The Irish standard. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn. ;) 1886-1920, 1888-03-24
AMERICAN PLAcE-NAMES.
Trausgressions of Which Most of Our
NLmenclators Have Been Guilty.

Transgressions of Which Most of Our
| Ntmenclators Have Been Guilty.
The satire which has been every
where for q half century leveled
at the classical names of the towns in
New York State, given by some schools
master who was in :. position to give
them, should have taught the American
nomenclators Of later date lesson.
Perhaps. q reference to the classical
dictionary has been less frequent since
that time but the poverty Of imagina-
ton Of the modern American has been
none the less apparent. 1t is pardon
able in immigrants to name q locality
| in America after their birthplace Iii
some European country; but, when
the .'stock American must search
European and classical Biographies
for names, he adyertises two things:
first, bis want of aesthetic capacity;
second, if perchance he select some
euphonious name from the Greek. his
want OF national spirit and character
in form ut least. What can be more
homogeneous than the naming of one Of
the canyons of Colorado the canyon of
Lodore! But what especially moves us
to make these remarks is the fact that
we are Threatened, according to the
daily press, with still moro objection
able piece of Jenkinism. The plain
adjacent to the Salt river Of Arizona,
where so many important archaeology
cal remains have been recently discov-
red by the Hemenway expedition, is
to be called tho Plain Of Tempe! Can
no names be selected from the noble
vocabulary Of the Puohlos, or from the
Spanish~American historian Of three
centuries ago, that we must
once more throw away our cl,ar-
acter in this way? Let US see. The
name Of the Great Colorado river, into
which the Salt river ultimately finds its
way, WIS the Tison--a dignifieu
name, capable almost Of any app}ica-
ton. The region of the Moqois was
Tesayan. The region OF tbs Puercn
river Of the East was Tiguex--;, word
Of entirely classical form. Tic Rio
Grande was the Cicuye. Towns Of the
region were Acuco, Tutahuaco, CHA
(n,ol!ern Clay. {north Of which was the
Province OF Quirix>, and Braba, at the
head CT the Jemez river. All Ct these
are available names, of euphonious and
even classical form, appropriate 60 the
country and not copied from any other
region. WE commend them respect
fully 10 the gentlemen in charge of the
Hc1nenway expedition.
Can not something be done to change
the north, south, east and west places
that we have in suoi. numbers, and to
prevent the creation Of any new oness
Why shall we dis!igure our map with
North Dakota, for instancep Cali it
Mandania, OF sorne other original
name. The Cana<lans have pre-empt~
e1. Assini!ooia~~~so we can not have
that. Let us have Tacoma for WASH
ington Territory, as has been long pro-
posed. Whsu Montana is divided,
name one od its parts Absoroka, after
the Crow I,t7ians-~tha best specimens
of the aboriginal American on the con-
tinent.
We recall two instances Of changes
of name in the East, with which we
emphasize our our remarks. New Jer-
sey once had hourishing town Of
Longaconiay. The name was one Of
the few iza&Anoes Of successful compo-
sition of :z5E.:-ggs.si' words TO be found in
America =: ,.ss changed by some
person eli G;f.sroEsed sensibjlities to
Berlin, as - sacw so called! In East
ern North Carolina is q pretty village
once called by the euphonious Indian
name OF Nalunta. When we last Wis
tied the place it was called Fremont
Comment is unnecessary. -Anaericoaa
Naturalist.