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About The Oregon daily journal. (Portland, Or.) 1902-1972 | View Entire Issue (June 14, 1914)
- . . -- "., V. s . r -3 f I J$f"iT """""""" " ' ' " """" "" l"ia"'' jyrfycw.i Mil fTf "H " y T ' " i f s? "- "T-'W 1 "fjl '?" ' " - KIT '-r r f '-V ' WrW? - r7' ' 1 111 I Al: ft'Tl' - 10 i i--i. S'Xfl9?WWL rr-TTI' Tl H 4 It ' --f If till E 1,1. 2V V Vtt r 4 - s- J i 1 ill! II t I -t'. SJ -l--xwiV"w Twit i jfsrfm ':":;'V,aj f V4 uo,: pi 'Vnr W " pv '-c-TW?m37 I fi ! - ; j.H TIAfr UIAT FIGURED IN Three Emblems in Possession of Oregon Historical Society Re call the Stirring Days of Over 50 Years Ago When Loyalty to the Union or Secession Constituted the Paramount Issue. . By Fred Lockley I N THE collection of the Oregon His torical society are three flags which played their parts in the history of Portland and vicinity of an earlier day, and of which are of especial In terest on this Flag day. All three emblems are of different sizes, and In . different states or preservation, ana 10 each one attaches a- story- all its own. One of the flags, the oldest of the three, and now faded and worn, was , made In Portland in the fall of 1855 by , a number of young women, headed by I Miss Mary Dryer, and Including the i Misses Harriet and Mary Millard, the ; latter of wnom was the mother of I Balph Hoyt. This flag was presented to Captain A. V. Wilson, of Company A, Oregon t Mounted Volunteers, and was used by i him In the Yakima Indian wars. The . martial spirit then prevalent inspired the young women to do something by way of displaying their patriotism, ! and this emblem was the result. It is ! made of red and white silk ribbon, I with stars of white silk sewn on a I field of blue silk. So delicate is It now j that, it looks about ready to fall to ; pieces. Story of the Bills Flag Another of the flags was made by : Mrs. Annie Bills, and was the first flag made in Portland after the outbreak MOVIES REIGN AMERICAN consuls in European and other foreign countries have recently been sending reports to ' Washington on the motion picture ln ' dustry, these reports showing that ' east and west, north and south, the 1 "movies" now hold sway and are i playing a star role in the amusements i of - the nations. From many places comes the con ( aular declaration that the attractions at the film play theatres are not mere ' ly one of the chief amusements, but ' the chief amusement. From Nurem berg, Germany, for instance, Consul George Nicolas Ifft writes that the , moving picture "has advanced to first ; place among the people of Bavaria." In Munich there are 32 theatres, with a total seating capacity of 4650, and a yearly Bale of 3,000,000 tickets, while ; in Nuremberg there are 14 theatres, , with a seating capacity or 3400. The other large Bavarian cities all have numerous theatres. Vice Consul Rice K. Evans, writing from Sheffield, says that the plays ! which are now drawing there are Ital : ian emotional dramas of love and pas i ion, French emotional problem plays . with the "eternal triangle," and Eng- llsh productions of old classics, care fully worked out as to detail. ' Mr. i Evans says that educational and in- dustrial films are gaining in popu larity. Consul Homer W. Bytngton reports , from Leeds that the film houses "are ; enjoying the greatest popularity and are steadily Increasing in numbers." With a population of 450,000, Leeds : has 61 picture houses, with a seating , capacity of 31.000. The average daily attendance is 50,000. Prices are 6, 12 : nd 24 cents. Scotch Like the Movies The Scotch like "movies", as much as the English. Consul E. Haldeman Dennlson reports from Dundee: The present prosperity of the clne ; ma to graph theatres in Scotland Is re r rnarkable. The hold that this form of entertainment has gained upon the , people shows no signs of diminishing. JTurniflhlng, a It does, an inexpensive THE cSLAVIKY" AtlTATIOr lN- of .the Civil "War. For a long time thla was the largest flag in town, and was pressed into service on many occasions. Mrs. Bills still Is a resident of Port land, and tells an Interesting story concerning the flag. Mrs. Bills lives at the corner of Flanders and Sixteenth streets, and, in spite of- her 85 years, she Is alert and . n ,r haDt)enlnir "My husband, Cincinnati Bills, was anxious to have a flag at our home, Airs. Bills said. "We lived on Second street, between B and C, or Burnside and Couch streets, as they call them now. "He erected a tall flagpole in our front yard, and then tried to buy a flag, but Portland was a small place in 1861, and none of the storekeepers had flags. I told him I would make one. "I bought some all wool red delaine goods for the red stripes. I couldn't get white cloth, so I got cream colored cloth and a square yard of blue mer ino for the blue field. An Irishman named Tom Stafford, an oldtime sail or, cut out the stars for me. I had it ready for the Fourth of July, 1861. "Our flag was used in Portland all during the Civil war period whenever -there was a procession. "It was used one Fourth of July at a big celebration held at the corner of Fourth and Couch streets for which Herman L. Leonard and Henry Green