The Centre reporter. [volume] (Centre Hall, Pa.) 1871-1940, 1878-03-14
NAMES.
CuriosIties of Proper Names---seHe Odd
Combinations.

been well said that names aTs - the Keys
of family histories. unlocking the se-
crets of ancestral lineage" Proud
of our pedigree, how eagerly uo
we rausack the mouldy records Of
the past. for the deeds and exploits
of proves and renown which won
for our great at-9reat-erandsire his dis
tinctions and honors, as If, forsonth,
we had share personally in the toll and
triumph. Pride Of birth, or geuealccy,
is q poor apology for personal worth:
better far to glory in the living present
than in the dead past; TO achieve ones
own reputation than to assume the
laurel-wreath Of ancestral fame. OF all
known patronymics, that OF the mevita-
BILE Smith family is the most extensive
and renowned. So colossal, indeed, are
its ramiications, that il seems 60 be con-
fined to no country, butts cosmopolitan,
The world-renowned cognomen has left
its imperishahle impress upon our litera-
ture and history 20 an extent almost I'M
paralleled, while its genealogies arc
traceahle back ~ remoteSt antiquity, II
the founder of his great family tIuhal
CAM derived his name. as is supposed,
from his craft, then the modern worker
in metals has a longer pedigrce 20 boast
than any peer or potentate extant This
honorable patronymIc, none need sup
pose. can ever become lost 10 the world;
for the Smiths may be said to have been,
and continue, first in war, first in peace,
and first (numericallvl in the esteem Of
their couutrymen. True, the family es-
cutcheon has occasionally suffered some
blemish and dishonor hy the evil dolngs
Of some black sheep OF the flock; but
what flock is without oneG The popular
name OF Smith is suggestive ot trlo
scarcely inferior IN renown, We refer 20
that Of Jones, Brown AMI Robinson. To
fertile imagination, the mere mention
Of their names will suffice 10 call up \
host sf memories that cluster around
them. While we think Of it, there Is 3
Cood Joke told of a person of the ~3roc oi
Brown, who, in our good city ol Gotham,
many wears ago, entered into partner
ship with q Mr.. HggSs. Thy jointly
coniUct,i q school, ana, IS We have
bo,u informed. thew &ruCuac,i their
divided duties thrs: Brown trans tae
boys, ana Hugs, the glgiS
In this our metropolitan city, IS Enoh
;lln-ilaiiou : peluired, We have Gas,
Burner. Bnraup, Burns, Burnside,
Lamp, Light, etc, As i iS sometimes
verv cold here, these meet tins rscGS-
sly: aNd We have, also. Sparks, Fr-nlss
aEd Bellows Where SJIcl pop1laCe
have - be fed, oi course, tbs culinary
departmaut could 70, he neglected, So
we find store. Range, Po.t, Kettle,
Tubts. Spona. Plate CooSN, Pepper
and Sal. That the said citv Is full Of
confusion, We neel only refer 70 the io'-
lowing: Moves. Tattlcr, Blah. HaIpuS,
Hurley, BurlSy, etc. ACj, lastly, not
wlths.audinE that It IS tbS headquarters
of repuhlIcanls,l. il var has an ags.n-
cratic q nav OF bigh-SoIr1iHiF t'tl =, Sren
as King. QIean, DlASe, 'Eari, Lord,
Baron. Count, Knight, Ccns.sa!e an.
Squirrel
We have been told. bv vNni,nbtei Az
thOrity, ths. there WIS IN New 1urG
citv, several years ago, az finn with me
strange combination of names arp 4
Steele: il is further said that they Nerr
in the cutlery business; ami one might
almost be excused for suspecanS then
10 be keen at a bargain, II evan ho1es:t
There was, according 10 our informant,
another unfortunate combination pro-
ieCted: but SO strong vas the II 81 s-n-
viction that il would be hopeless 10 seek
patronage with Snch = patroaym'r, tia
thev abandoned II. The STYLE q. the
proposed firm was - De DOolt'e /
Steele They argued the case N ms
wise-that 10 transuoSitlon woLld help
it, for whether il read Steele 4 Doollt.le
or Doolttle X Steele, !, would be Of 20
avail. for nobody would trust them.
Names sometimes seem mlsapplleI,
for instance, there Is IN our metropolitan
city Silliman, who Is learned II the
law; and Goodenough, representing that
popularly supposed fractional part OF
humanity, tailor; and, as If to cap the
climax, firm rejoicing in the uneny.able
distinction of Hawker & Splitter
Mott sounds ike O negative among
names, but il has positively represented
real parsonage Of note, for president
of Union College. in New York State,
bore that name, TO the ripe age Of ninety
years. There is an incident told Of him,
connected with his name, worth repeat
ing. In his boyhood he WAS not disln-
clined to share the fun and frolic of
youthful college life; and on one Occa-
sion, being charged with perpetratlng
some practical joke, he replied, l am
Nott-the person Who did II -
A clerical friend tells us that he was
acquainted with a worthy colored minis
ter of the Baptist Church, in Brooklyn,
who was known among men as White.
And that is not all; for when he died,
his pulpit was occupied by white man
whose name was Black
Sign-bOards sometimes make strange
appeals 10 us. In New Orleans, some
few years ago, was one which announc-
ed, "a Poor Shoemaker, without any
point after the name.
It is curious 10 note that much Of our
culinary vocabulary is OF Saxon or Nor
man origin. As the Saxons were chiefly
dependant upon vegetable diet, they
gave names to our bread, beans, eggs,
peas and other products OF the kitchen
garien. OF meat, though the vSrd Is
Saxon, they ate probably little; for II is
a singular fact, connected With :he Eng
hsh language, thai while the living All
mails are called bv Arglo-Sa1o names,
IS oxen, calves, sheep, pigs and deer,
the flesh of those animals when prepared
for the table, is called by names which
are all Anglo-NOrman-beef. veal, NUT
ton, pork, venison Even fowls, when
kil,sd, receive the Norman name OF
poultry. This is explained by the facl
thas the Saxon population in general was
only acquainted with the living animals,
while their flesh was carried off 10 the
castles and tables OF tine Norman Baruns,
who gave it the names which it still
retains.