New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1884-06-22
DTTCHESS or DTCHESSY

Artemus Ward once remarked that he was COM
pcl!ed 10 discharge one of his private secretaries
because the young fellow would persist is spelling
business with three IS. A tradition has long pre-
vailed in the counties OF the southern tier OF tins
state that a rising young statesman was defeated
in his canvass for Assemblyman in Broomc County
owing to the fact that in the circular defining his
positlon-which he mailed to every voter in his
di,trlct-he wrote Binghamton with a p. A
story that has long been told in the
composlng-room of TIE TRIBUNE credits
Mr. Greeley with going up there one
election night, and rcmarkng with a sigh as he
glanced his eycoyer some type that lay the stone
I'd like to know which one OF the boys there he
took out his knife and spoiled the offending letter.
put that in Allegany."
II il Poughkccpsio that brings these and cognate
"reminiscences to the front just now. For Pough-
keepsIc is torn up from centre 10 circumference
from post Office to outskirts in the vain effort TO
determine the correct spelling of the county which
claims that thriving city rs its own. Shall it be
written Duchess or Duchess COuntyG That is
the question which has split tho population
into warning factions The PoughiCepsio Noe
is the organ Of those who hold that this deserves
pitching overheard az badly that which our fore
fathers stepped in Boston harbor; while The
POuGhlepsie EGgIe screams that the IN Duchess,
like the Union, mast and shall be preserved. The
Ne,rs s;outly insists that the county was named
after the Duchess OF York. The Edyle cmphatically
argues that it was named in honor Of the Dutch
settlers Losing. the historian has been drawn
into the controversy. He fights on the anti-t
side. and has just written letter which concludes
as follows: "See that in the future in your
columns the name of the county Is spelled correctly.
| will not repeat the unanswerable argument
in favor Of spelling the name without a /; You
have done that by admitting what everybody of
Intelligence knows that our county was named in
honor of the Duchess of York, and not Of the Dutch
settlers" Commenting upon this letter, The Ners
severely remarks: " Hereafter people who spell
Duchess with a will show their ignorance"
Undismayed by Losing, The Eagie returns to the
attack welding an effective weapon. 1t refers
LOSING and the rest Of the woud-be destroyers
TO a volume entitled The Laws of New-Iork from
the year 1891 to l7Jl uclu i've, Published accord
ing to an Act of the General Assembly. Printed by
James Parker, Printer to the Government, at the
New-York Printing Office, in Bcayer-st., New-York
MDCCLII.'
Now. behold, Chapter XVII. Of this record of
Old colonial laws An act to divide the Province
and Dependencies into shircs.' 1t passed Oc-
tobcr |, 1891, and III it occurs the following:
Fora.mch Mistake may arse about The Limits and
Bounds 81 the respective Counties wiA.s this Province;
For Prevention wnsfeOL
Gil and Representatives. and by the Authority OF the
same That the sand Province he divided into twelve
Counties, folOweth
VI Duichess County. 10 he from the bounds Of tho
County OF Westminster, the South SIDE Of the High
Lands al long the south side of ilIsDn's River far
Rocoti Jaasrn's Creek; and eastward into the Woods
Twelve Miles
This valiant blow would seem to leave the {
marty master of the field. 1t remains to be seen
whether the anti-t party purpose to impeach the
wisdom of antiquity. Unless they have the sacri-
legious hardihood to do 80, the must remain inyio
late. II is under, 90 that pending an ultimate
decision in which e,erybody in Poughkeepsie will
CONCUR the postmaster of the place, in pursuance to
q postal from the fostmaster-Genoral will deliver
letters reaching his Office which the Of the
county is spelled either with or without the t.