Spirit of the age. [volume] (Woodstock, Vt.) 1845-1913, 1880-06-23
State Nlcknames,

Arkansas IL called the Hear Slale
and its natives OF Inhabitants af'
'foolh.pleks or sophers, caliionli
l., on account Of its mineral wealth
tho Golden State, aud Ia oceupler'
nothing more or less than gold hunt
ers. Connecticut, ~ every reader ol
Sam lSiick must well know, is the
Nutmeg State. 1t Ia also Tho Free
stone State, and the Land OF STEADY
Habits, The natives aro designated
Wooden Nutmegs, but whether they
like the name or not We cannot say.
Deleware IL the Bue.hen or Diamond
State but for somG reason, inexpll'
cable to us, the natives are Musk-rats,
Florida Is tho Peninsula State, and
the people who live in II are called
Fly'up the.Crceksi both terms suili'
cienlly explain themselves, Illinois
rCjoices in three names, which are
scverally poetical, ridiculous and pras,
tical; Garden Of the West, SuckoS
State aud Prairie State, Suckers,
whatever they may be, dwell therein.
Indiana is tho IIoosler State, inhabit.
cd by Hoosiers, whatever they may
be. Iowa being IIawk-cye State, af'
iords a local habitation for Hawk
eyes. Kansas is another Garden Of
tho West, but unlike its namesake,
Illinois is occupied by Jayhawkers,
which may be another name for Suck
ers. Kentucky, in words suggestive
Of strife in by gone days, Is the Dark
and Bloody Ground; but the ire
pressible iondness Tor fun having
cropped up it has lattcrly become
known as Corn-cracker State, and
Corn-crackers people it. Louisiana,
as a cotton growing State, is called
the Creole State, and is inhabited by
Creoles, who are iacetiously called
Crec-owls. Maine is Lumber, or
Pine Tree State. North Carolina is
the Old North State, or Turpentine
State to those who prefer il; and tor
the same reason, its natives arc either
Tuckoes or Tar-boilers. Ohio is
Buckeye State, and is specially retain.
cd for Buckeyes 'nly. rennsyiva"
MIA is honorably designated the Key
Stone State. After its founder, those
who live in i. are Pennamites, or at
ter modern manners, Leatherheads.
Rhode Island is lovingly called Lit
tie Rhody; although the compliment
is somewhat marred, when the term
Gun.fints is applied to the sons ef.the
said Island. South Carolina is the
Palmetto State, and the natives are
Weasels. Tennessee is the Big Bend
State, and is the home of whelps or
Cotton-manics. Texas is poetically
termed the Lone Star State. 1t is
tenanted by Bcet.heads. Vermont,
as the name implies, is the Green
Mountain State, and Green Mountain
boys are to be found there. Virginia
is as q matter of course, the Old Do
mipion, the Mother of States, and also
the Mother of Presidents. Notwith-
standing allI these proud designations,
no one but Beadles or Beagles live in
it. Wisconsin is Badger State, and is
the home of Badgers.
Not only do the States of the Union
have these humorous and whimsical
appellatlons, but every native Amer
lean rejoices in being called Brother
Jonathan. As the origin of the name
is not generally known, we quote the
folio wing from Bartletts Dictionary
of Amerieanisms "In the course OF
the Struggle for independence, Gen.
Washington fell short of ammunition.
He took counsel with his staff, but
Jailed to obtain any practical sugges'
ton for relief. 'We must consult
Brother Jonathan;' sald he, meaning
Jonathan Trumbull, the future Gov
ernor of Connecticut. This was done
and The difficulty was remedied. To
consult Brother Jonathan immedi-
ately became a set phrase, and the
term has since grown, until it has be-
come in the eyes of Americans an
equivalent to the John Bull Of Old
England"
.Come over and help us" is the cry