New Orleans daily crescent. [volume] ([New Orleans, La.]) 1851-1866, 1853-12-01
Names of Places,

The custom of giving to private residences and the
country villas of citizens particular designation is
hsnet new or novel Cceros retreat at Tusculum and
that Of Horace at Tber as well known as the more
sunptuous abode OF Adrian-to this day pointed out as
Adrians villa The practice has been and is very com
mon in England France aud other European countries
Like all approved transatlantic customs it has been i'm
ported into this country and marked by some
II not improvements, that render it in many cases
ceedngy ridiculous Our citizens with that love of per-
sonal nooriey which is prominent charact eristc
with them have not been content with following the taste
Oh their foreign exsmpar or initiating the practice of the
more correct OF themselves They have gone into this
matter OF taste in the way that they 90 into mat
Ter Oh business and named houses just they would
new breed Of hogs or a new Improvement in stov.,
Inc primary object of the practice has either been wholly
overlooked or entirely discarded The examples of Mr.
webster Mr. Clay and Mr. Van Buren, have been rejected
anu instead OF Ashland, Marshneld Kinderhook We
have been treated to Jones's Cottage Hgepss Villa
Browns Grove or Smiths Retreat. This is to b, sure
only step In advance of the barbarian which named
many Of our towns and counties but it is step in the
wrong direction If Arabella Matilda Sophia Cynthia
seratna Hogs has been by the las, fashion
BILE novel and wishes to plaster upon the old Maternal
loggs' fory-acre settlement such sounding It'll. as
gsced Lord Ravenwoods country in Yorkshire In
e name oil all that good good and gallant let her do
It and let her write to the Yankee Bladen or to her
bosom. friend sweet from Maple Grove or Pa
dee" or " Magnolia Cottage But in the name Of ali
that right in taste and righteous grace don't let bar
write from Hoggsville.
Our country is nevertheless dotted with villages named
after the uneuphonious of their early set
tiers and sprinked with residences sounding all the dis
cord and poverty of taste by their propreor
od MI snh goes down to posterty in the name of the
place which he first setted-the Romuus and Alexander
Of smthvile and young Mr. Smith follows his fathers
steps in bit of real estate dgnihed into Smytthes
Mr. White and Mr.. Black and Mr. Grown and Mr. Green
MI Stone and Mr. Wood and Mr. Steel and Mr. CLAW
emulate I'M varying manner the example Of Mr. smith
and give joy to their wives and glory to their daughters
by all possible variations Of their unique name.
There is some disregard Of convenience well "a Of
taste In this proud personal qualification With so s ny
Smiths Cottages and Browns Retreats all tenaned by
Smiths and Browns is at danger of conouuding the
localities we'll the individual when he goes forth to
spend aweek in the country His baggage may visit one
retreat and himself another or they mpy both 20 |
wrong Such things have been
II Is not from any poverty of beautiful appropriate
names that this fault No nation under heaven
was ever less compelled to copy the history aaother in
.n,s respect than our The people who have gone
ee US II they have left nothing else worthy of preser
nave certainly bequeathcd to great treasure
'""s and euphonous words fitting for the ma mes of
- ii'er'' states counties and private residences A
e' many nave been adopted-more should he Misss
'ipp' 'uniaS' Delaware susquehsnush Kioke Roanoke
and Ashwabena American words b 49,. -,
should be used 1t is not only sen.eess Int riaic,,,o
cast them aside and parody the old and the ~
naming our towns after Troy Herculaucum. Arbsn.
London and Rome and our rivers after the Tber ,ha
Thames, and the Sanges The fault rus to e,en -,
extremes than we have mentioned and in C,lforn;. ~
ear is delighted and the taste improved by reading o
Dead Mems Greek, Rosues River shrtail Bend and Jo.
Landing 1t may be urged tsas u. sponsor of ~
of sufficient sAucation tn in.
heir Abors If it only proves TIT their abors sho
De speedily superseded. Give dog bad nare,,tho
est follows VIC