were the sponsors. "I recall that celebration Very well. There was a big barbecue at , which the guests all sat down at a big table. My, it was a fine spread. I couldn't WORLD OVER form of amusement, the cinemato graph makes a special appeal to such communities as Dundee, whose popu lation consists largely of the laboring classes, . who are unable to patronize the higher priced forms of entertain ment. ' The rise of the picture palace In Dundee has been extraordinary. A few years ago there were only two or three of these; today there are 26 li censes Issued for buildings, used for cinematograph entertainments, build ings used only occasionally for this form of amusement being included in this number. There is now under x;on struction here a building with a seat ing capacity of 1500, which is to be used as a picture palace. In Aberdeen every motion picture ' theatre reports. phenomenal' patronage, and three new ones are to be opened there shortly. Glasgow-claims the dis tinction of having the finest picture palace in the world. A marked-change is taking place in the style of film demanded. All class es of films are growing appreciably more restrained. American wild west scenes and the peculiarly continental domestic ' scenes. - which have hereto fore been so popular, are gradually being superseded by films setting forth the story of some , well known novel or play. The short film has al most disappeared., those now shown being 3000 to 6000 feet in length. Most of the films exhibited at the larger, houses have their scenes laid In for eign countries and are supplied . by American and continental firms. American Films Popular From Norway comes a similar story of, growing popularity. Consul B. M. Rasmusen at Bergen says that the re ceipts at the motion -picture theatres for the past year have much increased and that among all classes film shows are growing in popularity. American films are popular, it is stated, -te- cause they- usually portray heroic ac tion and stirring scenes." . i Consul ,,, Charles S.r Winans' reports from . Seville, . Spain, hat but few ; American films are shown there. He says that all classes of society attend the fnotion picture shows, which are ' often accompanied by classic or light opera music furnished by military . bands. The prices are from 3 to 9 cents. OREGON SUNDAY' JOURNAL, PORTLAND, SUNDAY stay to eat; I had to go home and cook dinner for some visitors whom we had at our house and "I tell you, I was pretty mad." The third flag in the Oregon Histor ical society's collection i which hark-j, back to war times is what is known as the Molalla. flag. It was the prop erty, of W. T. Eastham and was un furled for the first time from a tall flagstaff at his home near Molalla on July 4, 1861. Upon the blue field In the center of the stars is an eagle with wings outspread and on the lower white stripe is written "the whole re public" with the signature "W. t. Eastham" below it. The story con nected with the flag has to do with the bitter sectional feeling that per vaded all parts of the country in Civil war days. Eastham was a Union enthusiast and his reputation for kindness and square dealing made him a respected member of the community. Shortly before he died he related the circum stances of this flag raising to George H. Himes of the Oregon Historical society, who tells the story as follows: Sectional Bitterness Rife "Eastham came from his home in Mo lalla to Oregon City one day in com pany with a neighbor who was a Dem ocrat and a secessionist Eastham had made up his mind to erect a union flag on his premises on July 4 and he accordingly bought the material for the flag on this trip to Oregon City. His friend suspected his intentions, queried him about it and learned in no uncertain terms of the plans under way. ;Word spread rapidly about the com munity what Eastham contemplated. The younger and more hot headed southern sympathizers declared that they would never allow him to rais the flag. Eastham said nothing. In the meantime he had selected a tall, slender pole for us as a flag pole, while his wife was busily engaged in making the flag. In the first place he had planned to place a. snake in the mouth of the eagle that occupies the center of the blue field, symbolics of the "copperheads," but ultimately he concluded that would be unwise. As the Fourth drew near Eastham continued his preparations for his flag raising; his . opponents muttered their threats. Finally the older heads in the community recalled to their Im petuous sons that Eastham was a good citizen and neighbor and had in times past befriended them all and had pro vided food for many, and they coun seled that since Oregon was Union ter ritory Eastham should not be molested in his attempt to hoist the Union flag. Accordingly' when the Fourth dawned,. Eastham's flag flew on high, and no attempt was made to disturb it nor its owner." A Revered Emblem The American flag represents an ideal and to one born beneath its folds it appeals with all the hallowed associations of its glorious past. It not only tells of Valley Forge, Fort McHenry, Buena Vista, Gettys burg and Malabon and all of the his toric battlefields over