more stars or a
stripe was not noticed. In. this way
many misstatements have been made
honestly about the original standard
In the first days of the Revolution
each State or colony had its own ban
ner and at every battle fought under
it perhaps added to it a motto. At
Hunker Hill "Come if you dare" was
the watchword. Massachusetts
marched under a green pine on a white
ground, with the words, "An Appeal
to .Heaven," Connecticut troops
adopted for their motto, "Qui trans
tuilit sustinet" (translated "God who
brought us here will sustain us').
In July, 1775, Gen. Putnam displayed
a red flag on Prospect hill, with the
mottoes of, Connecticut and Massa
chusetts. It is not fully known what inspira
tion blended the stars and stripes. The
Philadelphia Ledger in June,1877,inan
article on the flag,said that,asa whole,
it was the same, or nearly the same, as
that of the East India company, but it
has been held that the new flag may
have been suggested to Washington by
the banner of the Philadelphia Light
Horse, the first city troop which es
corted him on the way to Cambridge.
That ensign had a canton of thirteen
stripes of blue and silver.
.Mrs. Ross' grandchildren George
Canby, Mary Canby Culin and Mary
Sidney Garrett authorize the state
ment that the picture here published
of the house 23'J Arch street correctly
represents the building in which the
first United States flag was made. The
picture of Mrs. Ross in from the only
photograph of her in existence.
Mrs. Ross worked under the direction
of a committee of the Continental
Congres-i, of which her husband's un
c e, CoL George Ross, one of the sign
ers of the Declaration of Independence,
was chairman. The design was fur
nished by Gen. Washington in person,
and Mrs. Ross modified it by changing
THE ROSS HOUSE.
the form and arrangement of the stars
and the general proportion of the flag.
Mrs. Ross was assisted in her work by
her eldest daughter, Mrs. Clarissa S.
Wilson, who afterward succeeded her
in the flag-making business.
'immigration.
The Tim: Will Co ns When American
WM H Crow l,Ml Out.
The American people have never
thought that perhaps sometime in the
future a tide of emigration may flow
fro;n our saorei as the tide of immi
gration now flows toward us. But
what is to prevent, if things, as they
now exist, continue. For many years
tho t.'nited Slates will offer better op
portunities lor labor than the oid
world will offer, and jii9t so loug as
that is true, the steamships from the
old world to the new world will be
loaded with those who will be seeking
to better their I t-tunos. This country
is destined to have a very dense pop
ulation Not only will all our terri
tory be oecup ed. but the time will
come when there will be a thousand
farms of twenty, thirty and forty
acres to one of a quarter section, and
none of larger size than l t;0 acres; and
this means the depopula'ion of the
old w rid to a very sensible degree.
As New r.ngland is now complaining
of a andoned fa ms Kurope will in
time be compla ning of lessen
ing population. Indeed It com
plains already. An Italian paper of
recent uate says that last year the
number of emigrants rose from 217,
240 in 18 0. to -'. 5,000. in round num
bers an increase of about 7. 000
emigrants, of whom . 1. OX) declared
that they left their native land with
no intention of returning to it. 1 ur
ther. the orlicial statistics show that
ot the persons who emigrated with
the expressed intention of never re
turning, there were . 7.001) in 1885.
85. 000 in I- 8t. U'. I 00 in lSt7. 1.6.
000 in lo84 113. 0J 0 in 1S89, 10 .000
in 11J0 and 16.000 in 1891. Thus
in the past seven years about 900. 000
citizens have abandoned their country
because they have despaired of being
able to earn their bread at home
Last year tho number of people who
came to this country from foreign na
tions was 65"). 46, not including the
immigrants from tho British North
American possessions and from Mex
ico. T.ius the country is filling up,
and still there is more to follow.
Such a foreign emigration as would
naturally be expected, disturbs the
labor market. Many of taese people
are willing to work for less than the
native and adopted citizen ia willing
to work for. But we do not propose
to discuss that phase of the question
in this connection. It is to the fact
that an immense population is to oc
cupy this country, that we desire to
call atwjntion. Naturally the cities
will enlarge, and most of them are
too large now. Farming will be
loosely done by many of these
people, to the injury of the land
and the discouragement of the
poor farmer. Added to all these d 8
ad vantages, suppose that the presont
untrammelled exhibitions of greed
and plunder should continue; suppose
that trusts should be allowed to mul
tiply; suppose the few should go on
getting richer and the poor 6hould
continue to become poorer; suppose,
in a word that the few. should make
it their business, backed by class
legislation and the feebleness of gov
ernment to grind the masses into the
dust, absorbing the fruits of their
labor and claiming to be Lords of all
they surveyed, in what a compara
tively short period of time almost
before the babe now lying1 in its
cradie should go to its grave the
people would think about emigrating.
But whether these last-named
abuses are permitted to exist or not.
emigration will come. It will start
first from the west to abandoned New
England and extend to abandoned
Europe. That is what the greed of
steamship companies, land sharks and
American demagogery is doing for
this beautiful country. While the
Farmers' Voice would not forbid the
industrious, honest foreigner who
wishes to become an American, com
ing to America it "would vigorously
shut out the criminal and the pauper,
the loud-mouthed anarchist and it
need not be said that it would put a
quick stop to the robbing of the
masses.
Railway! vs. Waterwavs.
There is but little use in trying to
improve our water ways so long as we
allow the railroads to shove the freight
rates up in the fall alter navigation
has closed and then reduce their rates
the moment navigation opens in the
spring. Boats running but half the
year cannot compete with this sharp
practice. And it must be borne in
mind. too. than when the boats can
not run there is more Ireight to be
moved. During some years there are
no boats from St Louis up the Mis
souri, simply because the boats can
not compete with the freight rates
then in force on the railroads. Of
course for point9 off the river tho rail
roads have made no reduction in
freight but charge whatever thn traf
fic will bear the whole year roucd.
