Weekly national intelligencer. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1841-1869, 1853-03-19
NAMES OF CHILDREN.

The number of names for children is quite limited
The number OF children earth and route for
is, to speak humanity unlimited This is great
laton. What misfortune it would be if generation
should out Of names That the thing is possible
how the Smith family exhausted its stock of Christian
Names and had TO call thousands of its boys John by
way Of keeping them quiet until this world could prefix
append captain doctor, esquire general There
is place Long Island where this family is extern
ye that in despair of Names and feeling that John
common noun, and could not with propriety be
written any more with capital Bill was substituted
the label for the boys Well before they knew it. the
place with Bill Smiths Multitudes of these
grew up and became rich househoders And the public,
who love to be definite when they tell story under
the necessity Of Distinguishing them by addition
gested by their habits locality, Point Bill Broad
Bill Rough Bill Smooth Bill, Big Bill, and Little Bill,
Bad Bill, and True Bill, and all of them Smiths The
danger is real, not imaginary The thing has happened
and if the Eastern world continues to furnish its emigra-
ton heretofore rolling the down from the
European mountains and from the slopes of ASIA crowds
descending upon all wharyes daily all the rocks that
grid shores with the footprints of coming
swGrms the sandbeaches dark with the multitude of
Celts and Gaus and Dutchmen and Coolies every Afr-
can that is imported added to the that
grow our cotton and rice and tobacco fields enlarg
ing every day, States and Territories coming up
of regions just only known on the map, like new
islands in the sea, and all hungry for population offering
premiums for workmen, and holding out new induce
ments settlers the oldest part of the country feeling
that folks, folks, is the great desideratum we
say that if this state of things continues may happen
again that we shall get out OF and have either to
import new stock set inventive genius work
to devise more These French and German men, these
crooked named Poles and voweled Chinese patronymcs
all have to knock under to American nomenclature
If Meagher stays with US, he must spell his Mar
or be known Meagre Our free people love to sift
the silent consonants of fayores before writing
it on imperishabe marble. IL should find ourselves
mixed up with all neighbors for lack of distinctive
names, let appropriate the numerals Let Mar,
be No. l, and yours No. 2, and rude neighbours VIII
is team in herself No. 20 People need study thu
arthmetcal rule of permutatons closely yet There
good names enough left without habitually inct
ing third upon their progeny 1t is terrible tax
upon ones time to write three long words every time b.
signs note or hastily sends up his card
This is the burden of article that child whC
grows up with middle carries weight. Ballast
occupies that there is freight enough fill Lei
economical friends figure out the extra time it will
their children the increased amount Of the station
er's bill, the ink that will be wasted that middl,
name. There is at present more danger Of being
run with names than with their bearers The Bostor
Transcript has looked into this matter and this is hi
statement: That in the public schools he examined, 81
per cent. Of the American children had than one
/ Christian" name Only IL in 100 had single name
while q per cent had three more given names TIL
Irish generally are exception: when they give tw
names is generally because there two little fellow
wanting them.-Ncw York Times.