which,, shot torn, shell-rent and blood-stained, it has triumphantly waved and which endear it to our memory, but it calls us to a sense of present duty; and speaks, of the days to come, bidding us to hand, it down unsullied to later generations. On the banners of the Israelites! the sacred standard of the Maccabees were the -initials In Hebrew of the text. "Who is like unto thee, O God amongst the Gods." .The Romans ded icated - their eagle standards to Jove, and in the days , of the -Crusades the knights received their standards at the foot of the altar. Territory constituting the- United States has been under many and va rious flags. The first flag raised on American shores was the flag of Leon and Castile planted by Columbus, it bore the lion of Leon and the castle oX Castile. The lions of England were hoisted over Virginia. The Dutch at New Amsterdam flew the banner of their country to the breezes of the At lantic. The French in Louisiana dis played the lilies of France, while the Spanish settling in Florida flew the traditional red and gold of their land. As colony after colony was formed they each adopted individual flags from the pine tree flag of New Eng land to the "Don't tread on me" rattle snake flag of South Carolina. Since the formation of the Union the national flag has supplanted other banners in western territory, it x has survived one of the world's most dis astrous civil wars, and has represented the United States with dignity abroad. Ever It has remained unstained, and today it is the revered emblem of more than 90,000,000 loyal Americans. KING OF SNIPERS THIS Is the story of Martinez, so called "king of the snipers," one of the underhand fighters who picked off good American sailors and marines for two days after the Ameri cans had seized Vera Cruz. Martinez was a Mexican who had fled before Villa from his vast ootton plantations In the Torreon district and had gone, to Vera Cruz with his Amer ican wife. All through the winter they 'Were frequently guests aboard United States warships In the harbor. His house was on the same street as the United States consulate, where fighting was hot the first day. On the second day, when the Americana advanced through the entire town and r held it, sniping continued In ' many sections, especially In the block In which Martinez' house was situated. Owing to the fact that the snipers used smokeless powder and kept them selves well hidden, it was next to im possible to discover them. During the afternoon of Wednesday Martinez came along the block, where a party of marines had been stationed in an effort to locate the snipers. He was warned by Colonel Neville of the marine corps not to go Into his house, as it was strongly suspected that snipers were located there.- Martinez professed his regret at such a suspicion, asserting his strong admiration and friendship for the Americans, and said he was sure no one could be using his house for such a purpose. He was finally allowed to enter his house. Subsequently it was noted that every time - Colonel Neville exposed himself in the street a shot would come from near by. It was obvious someone was trying to "get" the m . rine officer. Colonel Neville finally mounted the balcony ,of the American consulate and began watching the roofs and windows of the houses up the street through a pair of field glasses. He saw Mar tinez sitting on his balcony with a newspaper spread out on his lap and smoking a cigarette, apparently Idly watching the proceedings. As he watched him the colonel saw to his amazement Martinez quickly pull an automatic revolver from under the newspaper in his lap and fire a shot, restoring the weapon to. its hid ing place under the newspaper with lightning speed.. Calling a marina. Colonel Neville pointed out the man on the balcony and said bluntly: "Get him." ' The marine fired and Martinez fell off his chair. He was wounded in the stomach. . He was removedto another house by a Mexican doctor and his wound dressed. The next day, appar ently not satisfied with what the Mex. ' ican - surgeon had done for , him. he sent for Dr. M. S. Elliott, U. 8. N: a personal friend, who T has " been in charge of the shore hospital.- Dr. El liott dressed the wound again, but Martinez died.' - -'. His American wife was at the time on board the American refugee ship Esperanza. She was told that her hus band had - been forced 'upon the bal cony by snipers and shot by them. MORNTNO, JUNE 14, 1B14- ORIGIN OF Stars and Stripes Evolved by Betsy Ross From Crude Design Suggested by General Washington and Others and Ac cepted as the Nation's Flag 1 37 Years Ago Today. By F. L. 0 N June 14, 1777, Just 137 years ago today. In Independence hall. Philadelphia the birthplace of our nation and the cradle of our liberty congress adopted the follow ing resolution: "Resolved, That the flag of the United States be 13 stripes alternate red and white, that the union be 13 stars, white In a blue field, representing a new constella tion. The stars to be arranged in a circle." Prior to this the flag of the colonies had been the blue flag withthe red cross of St, George of England upright upon the blue field, across which was the symbol of