The railroads are getting to be a big
ger power than the government itself.
It is high time the people had called
a halt and if the railroads can not be
made to realize the fact that the peo
ple have some rights which they, the
railroads should respect then we are
in favor of the government operating
all lines of railroad, and we have held
that the government should do this
anyway. Chicago Free Trader.
AVIio Owns America?
Who owns America? The railroad
companies own 21 1, 000. 000 acres, or
enough to make six state- as iarge as
Iowa. The Vanderbilts own over
2.000.000 acres. Mr. Disston. of
Pennsylvania owns over 4.000.000;
the Standard Oil company 1. 000. 000;
and Murphy, of California an area
equal to that of the state of Mass
achusetts. The Sohenley estate owns
land from which the heirs have re
ceived.annuaily.$l, 000. 000. 21. 000. 000
acres are owned by foreigners, who
owe no allegiance to our government,
and are no friends to a republic.
What will our children own? a right
to pay rent Tulare Citizen.
Special rates Tgiven members of the
People's party at the Jennings hotel,
Omaha, Neb., Ninth and Harney Sts
13tf
Low Hates for Modern "Woodmen
Meeting.
The Chicago, Rok Island and Pacific
Rrilway will sell Tickets from points in
Nebraska to Omaha at low rates on the
certificate plan. See Ticket Agent for
particulars as to dates.
Jno. Sebastian. G. T. & P. A.
Chicago, U. S. A.
FOIt SALE.
Seventy-five Poland China pigs, April
and May farrow. Sired by Virginia
Lad 8457 S: he bv Business 20489: dam
Virginia 32588 by i ecumseh 4339. Sows
bv Geo. Wilkes, Equality, Tecumseh
and many other noted sires. There are
none better bred. Will breed a few
sows for sale to Groom 17687 O, A Grand
King Tecumseh boar and Square Busi
ness 2nd for spring litters.
E. H. Andrews, Kearney, Neb.
Oregon, Washington and the North
western Coast.
The constant demand of the traveling
public to the far west for a comfortable
and at the same time an economical
mode of traveling, has ltd te the estab
lishment of what is known as Pullman
Colonist Sle pers.
These cars are built on the same gen
eral plan a the regular first-class Pull
man Sleepers, the only difference being
that they are not upholstered.
They are furnished complete with
good comfortable hair mattresses, warm
tlankfts, snow white linen curtains,
plenty of towels, combs, brushes, etc.,
which secure to the occupant of a berth
as much privxcy as is to bo had in first
c as- sleepers. There are also separate
toilet rooms tor ladies and gentlemen,
and smoking is absolutely prohibited.
For fu'l 'nfoimation send for Pullman
Colonist Sleeper Leaflet.
J T. Mestin, C T. A. 1044 O. St.,
E. B. Slosson, Gen. Agt.
Lincoln, Neb.
Send ten cents in stmps to John Se
b stain, Gen'l Ticket and Pass. Agt,
C , R. I. & P. R'y. Chicago, for a pack
of the ''Rock Island" Plaing Cards.
They are acknowledged the best, and
worth five times the cost. Send money
order or iostal note for 50c , and we
will send five packs by expret-s, prepaid.
JWQ'JAINnO WITH THE GEOGRAPHY 0' THISCOUNThi
HIGH VALUABLE INFORMATION FROM STUDY OF THIS MAP OF i.
CMcap,MIsM& Pacific Ry,
Toe Direct Route to and from CHICAGO, ROCK
ISLAND, DAVENPORT, DE3 MOINES. COUNCIL
ELUFFS. OMAHA. LINCOLN, WATERTOWN,
SIOUX FALLS, MINNEAPOLIS, ST. PAUL, ST.
JOSEPH, ATCHISON, LEAVENWORTH, KANSAS
CITY, TOPEKA, DENVER, COLORADO SPRINGS,
and PUEBLO. Free Reclining Chair Cars to and
from CHiCAGO, CALDWELL, HUTCHINSON and
DODGE CITY, and Palace Sleeping Cars between
CHICAGO, WICHITA and HUTCHINSON.
SOLID VESTIBULE EXPRESS TRAINS
of Through Coaches, Sleepers, Free Reclining Chair
Cars and Dininjj Cars dally between CHICAGO, DES
MOINES, COUNCIL BLUFFS, OMAHA and LIN
COLN, and between CHICAGO and DENVER,
COLORADO SPRINGS and PUEBLO via St. Joseph,
or Kansas City and Topeka. Excursions daily, with
Choice of Roules to and from Salt Lake, Portland, Los
Angeles and San Francisco. The Direct Line to and
from Pike's Peak, Manitou, Garden of the Gods, the
Sanitariums, and Scenic Grandeurs of Colorado.
Via The Albert Lea Route,
Fast Express Trains daily between Chtcago and
Minneapolis and St Paul, with THROUGH Reclining
Chair Cars FREE, to nd from those points and Kan
sas City. Through Chair Car and Sleeper between
Peoria, Spirit Lnkc and Sioux Falls via Rock Inland.
The Favorite Line to Watertown, Sioux Falls, the
Summer Resorts and Hunting and Fishing Grounds ot
I he Northwest. .
For Tickets, Maps, Folders, or desired Information
nppiytoany Coupon Ticket Office, or address
E. ST. JOHN,
Gtsnl Mtnacer.
JOHN SEBASTIAN,
Gen'l Tkt. & l ass." -t.
CHICAGO. ILL.