VALLEY SETTLER
Published every Friday at Palmer* Alaska
by the Uatanuska Valley Farmers Cooperating]
Association in the interests of its membersj
and of the Matanuska Valiev in general*
By L. H. Allen
By subscription
By Mail
Single copy
$1*00 per year
1,75 "
.10
Liberty magazine says that it wasn't a
rash of flagitis that caused all the impor
tant national magazines to appear in July
with handsome pictures of the Stars and
Stripes on their covers. That it was the
result of a "patriotic conspiracy" fostered
by the National Publishers Association.
We note that the boys and girls of the
4-H clubs in the Valley are being taught
the history of our flag. That's a fine
thing and we hope that the boys and girls
are absorbing the facts they are told.
The next paragraphs are from Liberty mag
azine t
"How much do you know about the history
of your flag? This would be a good time
to ask yourself. We were reminded about
its birth date some weeks ago when we illus
trated an article with a reproduction of the
famous painting, Ufashington Crossing the
Delaware. . .Promptly came a letteri *1 am
not qualified to argue with the article,but
I can punch a hole in the picture. Abaft
of Washington is the Stars and Stripes. No
such flag was in existence at the time. The
flag carried by Washington's troops on that
night consisted of 13 stripes, with the
crosses of St. George and St. Andrew in the
space where the stars are now. The man
who painted tho picture simply forgot when
the flag made of stars and stripes came into
being.'
• . As a matter of fact he was right.
Washington crossed the Delaware on Christmas
night, 1776. The Stars and Stripes became
the national flag by Congressional resolu
tion - you look up the date."
End of quote.
That left us up a tree, so to speak, so
we got out our World Almanac. It sayst "a
flag with 13 stripes and 13 stars was auth
orised on June 14, 1777 and continued to be
used as the national emblem until Congress
passed the following act, which President
Washington signed:
That from and after May 1, 1795,
the flag of the United States be 15
stripes, alternate rod and whito;and
that the union be 15 stars, white in
a blue field.
This action was necessitated by the ad
mission of the states of Vermont and Ken
tucky to the Union.
"The flag of 1795 had the stars arranged
in three row9 of five each instead of in a
Mrs. JC. . - her two small
sons returned'fuesday from Iliamna where
they spent a month with Ur. Kling.
Mrs. Ethel Hoff is enjoying a two weeks
vacation from her duties at the R^rea
tion Lunch room.
Urs. A. D. Johns of Detroit, is the
new manager in the Dry Goods department
at the Trading Post. Uiss Mary V4rril
of Palmer, is a new employee in the
Hardware department.
Mrs. Flora Newcomb has joined the
staff in the General office.
circle, and served for 23 years,
"With the admission of more new states
however, it became apparent that the
1795 flag would have to be further modi
fied; hence in 1618 a law was passed by
Congress providingi
"That from and after the fourth day
of July noxt, the flag of the United
States be 13 horizontal stripes, alter
nate red and white; that the union have
20 stars, white in a blue field.
"That on the admission of every new
state into the union, one star be added
to the union of the flag; and that such
addition shall take effect on the fourth
of July next succeeding such admission."
Since 1818 additional stars have been
added until today there are 48 on the
flag. No law has been passed to desig
nate how the stars shall be arranged.At
one time they formed a design of a lar
ger star. Now by common practice they
form eight rows of six stars each* or
rather, six rows of eight stars each,
■-- 'l
1/ I N G -f* A X I
Ki
24 - HOUR SERVICE
A!_
Stand
Ron-do-voo Cafe Phone Palmer
FOR SALE - One 1500 pound horse. 12
years old, sound in every respect.
Good work horse for anywhere. New
harness, Inquire Box 1146, Anchor
age, Alaska.
FOR SALE - Standing hay. About eight
acres. Mrs. Hunger, 5th and East G
street. Anchorage, Alaska.
FOR SALE - Three milk cows. $125,00
each. See Lester Ellsworth.