The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1884-05-02
FOR THIS ARE WE HOLSTERS.
How the Term Originated and Why 1t
Applied to Indianians.
The Word Supposed to Have Been Coined in
the Backwoods and Handed Down by
Tradition.
"Who's a Hoosier9'

'Whos a Hooser9'
you are. You're born one and can't be any
thing else I'm a Kaintuckian, am"
'Well HOLSTERS is hustlers, and I'm glad L m
Hoosier. Shine, mister"
The reporter had just turned up the stairway
of a public building as the foregoing bit Of dia-
logue passed between two bootblacks sitting on
the steps The Hoosier bootblack was eating an
orange and the ''Kantuckian" had been refused
bite Envious feelings had been aroused.
The son of Kentucky was sustaining himself on
the pride of his nativity, but the Hoosier, with
his orange, seemed much the more comfortable.
AS the reporter hurried on up the stairway, the
thought was suggested, that these two urchins
illustrated whatever characteristic differences
there may be between the people of Indiana and
the Commonwealth across the river; and, as it
seemed to occur to the bootblack after ALL it
may not be such dreadful thing to be Hoosier.
The incident led to inquiry into
the origin of the singular-and by some
supposed to be opprobrious appellation.
There are various theories as to the etymon of
the word and much has been written upon it,
but the question has always been disputed one
and the true origin has never been definitely set
btu- IL SpTdHS 4TOhA bhO PlOACptS VI ihOti"iAs'
and it is net known to have been in use longer
ago than fifty or sixty years.
story is told by some of the old residents of
the State to the effect that the word was first
applied to Indianians about the time
when Madison was the inter of largo pork
trade and the farmers for hundred miles
around would drive their hogs there in great
droves The peculiar noise that they kept up
Avixyi tha
Hoo-ie! Hoo-ie hooie-led to their being
called by a corruption of the sound, 'Hooscls.'
The story, if true, would make the origin of the
word comparatively recent and it cannot be ac-
cepted with credence for the reason that tho
palmy porkopoly days of Madison were long
after the Hoosiers had become known
The first that is known of the word appearing
in print was in 1890 when John Finley, the
Wayne county poet, wrote a New Years poem
for the Journal, entitled ''HooseFs Nest" in
which a description of the pioneer cabin in Indi
ana is given. The poem in the light of one of
the traditional stories, gives something of an
idea of the manner in which the word came
into use. The first few lines read:
Pm told in riding somewhere West
A stranger found Hoosiers nest
In other words, buckeye cabin,
just big enough to hold Queen Nab in.
Its situation low but airy
Was on the borders of prairie;
And fearing he might be oenighted
He hailed the house and then aighted.
The Hooser met him at the door,
Ineu SautdliOtis SOON WSte . efs
1t was a custom among the early pioneers in
Indiana in travelling through the country to hail
cabin by calling out who lives herew and
"Whose herep About the time ofthe treaty of
peace with the Indians in 1918, and when the
State was very sparsely settled, travel
attended by great dangers, and man ever
rode away from home without his rifle. AS
common precaution of safety, when traveller
saw in the distance the smoke from camp or
cabin fire, he would call out, upon coming
within hearing distance 'tWhOS lereE and from
the response he would know if he was among
friends From corruption OF this form of
salutation the people of Indiana were called
Hoosiers. Doubtless, settlers, IN writing
back to friends at their old homes,
would say that they ''were here among the
Hoosiers," and in few years the appellation
sprang into general use. General w. Ii. II. Ter
rell, whose researches in the early history of
Indiana have been thorough, and who may be
accepted as authority, says that this is the
true origin Of the word, and Governor Wright liz
credited with saying that it was corruption of
the form of salutaton of the early settlers OF
the western country. A critical Interpretation
of Finley's poem seems to give proof of this
explanation.
A story which is commonly told by old persons
as an explanation Of the words origin is that
Colonel Lehmanowski, an officer under the first
Napoleon, delivered some very popular lectures
in Indiana, in the early days, on the French bat
ties. and his mention of the 'hussars" impressed
a pugnacious fellow who was among his
hearers. 1t is said that in fight among
the men employed in excavating the canal
around the falls of the Ohio river at Louisville
this fellow knocked down several men, and, IN
triumphing over them, shouted I'm husher"
which became a nickname for the bullying class
Another story is that Indianiars along the Ohio
river settlements were in the habit of attending
the ''hoe-downs7 in Kentucky, and il any one
showed disposition TO create disturbance
they acted as hushers." From being called
''hushers" they became known in time as
HOLSTERS The only correct explanation of the
7ords origin. however, is, doubtless, that it is
corruption of the form of salutation during the
early settlement of the State.