Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1884-10-04
i CURIOUS COGNOMENs. is~
Singular Names Brought TO Light by q
Pension Attorneys correspondence.

/
Singular Names Brought to Light by q
Pension Attorneys Correspondence.
SUGGESTIVE AND LUDICR0Us APPELLATIoNs-A
Mr.. TINBERLE0 WHO WALKED ON PEG
AND A DRINKLAGER WHO PREACHED TEMPER
ANCE.
eyes, frequently meet queer people with
queer Names" said a prominent pension attor-
ney in answer to the question of STAR re-
porter.
Il can recall a number of names of actual
living persons" he continued, (which are as.
significant as any to be found in the works of
John Bunyan, Samuel Warren, or Charles Dick
ems. Praise God Barebones' is not circum-
stance with some names have?"
''Ah!" interrupted his questoner, edo you
mean names, suggestive of character or occu-
patton? ?"
Yes" was the response. persons whose
names are associated with colors. as Brown or
White, are often met with; so, also, the names
of Long and Short and similar cognomens
are so common as not to excite surprise, but
there are many instances where the appellatiOn
is peculiarly pointed and even ludierous in it's
effect For example: Pilgrim Crazylous is a
school teacher in a Pennsylvania mining dis
trict, and his name reminds me OF the time when
/ sat in an old district school house on hard
wooden bench, just behind a shock-haired
urchin whose head would have been benefited
by the use OF a fine tooth comb and whose proX-
unity learned to dread after my mother had
made several searching Investigations of my
scalp"
Il suppose Pilgrim boards round?" observed
the reporter
Il don't know laughed the attorney, "but
here is man who ought to be one of his scho-
airs" and he handed the reporter letter signed
by sd. Satecypher." While THE STAR man
studied the signature the lawyer pulled from a
figeon-hole bundle of papers and suddenly
resumed: "'Christly Crow is a colOred preacher
who was good soldier in the war and was
badly wounded. He is now fighting Satan in
an Illinois city which is big and bad, and I'M
derstand has had considerable success as q mis-
sjonary among his Ownrace. | don't wish to be
irrcverent." continued the speaker, but have
met several 'Christs' in the line of my business.
a. Christ from Bethlehem, not Judea, but
Pennsylvania, applied through me for a pen
sion, while j. Christ who was a gallant SOL
der fighting through tie entire rebellion. is
now. think, clothing dealer in st. Louis.
Christian Bible is an Indiana German, who
ought to be good man, but l have forgotten
what he follows for a livelihood"
Here the narrator paused for a moment to re-
light his cigar, which operation having been &C
complished, he took up paper and said:
There is a strange relation of names and in
cidents set forth in this application.
The reporter examined the document and
found that u. S. Timberleg" was asking Uncle
sam to pension him because his leg had been
mangled by splinter during an engagement
before Charleston In 1864, on account of which
injury amputation above the knee was rendered
necessary so that for the last 20 years his name
has been peculiarly applicable. A striking COIN
cidence I'D this case was that the justice of the
peace before whom the necessary atfidavits
were made, signed the name of Isaac Walking
stick"
"Here'S another" sententiously said the law
Yer, as he showed a second application towards
his visitor, who found that Torment Twist"
was suffering the twisting torments of rheuma-
tlSIn. contracted in the winter campaign of
| General Thomas near Nashville The reporter
regarded the paper in cOntempiative silence
which was broken by the attorney eXcaiming
Dreams 30 by cOntraries, and that is true of
names sometimes for John Drnklarer' never
drank lager or any other intoxicating liquor in
his life. He went through the war i'll the same
company with me. and was wounded in the
Wilderness. | know him well. and when he
was here to see about his pension. he made
rafting temperance speech one evening before
a Good Tcmplar5 Lodge in this city, which he
visited with me-" After two or three pu1fs at
itis cigar the speaker went on: " Reason TWig,
is compound of school boy slang. and is an
unusual name even for Vermont Yankee. but
is not more peculiar than Skye caf' which is
Indian Another enlisted Indian scout is
known as IA Nj Ye Ulster who was disabled
by frost bites out in Montana. Notwithstanding
the protection of his name" The speaker
here arose calmly and lighted the gas. saying as
he did so II have a letter from woman out
in Cincinnati. She is a soldiers widow, and is
entitled to her pension Her name is Moving
ham, which, think, is just little suggestive
OF 'Porkopolis' don't you:'
The reporter sat helplessly dazed for
moment, but recovered sufficiently to gasp Il
guess I'd better be moving,'' and bidding his
companion good night" went down the street
wondering Why people will bear such names
when an application to legislature would
secure for them such appellati0ns as We're de
We're" or Percy" or even plain John Smith"