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Show ' I'M, M r, , v . . jq. :"'' v-.v. a M 1 :::;::: . . ........... ...SlV, OfTKlGSiATLOVsliSEAfi... . I- T this IEEE Am-me?iAih i.4 f mmm r or it's fame-noil' . C rhl - ii i nt' vurm umt m t $3 "N - t , ', -SSt., 1 V C' " ,A N ' , - -1 " r ' " ' V-:. - I ' ' sp&rc "I TV? i UrTX , . ...etc.!,- x . ' ( ' Sr v V(vW J ' ' I " f ' t ? v' "' : .. H , V . : . : ''J 1. The Washington elm in Cambridge, Mass. 2. A forest of redwoods in California. 3. Tablet in Athens, Ga., which proves that an oak tree "owns itself." It reads "For and in consideration of the great love I bear this tree and the great desire I have for its protection for all time, I convey entire possession of itself and all land within eight feet of the tree on all sides. William H. Jackson." This unique deed was recorded early in the Nineteenth century by Col. W. H. Jackson, at one time chief justice of the Georgia Supreme court. 4. The Pan-American peace tree in Havana, Cuba, which was planted in soil gathered from the 21 American nations represented at a Pan-American Pan-American conference held in that city In 1928. It is to be a shrine of peace and good will for the peoples of the countries represented at the conference. 5. The last living horse-chestnut tree planted in a row of thirteen by Georje Washington In Fredericksburg, Va., representing the thirteen original colonies. (.i 1 By ELMO SCOTT WATSON 'T I xfE HAVE a national anthem "The M J tjU Star Spangled Banner." We have m, tf '. a national flag the Stars and SI '?? Stripes- The eaSle ls our national W liffl bird (witl1 the turkey as the "un-jjjii "un-jjjii WM official national bird" on Thanks-n Thanks-n giving and Christmas!). Several W- Vl years ago a nation-wide referendum referen-dum to choose a national flower, J conducted by the American Nature , ' association, resulted In the wild " rose polling the greatest number of votes, getting almost twice as many as the columbine, the nearest contender, and three times as many as the violet, which placed third. And now there is a plan on foot for holding a national referendum to choose a national tree, thus giving us another symbol around which to center our loyalty to our country. Between now and January, 1934, the people will register their will as to what tree has the greatest appeal to Americans, best typifies the American spirit and has been an important factor in our history. The result of the poll will then be presented to congress for whatever action it chooses to take in making the choice official. It is difficult to predict what the result will be. Undoubtedly there will be many votes for the elm because there is still fresh in our memories memo-ries the thousands of elm trees which were planted plant-ed last year, during the Washington bi-centen-nlal, In commemoration of Washington and of the historic elm in Cambridge, Mass., under which he took command of the Continental army. Xo doubt some of the states will hope that their official state tree will be honored by being be-ing made the national tree. But that rather limits the choice, for there are only six which have such official state trees or trees so characteristic char-acteristic of those commonwealths as to be state trees. South Carolina is the Palmetto state, but It is doubtful if the palmetto is likely to be the national choice. For the national tree should be one which can be found in every section of the country and the palmetto ls found only in the south. The same consideration may prevail pre-vail against Indiana's official state tree, the tulip tu-lip tree, and against that variety of tht horse-chestnut horse-chestnut which has given to Ohio Us popular name of the Buckeye state. California, no doubt, would be well pleased to have its giant sequoias or redwoods thus honored, but there again rises the objection that they are indigenous to only one part of the country. Illinois' state tree is the oak and the oak is found in one form or another in nearly every part of the United States. But objection already has been raised to this as the national tree because be-cause it Is "hard hearted" and such a tree could not very well typify the American people. If historic association is to play a part in the selection of a national tree, there are innumerable in-numerable individuals of several different species which will demand consideration for their particular par-ticular kind. Several years ago the American Tree association, associa-tion, under the leadership of Charles Lathrop Pack, embarked upon the laudable enterprise of establishing a hall of fame for trees and Inviting Invit-ing citizens In all parts of the country to nominate nomi-nate historic trees In their communities for places in this gallery of honor. The following is by no means a complete list of those which have been registered In the hall of fame (some still standing and others long since passed away) but It will give an Idea of the intimate association of some monarch of the forest with some his tory-making event: Washington elm near Palmer, Mass.. on the Springfield Boston highway, of which it Is recorded re-corded that "beneath this tree Washington rested and refreshed himself and delivered a short address only three days previous to taking tak-ing command of the army at Cambridge.'' Liberty tree, an elm which stood on Hoston Common and under which meetings to protest against the Stamp act and other oppressions by England were held by the patriots. It was cut down in 177"i, while the lirltish army occupied Boston, for firewood and for revenge upon the "rebels." Treaty tree, near Vincennes. Ind., sole sur vlvor of a walnut grove In which Gen. William Henry Harrison held a council with the