Scotland, the whit cross of St. Andrew. Though the Eng lish flag was the official emblem of the colonies for more than 160 years, the colonies had fallen Into the way of using individual flags. The fact that almosc every colony, every regiment ' and every ship had an Individual flag and owed allegiance to their own flag caused George Washington to write to the authorities in 1775: "Please fix oil some flag by which our vessels may know each other." Congress appointed General George Washington, Robert Morris and Colonel Ross to select and "designate a suitable flag for the na tion." This committee went to the home of Betsy Ross to have her make a flag. Her -husband, John Ross, to whom she had been tnar rled but three years, had died in January,' 1776, from an Injury received while guarding military stores. His widow carried on her hus band's business, that of upholsterer. She came of sturdy Quaker stock, her father, Samuel Grl scorn, having helped build Independence halL Several years ago, after spending most of the day In Independence hall, in Philadelphia. I went to 239 Arch street to visit the Betsy Ross house. .It. Is a narrow little brick building, 'dingy' and bid fashioned. The Betsy Ross House. The house was old even when Betsy Ross lived in it. as it was built in the days of William Penn from bricks . made in England and brought as bal last in the hold of the "Welcome." The house has two low cellinged stories and an attic. The roof slopes sharply and is broken midway by a small dormer window set with small old fashioned window panes. As I stood there I tried to picture the scene when General Washington and his two fel low committeemen talked with the pretty young widow, Betsy Ross, about making the flag. . Betsy Ross, at that, was a mere girl, being but 25. years old. She lived to see many stars added to the 13 she first sewed on. ' She died ' In 1836 at the age of 84, in her birth place in Philadelphia. Can you picture the scene as Betsy , Ross put aside her work to examine the -crudely, penciled sketch which' General Washington had drawn for her guidance? He showed - her the pro posed flag, .consisting of 13" alternate stripes of, red and blue with 13 start on a field of blue. "But the stars are six pointed," said Betsy Ross. "Why ; not have them five pointed?" -General . Washington explained that he had pur . posely made them . six .pointed so as not to Imitate his own coat of arras, which, consisted of red and white stripes . with three five pointed- stars. Five pointed stars were drawn and . compared ' with the six -pointed ones . and the committee decided. In favor of - the five pointed star and asked Betsy Ross to prepare a flag In accordance with General Washington's sketch. - The flag she made was approved by -the committee and General Washing ton, : Colonel , Ross and Robert . Morris recommended its adoption. Congress accepted the committee's recommenda tion and the Betsy Ross flag become the flag of the newly born nation and she was given the contract to make all L " 71 ..:. T3AKAE(& IN J3T "WOMEN OrPOBTlAND FOB THE NATIONAL FLAG' the government's flags. At her death her daughter, Mrs. Clarissa Wilson, continued the contract until 1857. The new flag was first used In mili tary service on August 6. 1777, at what was then Fort Stanwix, but later was called Fort Schuyler, and Is now Rome. N. T. It got its first baptism of fire at Cooch's Bridge, near Wash ington. Del., on September 3, 1777. On June 14, 1777, the day congres's adopted the Betsy Ross flag as the flag of the new nation, John Paul Jones received his appointment to the command of the Ranger. He said: "The flag and I are twins. We cannot be parted in life or in death. So long as we can -float we shall float to gether; If we must sink we shall go down as one." John Paul Jones on February 14. 1778, had the great pleasure of seeing for the first time the American flag recognized by a foreign power. France saluted the colors by firing a salute to the Ranger and also to the Independ ence. He was the first commander to see a British man of war strike her colors to the stars and stripes. The Stars Increase. The flag that originated with 18 stars In the Revolutionary war had 15 stars at the time of the war of 1812. The battle flag that was torn by shot and shell and pierced by the lances ef the Mexicans at Buena Vista had 29 stars. A flag with 35 stars opposed the stars and bars on many a hard fought and bloody battle ground during the Civil war. When Roosevelt and his Rough Riders charged up the hill at San Juan and when Dewey sailed into Manila harbor our flag bad 45 stars. Today we have 48 stars, the two new est stars representing New Mexico and Arizona, which were admitted to the union in 1912. To speak of Old Glory brings to mind that sturdy old sea dog. Captain Stephen Driver, who was born in Sa lem. Mass., on March 17, 1803. When at the age of -8, he sailed from Salem In command of a brig he was pre sented with a flag. As it was hoisted aloft the wind caught it and as its rippling folds straightened out in the breeze Captain Driver, looking aloft at our beatlful 'national emblem, said: "There floats Old Glory." Today this same