FEBRUARY, 1925
THE UNITED AMERICAN
infringing upon this principle. The American people
must stand united in keeping the public school of our
land free from strife and dispute. It must remain the
Crucible that burns out the dross of false standards
and intolerant ideas, germs of wrong home-environ
ments. Only in this way will America’s public school
be able to send forth a generation inoculated against
these mental diseases and rendered capable of defend
ing American’s cardinal principle of freedom.
AN IMMIGRANT’S DECLARATION OF INTENTION
THAT IS WORTH EMULATING
UOR THE purpose of enlightening the alien Ameri-
A
can residents of English birth who are so proud
of their native land that they consider it more or less
a humiliation or at least a matter of condescension to
forswear their allegiance to the king of England and
become citizens of America, the United American takes
pleasure in presenting the following frank statement
made by the prominent English author, Major A.
Hamilton Gibbs, who recently arrived in America as
an immigrant to this country:
“I am convinced that America is the only
country to live in during this generation. England
is no longer what it was and the strong ties which
it once held for its sons are fast dissolving. The
era of the new world has actually come and the
new world opens up bigger opportunities.”
That’s mighty fine, old chap!
Put ’er right there, Major Gibbs.. In the name
of Uncle Sam, you are thrice welcome, because you
have given us to understand that you have come to
take your part as an American as soon as you can
qualify. You are not the first immigrant who has
come in that spirit, but it is rather unusual to have
one make such an open declaration of intention on the
threshold when he steps off the boat and advances to
take his place among the rank and file of the Ameri
can people.
Britishers, who are still in the rear, should begin
to feel differently about this matter of choice in citi
zenship and feel an urge to emulate Major Gibbs.
The name of Gibbs is an honored name in Great
Britain, the major’s brother is Sir Phillip Gibbs, an
other distinguished citizen of that kingdom. Perhaps
there is little in a name, as names go, but inasmuch
as Uncle Sam keeps a good record of those who take
a definite stand for him, there is a reasonable as
surance that the spirit which prompted this immigrant
to make the quoted statement will characterize his
efforts to back it up in unswerving loyalty and fidelity
until the name of Gibbs has been accorded a place of
honor in Uncle Sam’s citizenship annals, a guarantee of
faith and a credit to the country in which it
originated.
DIAMOND DEPOSIT ON VALLEY FORGE FARM
U7ITHIN a stone’s throw of the Continentals’
camping ground: at Valley Forge a foreign-
born farmer is said to be living over a diamond
deposit.
Eight years ago Morris A. Barr brought his wife
and daughter to America. He bought a little farm
near the spot where Washington’s troops spent the
winter of 1777-78. Mineral water springs yielded
Page Eleven
him a comfortable living. One day while digging a
basin for his springs Barr spaded up sparkling white
sand. The sun flashed brilliantly from dozens of
little stones. Barr called his friends.
Today ’his eleven-acre farm is visited by thousands
of tourists who come to view the historic field nearby.
Marshals Foch and Joffre came to see his place and
took away as gifts some of the gems. Among the
tourist have been geologists and mining engineers.
They have explained the “diamond farm.”
The Barr home is built between two knolls, part
of a ridge that enciries Valley Forge. The knolls
are extinct volcanoes. Centuries ago they erupted
and threw the sparkling sands and stones into the
valley between them.
Diamonds, garnets, topaz, moonstones, sardonyx,
sapphires, jasper stones studded with obsidian, jade,
black opals, tiny golden and greenish berries, crystal
quartz, lapis lazuli, moss agate and eVen the Labra
dorite have been dug from the white sand pit. None
of the stones ¡having been cut or polished, their value,
remains uncertain.
And Barr who stubbornly refuses to mine the
gems, says: K
I would spoil my springs. This mineral water is too
valuable to risk on a diamond mining gamble.
And so the Valley Forge volcanoes retain their,
jewels.
In the Barr farmhouse is a huge fireplace, hewn
from a giant boulder taken from the pit. Glinting
chips and rough specimens of all the above named
stones are imbedded in its surface. Thousands have
seen and marveled at these deposits of rare stones.
DIGGING UP A BIT OF ANCIENT HISTORY TO
PROVE OR DISPROVE ITS AUTHENTICITY
A N ANCIENT church in Southwark, a parlia-
mentary borough of the- city of London, is to
be tom down. Incidentally an old tale related for
centuries is to be tried as to its merits.
The old house of worship is the St. Olav’s Church
which is said to have been erected centuries ago
and dedicated to the memory of the Norse king
Olaf who, having become converted to Christianity,
devoted his life to destroying paganism and planting
the sign of the cross in the Northlands. Some time
after his death he was canonized in recognition of his
work in advancing the cause of the church and as a
saint his name has lived through centuries and been
attached to churches and chapels in Norway and in
England and his memory eulogized in stories and
folk-songs down to the present day.
London “Answers,” reiterating the story, tells
how Harold who obtained the sobriquet “Hare-foot,”
and was the son of king Canute “the Great,” success
fully connived to become the ruler, though his half
brother, Canute “the severe” (Harthacanute), was en
titled to the crown. He died at Oxford in the year 1040
and was buried among the kings in Westminster Abby.
His successor, the half-brother whom he had cheated
out of his rights, is related to have sought vengeance
upon his deceased predecessor and relative by remov
ing the body from its resting place and after having
had. the corpse beheaded, ordered it thrown in the
Thames. A fisherman found the 'body which, accord-