great Indian chief, Tecnuiseh, August 12-10, 1SI0. Boone's "Par" tree, on Boone's creek, a small tributary of the Waiitangn In eastern Tennessee, which while still standing bore the Inscription, carved by the rioted pioneer, "D. Boon filled A BA It on this tree year 1700." John Brown's tree, a white oak near Biirk-bamsted, Biirk-bamsted, Conn., under whose branches John Brown of Osiiwat'iinle and Harper's Kerry fame player) as a child, calling It. "my tree" and re-visiting re-visiting It. every lime lie returned to the ancestral an-cestral home In Connecticut. It Is also called the Council tree, because of lis use for that, purpose by Indians of that, vicinity. Morse ' I in In Washington, I'. C, mimed for r-'amiud I'. B. Morse, Inventor of the telegraph, March 15, 17S1, "the battle that won the Revolution," Revo-lution," since Cornwallis' costly victory there led directly to Yorktown and his surrender. General Gen-eral Greene is said to have tied his horse to this tree during the battle. Kentucky Coffee tree in front of the Ver Planck mansion at Fishkill-on-Hmlson, occupied by Baron Steuben during the Revolution. The first meeting of the Society of the Cincinnati was held under this tree. Live oak at Pomona, Calif., marking the spot where in 1837 the first white settlers camped In the Pomona valley. Abraham Lincoln tree in Decorah, Iowa, a hackberry planted by Ilolin Finn in memory of the martyred President on April 27, ISO."), the day which the governor of Iowa had designated as a day of mourning for Lincoln. The tree is now 110 feet high and nearly 12 feet around. The Donegal oak at the Donegal church in Pennsylvania. Here In 1777 the congregation was Interrupted by an express rider who roused the countryside with the information that the British army under Lord Howe had left Xew York to invade Pennsylvania. Tree and church are In an excellent state of preservation. The Bath horse-chestnut near Bath, Pa., given to Gen. Robert Brown by George Washington as a token of friendship. Fruit from tills tree, known as the Friendship tree, has been planted on the White House grounds and In each state to establish "Washington Friendship (troves." The Brandywine sycamore near the Brandy-wine Brandy-wine Baptist church at Chadds Ford. Pa. Under Its wide branches Is the stone house used by General Lafayette as his headquarters before the Battle of Brandywine in 1777. The French general was laid under this tree after having been wounded, and since that time the tree has been known as the Lafayette sycamore. "The Lone Sentinel," a giant Cottonwood by the river bridge In Dodge City, Kan. The tree was there when the settlers came In 1S71 and 1R72. It was one of three trees for miles along the river. This tree is nearly a century old, for Chief Satanla told the late A. ,1. Anthony that Ids tribe bad named it "The Lone Sentinel" and had record of It for years. Tradition has It that several horse thieves were hanged from this tree, and the old cowboys and gunmen used to tack targets on It for pistol practice. The t runic. Is full of lead. The General Sherman Sequoia, declared to be the iddest Ihing now living. It was of giant growth at the time of the birth of Christ, almost al-most 2.1 H 10 years ago. Today, at an age of more than 4,01)11 years, it has a diameter of .'til',;, feet and a height of 'JNU feet. This tree Is located lo-cated In Sequoia National park, where It stands as a memorial to Gen. William Teeiimseh Sherman Sher-man as well as the undisputed monarch of the ages. The Naturalization tree in Kentucky, a symbol sym-bol of the American Spirit of today, lis fame resls on Its service In connect ion with Americanizing Amer-icanizing recruits at Camp Zachary Taylor during dur-ing the recent war. Under Its branches thousands thou-sands of aliens took the oath of allegiance upon being mustered Inlo Hie ranks of the United States army. On a .single day this Iree witnessed the naturall.allon of 02o of Ihese new Americans Ameri-cans and saw their salule lo the Hag of their new citizenship. The "Lonesome Pine" near Tale Springs, Tenn., which was the model for Hie artist who Illustrated Illus-trated John Fox, .Ir.'s "Trail of the l.onesomo pine" and which has become famous In sontf and story. (() by WdHtolll NoWFipiliHT Liilou.) who often sat beneath it and related to Interested Inter-ested listeners the wonders of the telegraph. Standing at the corner of Pennsylvania avenue and Fourteenth street, this elm had looked down upon every inaugural parade ever held In the Capital. Scythe tree, in Waterloo, N. Y. When Wyburn Johnson enlisted In the Union army In ISOl, he hung his scythe in a crotch of a small tree, to be left there until his reiuin. lie was killed In battle and the tree in its growth enveloped the scythe until now It Is firmly embedded in the trunk with only I be point showing. Wesley oak on St. Simon's Island. Ga. Under this tree both John ami Charles Wesley, founders found-ers of the Methodist church In America, preached their lirst sermons on this continent. Webster tree near Franklin, N. II. On this Iree Daniel Webster hung his scythe when he decided to go to Dartmouth college and "the path from this tree led Webster to congress and lo the ollice of Hie secretary of slate, lie never reached the Presidency, but he twice refused the nomination for Vice President, and In both cases the head of the ticket on which he would have been elected died In ollice." Council oak In Sioux ('My, Iowa, beneath which Lewis and Clark camped and held one of their first councils with the Indians after leaving St. Louis. Battle Ground oak at, Guilford Court House, N. C, also called the Liberty tree. It stands on the battle ground of Guilford Court House, fought |