flag, the first to be christened "Old Glory," Is to be seen in the mu seum of the Essex institute at Salem. Mass., having been returned to the port where it first was flung to the breeze, and where it received its name. Until recently there stood at George town, near Washington, D. C, an old style house known as the Key man sion. Here it was that Francis Scott Key lived when he wrote the immor tal song "The Star Spangled Ban ner." Key was the son of an officer in the Revolutionary war. He was born in Maryland, Aug. 9, 1780. He was appointed district attorney by General Andrew Jackson and moved from Frederick, Md., to Georgetown In 1801. During the war of 1812 Admiral Cockburn brought his fleet Into the Chesapeake and sent word to Secre tary of State James Monroe that he Intended to retaliate for the wanton destruction of property , by the Amer ican soldiers In Canada. General Ross with 5000 men were landed from the . fleet and marched on . Washington, where the capitol. the White House and other buildings were burned. The news of the destruction of the public buildings in th national capital was received with dismay in Baltimore. Word was brought that the British troops were on their way to Balti more to burn that city. The citizens of Baltimore at once fortified Fort McHenry. Origin of National Anthem On their way from Washington to Baltimore, three stragglers from the British army were raptured by Dr. .William Beanes . of . Upper Marl borough. One of them escaped, and. . 'Ai V-V, r 1 if i: 1 J, rejoining the British army, told of the' capture of his two comrades. Sol diers were at once sent back and Dr. Beanes was captured at midnight and taken on board one of the British war vessels, where he was told he would be hanged from the yardarm at daylight. Word of Dr. Beanes' cap ture was sent to his intimate friend, Francis Scott Key, who at once saw President Madison, who gave him the use of a small vessel used by John S. Skinner, the commissioner who bad charge of the exchange of prisoners. Accompanied by Mr. Skinner, he went under a flag of truce to the British fleet, and interviewed Admiral Cock burn, who explained that the hanging of Dr. Beanes had been postponed, and on account of his having helped some wounded British officers in the past he would probably be released. . Ad miral Cockburn informed Mr. Key and Mr. Skinner he would have to detain them for a short while, and he. had them placed aboard the ship Surprise. The frigates of war went up the Ches apeake and landed the troops to as sist in the capture of Fort McHenry. On Tuesday morning. Sept13, 181. the fleet drew near Fort McHenry. and after putting the two Americans aboard their own boat under a guard of marines the 16 British frigates be gan their bombardment of the fort. They expected to demolish it In short order and be able to land the marines in Baltimore to burn and sack the city. All day the bombardment kept up and nightfall found the fleet still throwing shot and shell at and Into Fort McHenry. Late that night a courier from the British land forces brought word thst the British troops hsd been repulsed and General Ross, the commander, was killed. Admiral Cockburn determined to avenge his death, so he ordered his frigates to close in and demolish the forr without further delay. All night the result of the attack was In doubt, but "by the dawn's early light' Key and his companion saw the shell torn flag still waving above the ramparts of the fort. Then and there on the tossing boat, amidst the acrid smoke of the British guns. Key wrote his Immortal song. It was at once set to the old air "To Anacreon In Heaven," and In a few days all Bal timore was singing it. Francis Scott Key died on Jan. II, 1842. in Baltimore, and on his grave In the Mount Olivet cemetery at Fred erick. Md.. night and day there ever waves the flag. The graves of more than 4000 un known dead burled in Arlington cem etery and the more than 340,00(1 flag decked, grassy mounds marking the last resting places of soldiers of the union In our 87 national cemeteries are more eloquent than words to prove that our fathers were willing to lay down their ..lives for their flag and our flag. :'..' The Message of the Flag In '98 our boys, from a-reunited north and south, sealed their devotion to the flag by marching out at the call of their' country, and again today, should the call come, from northern farm and forge, from southern field of corn or cotton, from the looms and shops of the east and from the broad and bounteous western land, our boys " will "rally to the colors. Today in our public schools the chil dren, when the flag Is brought into the ' schoolroom, rise, stand at atten tion, and with band raised 'In salute they say together: , I pledge allegiance to my flag snd to the republic for which It stands: One nation indivisible with liberty and Justice for all." ' Ws do .well to teach our children loyalty to the flag which' has been stained - with - the best blood of our country's defenders from Yorktown to Vera Cruz. ' "Off 'with. 'your hat as the flag' goes by; Uncover the youngster's head: Tech him to hold It holy and high, For ths sax of our sacred dead.' n 11 ii --ilrr