Butte semi-weekly miner. [volume] (Butte, Mont.) 1886-1890, 1886-11-24
"BULLDOZE," ''CARPETBAG," ETC
How, Whence and When These and Sim.
liar Words Originated.

The MI Err reporter met an ex-Confeder
ate soldier at a Butte City hotel last even
ing, and during a most interesting CONVEX
sation about olden days the ex-soldier re.
marked:
ut may be interesting to note the nu.
merous words in everyday use among Eng.
disappearing people, particularly those OF
North America, whose origin can be traced
to no rule known to the learned men of The
period, but which have become as much
parts and parcels of daily talk as the verb
Ito be- is the lesson presented to the
~schoolboy the instant he opens his gram
mar. And it is true, too, that the words
SO adopted are more fitted and pregnant
with meaning in the place they are intended
to fill than any regular word found in the
classics.
"If one will devote one half-hour each
day to the examination OF such words, he
will find not only Fare intellectual enjoy
ment, but much useful information. Take,
for example, the word 'carpetbag'-the
verb - or 'carpetbagger'- the noun, SO
much used in the political campaigns OF
this country. These words are now as
thoroughly incorporated with our language
and their Specification as clearly fixed as
any words known in the vocabulary OF the
time, and yet comparatively speaking, few
OF those who constantly use them know of
their origin and the circumstances attend.
ing their baptism, SO to speak, and adop.
ton by the people. The facts are these,
and their evidences are the files and min
utes OF the parliamentary body presently
spoken OF.
"Soon after the close OF the late Ameri-
can war and the formation of Military
Districts, to whose command army officers
were assigned, conventions were called to
form and submit to the proper authorities
fundamental laws for the several States
lately in arms against the United States
Government. Gen. E. R s. Candy was
Military Commander Of Virginia and the
convention was called to assemble in the
city OF Richmond. This convention was
known, popularity, as the Black Crook
Convention a name given it by Jimmy
Cowardin-one OF the most brilliant and
well equipped newspaper bohemians of the
old Dominion State atthat date. It was
suggested by the fact that a majority OF it's
members were negroes, many of whom
had but lately been slaves. There we're
some whites, but a majority of the mem
bers were negroes, a fact due to circum-
stances then existing but not necessary to
stat. here.
The olored members consisted OF original
free negroes and ex-slaves; the white men,
hers were native-born and men OF Northern
birth who had been in some capacity con-
ne tied with the Federal army, or had fol-
lowed that army to the South in some
reputable or disrepntable capacity. These
last-named men, whenever they could do
had themselves elected to Office, not
only to draw the salary, but to forward
their political interests or those Of their
fri~ends-pclitical opportunities which they
would never nave had at their homes in
the North.
"These four elements OF these conventions
soon became known by distinct names,
followed them and, in two instances,
long after their political chess
board had been set aside aud the days of
reconstruction forgotten. These two were
'Carpetbaggers' and 'Scala~a gs.' The
former meant Northern-born office seekers
the latter, Southern-bern men, whether
those originally opposed to war Or those
who, having fought through the war. gave
up the issue and their opposition, ard in
good faith set to work to aid in rebuilding
PROSTATE land, and carrying out the
laws and sustaining the new order OF
affairs. |
"Nansemond county sent a delegate to
this Black Crook convention whose name
was Parr. He was a n%ative-born poor
white as that class of the people were
called by the ignorant and mushroom Gle