New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1856-12-19

If one were to Judge by the quality Of the names
Of towns villages and counties in the United States
be would form very poor opinion of the inventive
capacity of the people. Iteration and reiteration,
copies of European names without stint or mean
ing, and constant repetitions of American names
these start up at every turn. How many times
have Washington, Lafayette Adams, Jefferson,
Henry, jackson and others been gratefully recorded
in names of communities "a very laudable species
of record this-one such record, however, being
sufficient for whole country, or for all the States
united. What dismal confusion do such repetitiOns
make! So, too, even such names a. Raleigh,
Philadelphia, Chambersburg Dover, Monticello,
not called after persons, are repeated FIVE, ten,
twenty times If the same want of individuality
characterized Americans, they would be but pale
imitators No fresh, daring innovations, no hot
extemporizations, no backwoods aroma, would dis
tnguish them.
We are led to these remarks by perceiving that
the citizens Of New. Wilmington, Lawrence County,
Pennsylvania have come to the resolution of chang
ing the name of that town. They have resolved
that, ss a great number Of students are residing
there, and constant confusion in receiving and
transmitting letters and packages occurs, owing to
tie fact that other places similarly designated,
to call New-WilmingtOn henceforward COLLEGE
VILE A barely toerable name this, if it were only
original; but az there is Couegeville in Saline
County, Arkansas, beside College Corner, Butler
County, Ohio; College Hill Lafayette County,
Mississippi; College Hill, Hamilton County, Ohio,
ard College Mound Kaufman County, Texas, it il
II. Co. kakko he ronI,. 49, a--
Wilmington are perfectly correct in changing
that name, though they have less reason for
so doing than many other towns and villages. There
is no ether ns1 Wilmington, but simply Whining.
ton in Delaware Illinois, Indiana, Massachusetts,
Arkansas, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Yer.
mont and Virginia. LIE! them, however, try again
to get lame to designate the character Of their
town. There is no StudehttOwn Scholarville,
Bookwormtcn, FeruletOn, Rattanyille, Classic
grove, DipthongtoD, Synta1ville, Pedagogueton,
Proclamation, Fiatluxvlle, Aybyab-place, or Ex-
wyzedton, all indicative Of teaching the young
idea how to shoot and not repeated already ia the
names of other towns.
These WImiDgton's form very modest list of
lucrative insipdity, and practical confusion CON-
pared with many, very many Others For exam
ple There are iity-fsur places, exclusive of conn.,
ties, called after Jackson. Hickory, old aud young,
is hardly less distinguished, there being thirtysix.
There are twenty. three places named after Harri.
sod, exclusive Of counties. There are thirty
three called in honor of Jefferson, exclusive of
Counties. Forty. two sienalize the fame Of Warren.
Thirty -four commemorate Washington. Twenty
seven are in honor Of Adams. Franklin has given
the name to forty.eght. Fremont, young as he is,
has chiisteLed eleyen-what will the number be
when he is old Perry has given his name to
tbirty.four places. Fulton does not 60 beyond
twenty one; politics and war always carrying the
day over science and peace, With every nation. If
Hickory distinguishes towns, does Cedar, this tree
giving names to sixty four places forest Of confa'
.isp Thirty FIVE places arc called after Clinton That
6le animal The Ek has left bis footprints IN forty