The true northerner. [volume] (Paw Paw, Mich.) 1855-1920, 1884-10-30
PosTOFrCE CURIosrrrEs.
Funny Names for Onccs--"Our Carter
Hon0red.


Honoredl.
This great country has now over Co.
600 postoilces for its $4,000. 900 peo-
pie, or about one for each 1000 per-
sons. There are some curious facts
connected with the administration of
SO large an institution as this. The
employees OF the department number
oyer one hundred thousand. OF course
the sum required to run 80 large an es-
adjustment is something enormous.
The salaries of postmasters alone
amount to nearly $l0,O00,0o0, and the
sum paid for transportation Of mails
$50, OUO, 900. The number of post
offices rs increasing steadily at the rate
Of over 1000 year. The task of the
fellow who fixes names for all these
Is pretty serious one. OF course the
people of the section where the offices
are 10 be located are allowed to fix a
name 80 far as possible. but in many
cases they select name already given
to some office in the State, and OF
course it cannot be used. Then
they are permitted to make some
other selection, and so on al
most indefinitely. 1t often hap
pens, however, that the postoffice
officials are compelled to finally select,
or that in their despair the citizens
who have the selecting of the name, by
having frequently some name already
in use m the State, jump ut some ride
ulons name altogether unheard OF be-
fore, or select one suggested by some
peculiar surroundings. Some of the
old names are as follows: Dismal,
Thump, D,ybook, Bad Ak, Calico,
Rocks, Windfall. Rara Avis, Seven
Stars, Leap Year, Haphazard, Boy,
Odd, Rawhide, Difficult, Baby Mine,
Bean Blossom, Yankee, Pay Up,
Hard Money. Happy Home, Wide
Awake, Alligator, Needy, Moon, Pad
lock. Gnatville, Blowhorn, Lubbub,
Cloudland, Butterfly, lib, Quidnunc,
Rainbow, Scrub, Ty Ny, Fucker, Bush,
Soonover, Bundle Bee, Zula, Sop
choppy, Zero, Jamboree, Marrowbone,
Slickaway, Negro Foot, Jump, You
Bet Greenhorn, Tenderfoot, Sunshine,
Muck, Shoohy, Kumtax, Oil Trough,
Niue Times, Blowout, Gunpowder,
Patagumpus, Last Chance, Clear Grit,
Greasy, Talla-Ho, Mary Esther, Why
Not, Sampler, Veto, Round Bottom,
King of Russia, Gil, JOY, Hayfork, Pic
MIC, Land of Promise, Sluak, Snaillope,
Mouse Tail, Pocket, Port Wine, Side
View, Good Luck, Bug Hill, Worms.
Due West, Fair Play, Coin, Goal, Fire,
Sodoin, Hurt, Sleepy Eye, Drone,
Bird Song, Black Bear, Pinafore, But
tercup, Unique, Sunhower, Norwood.
much greater number of unique names,
although many may be found in New En-
gland and the Middle States. In Texas
is an office named y. Bob" the famil-
lar cognemen of citizen in the com
munity. BALD Hornet" an Office in
Tennessee, is the suggestive nickname
of a gentleman residing in the county.
Chicagos Mayor, Hon. Carter Harri-
son, is IGNORED in Kansas with an Office
called Oar Carter. BEST" Cloudy,
"Cutlips," Dull" and "Toadrine" are
other Offices bearing names of individ-
uais. Initial letters sometimes form
the name of an Office, like that of "T.
b." in Maryland. When the first
house in the place was erected these
initials were found on n stone near by,
and were, probably, those of very
early settler and owner. 20. H." in
Colorado, is taken from brand used
for marking cattle, aud 90. K,
in South Carolina, from the hui
morous suggestions of an interested
gentleman. Tho people of Sugar
Grove, in Tennessee, refused to suggest
other names after their own had been
rejected, and the department estab-
lished the Office under the initials a
b c." There is "Buss" in Michigan
to match Sweet Lips" in Tennessee,
but there is Maiden in North Caro-
lima, Bachelor" in Mississippi, and
widows" may be found in Alabama
There is "Comfort" in North Caro-
lima, and also in Texas, and "Tribula.
ton" in Tennessee. The Tribulation
was in selecting name acceptable to
the department, and they ended their
tribulation by making it Tribulation.
Charity" is found in North Carolina
and Tennessee. and Hope" exists IL
fourteen States besides that of "Adver-
sity." There are Wells" in several
States, but only one "Cistern, in Texas
They have Concert" in Iowa, and
Louisiana contributes "Violin, Mime
sofa "Cornet," Iowa "HoTn," Penn
sylvania "Drums, "and Ohio and Vir.
ginia Flies" There is Ozark Corner
in Georgia, but dawn" appears in
Michigan and Ohio. followed by Day
in Michigan and New York.-St Louis