Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1885-11-26
AMERICAN SLANG.

western States and Territories,
Viewed freely, the English language
Is the accretion and growth of every
efalect, race and range of time, and is
the culling and composition of all.
From this point of view it stands for
language in the largest sense, and isrcal-
ly the greatest of studies. 1t involves
SO much; is indeed sort of universal
absorber, combiner and conquerer.
The scope of its etymologies is the
scope not only of man and civilization,
but the history of nature in all its de-
partments, and of the organic universe,
brought up to date; for all are compre-
hended in words and their backgrounds.
This is when words become vitalized,
and stand for things, as they unerringly
and very soon come to do, in the mind
that enters on their study with fitting
spirit, grasp and appreciation.
In the process of word-formation, my
raids die, but here and there the attempt
attracts superior meanings, becomes
valuable and indispensable, and lives
forever, Thus the term right means lit
orally only straight. Wrong pri-
nfarily meant twisted, distorted Integ-
rity meant oneness. Spirit meant breath,
or fame. A supercilious person was
one who raised his eyebrows. To insult
was to lean against. If you influenced
man you but flowed into him The
Hebrew word which is translated proph-
eey meant to bubble up and pour forth
as fountain. The enthusiast bubbles
up with the spirit of God within him,
and it pours forth from him like foun-
tain, The word prophecy is nisunder-
stood. Many suppose that it is limited
to mere prediction; that is but the lesser
portion of prophecy. The greater work
is to reveal God. Every true religious
enthusiast is a prophet.
1t is in embryons and childhood, and
:ameng the illiterate, we always find the
groundwork and start of the science of
language, and its noblest products.
What relief most people have in
speaking of man not by his true and
formal name, with s.Mister" to it, but
by some odd or homely appellative.
The propensity to approach Il meaning
not directly and squarely, but by cir
cuitous styles of expression seems indeed
a'born quality of the common people
everywhere, evidenced by nicknames
and the inveterate determination of the
masses to bestow substitutes. sometimes
ridiculous, sometimes very apt. Always
war, one heard of Little Mac General
McClellan), or of .sUncle Billy (Gen-
eral Sherman), 1.-The old man. was, of
course, very common. Among the
rank and file of both armies it was very
general to speak of the different States
they came from by their slang names.
Those from Maine were called Foxes;
New Hampshire, Granite Boys; Massa-
chusettes, Bay Staters; Vermont, Green
Mountain Boys: Rhode Island, Gun
Flints; Connecticut, Wooden Nutmegs;
New York, Knickerbockers; New Jer-
sey, Clam Catchers; Pennsylvania,
Logher Heads; Delaware, Muskrats;
Maryland, Clam Thumpers; Virginia,
Beagles; North Carolina, Tar Bolers
South Carolina, Weasles; Georgia, Buzz
yards; Louisiana, Creoles; Alabama,
Lizards; Kentucky, Corn Crackers;
Ohio. Buckeyes; Michigan, Wolverines;
Indiana, Hoosiers; Illinois, Suckers;
Missouri, Pukes; Mississippi, Tad
poles; Florida, Fly Up the Creeks; Wis
consin, Badgers; Iowa, Hawkeyes; Ore
gon, Hard Cases. Indeed | am not sure
but slang names have more than once
made Presidents. ,'Old Hickory (Gen-
eral Jackson) is one case in point.
.'Tippecanoe and Tyler too" another.
The same rule viii be found in the
people COHNcTSttiouS eScryWuoTe. L
heard this among the men of the city
horse-cars, where the conductor is often
called a '.snatcher" ii. c. because his
characteristic duty is to constantly pull
or snatch the bell-strap, to stop or 60
on). Two young fellows are having a
friendly talk, amid which, says first con-
ductor: What did you do before you
was a snatcher?" Answer of second
conductor: Mailed" (Translation of
second conductor: Il worked as car
penter') .'What is a boom?' says one
editor to another. Esteemed contem-
porary," says the other, "a boom is a
bulge Barefoot whisky is the Ten
nessee name for the undluted stimu-
liant. In the slang of the New York
common restaurant walters plate of
ham and beans is known as ..stars and
stripes Goldfish balls as ''sleeye-but-
TONS" and hash as mystery"
The Western States of the Union are,
however. as may be supposed, the special
areas of slang, not only in CONVERSE
ton, but in names of localities, towns,
rivers, etc. A late Oregon traveller
says:
ION your way to Olympia by rail you
cross q river called the Shookum Chuck;
your train stops at places named Ne
5waukum. Tumwater and Toutle; and if
YOU seek further you will hear of whole
counties labeled Wahkiakum, or Snoho-
,mish, or Kitsar, or Klikatat; and Cow
ilitz, Hookium and Nenolelops greet and
offend You. They complain in Olympia
that Washington Territory gets but little
immigration; but what wonder? What
man, having the whole American CONT
ment to choose from, would willingly
date his letters from the county of Sno-
homish, or bring up his children in the
city of Nenolelops? The village of Tum-
water is, as 1 am ready to bear witness,
very pretty indeed; but surely an emil
grant would think twice before he estab-
lished himself either there or at TOutle.
Seattle is sufficiently barbarous, Steli-
COON is no better, and suspect that the
Northern Pacific Railroad terminus has
been fixed at Tacoma, because ii is one
of tine few places on Puget Sound whose
name does not inspire horror"
Then a Nevada paper chronicles the
departure of 10 mining party from Reno:
1.-The toughest set of ROSTERS that ever
shook the dust of any town left Reno
yesterday for the new mining district of
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