The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1888-07-04
STATE NAMES.


KoR4. Fable o0a K1x0feSe ~
eusSas xI<anasses 80 WY Thsy
nsss B<~s Bessswea-
fChiezxo Tr1bune-
There i nothing original in The fol-
IDwinx compilation Of tact and fable,
hat Il II hel5evei that the origin d she
names. proper and Ycp1saF. of the
vsssoas states OF the rnsen VII he in
teresssng % many readers and news 70
nos few. The "a herring terether Of
~ thu information has been found .
uu<h more difSscs1it task than il was
imagined xoaId be the case. especially
Che Information relating 70 the nick
nssnes 81 the states anil their people.
A number Of Authorities have been
consulted, and the result, Il il believed.
VIII be found In the main. reliable.
The name Of the state 81 Alabama
g taken from the river which lows
throsgh Il. and which IL an Indian
word or phrase. meaning Here We
rest The state docs not appear TO
have any nickname. bat the peorse
are known down South n :. lizards, !"
because. probably, OF their baskins
habit.
California Was the name given by
Cortex 20 the peninsula nov called
Lower California, which he supposed
10 be an island. II l. now generally
eoneesied that he took the word from
m old spanish romance, Published IN
1870. In which the name II given 70 an
imaginary island = on the right hand
Of the Indies. very near To the terrcs..
trial paradise" which was represented
- Astounding In great treasures OF
gold The root 81 the word Il sup
posed 10 be the Spanish eaiiia, caiiph-
the island belonging 10 these success
sors OF Mohammed. Others. how
ever, are oil the opinion that the word
California Il OF Spanish origin. mean
Ing hot furnace. The popular name
of California. Is that Of the Golden
state, an appellation whose origin i
. matter Of vel known history.
Colorado Il named after the river.
the word being spanish and meaning
red. IL Is called the Centennial
State." because IL was admitted In
August. 1876. and is people have been
called Rsyers," because OF the up-
settled habits OF the early settlers.
The name OF the state OF Connect.
cut II derived from the Indian phrase
qunnI-tuti-at, meaning the country
upon the long river. OF course. mean
Ing the Connecticut. Its nicknames
are numerous, for Il II known as tbs
Land OF Steady Habits. the Wood
en- Nutmeg State" the " Eiae Law
State, and the Freestone state .
The reason for It's being called the
Hue Law state goes a long Way back.
The term blue, was deffsiyeiy APP
piled Co the quaint regulations OF the
early government OF the Ses Haven
plantations. when the public author
lilies kept a sharp watch over the de-
pertinent OF the people of the colony
and punished 81 breaches OF good
manners and cool morals often with
ludicrous fpfmality. some account OF
these laws Il given in a small work
published in ISIS, entitled The Cods
Of isss0, being compilation OF the
earliest laws and orders of the Gener-
al Court OF Connecticut The ancient
records OF the New Haven colony
bear witness 10 the stern and somber
religious spirit common 20 all the first
settlers. The chapter OF Capital
I.awes In the Code of 1850, Is almost
verbally copied from the Mosaic law
After the restoration Of Charles III
the furiians became the subject of
every kind Of reproach and eontume-
iy. The epithet" blue was applied
% anyone who looked with disappro-
bation on the RIGHTEOUSNESS OF the
time. The Presby terians. Under
which name all disscnters were often
included, were more particularly tes-
gnaied by this term Thus Butler;
For his religion, il was tit
To match his learning and hrs wit
Twas Presbyterian. true blue.
That the epiihct OF derision should
hnd is way 70 the colonies was mat
Ger OF course. IL was here applied not
only 10 persons, but Ia customs. insti-
tutions and laws of the purIsans. hy
those who wished 10 render the pre-
vaiiing system ridiculous. Henre
probably, the belief with some that q
distinct system OF laws, known a. the
blue laws must have somewhere a
local lahitation. 20 writes Prof
Kingsley, and no hrtieF explanation
can certainly be given. That a dis
trict where such stringent laws pre-
vailed should lie land OF steady
habits, stands to reason. Connect
rut i called the Nutmeg or
Wooden Nutmeg state for an en-
lrcsy different reason. and ID would
seem that exceeding iugrd stflctness
does not always mean business recti-
tude. The Connectieut people have
hal such a reputation for shrcwdness
that they have been loosely accused
OF palnsiag of wooden natmrgs on
unsuspeetiag purchasers instead 81
The genuine article. 10 gets IL name
OF the Frees tone State from the
number OF qlarrie> Of that material
that IL contains.
All that concerns the nomenclature
of Delaware i interesting. In the
nrst place, il was named in honor OF
Thomas West. Lord dc Ia Mare,
governor al Virginia, who visited the
bay Ia itio, and died on his vessel AZ
the mouth OF the bay. it, popular
names are the Diamond state 80
called from its small sire and great
worth and supposed importance; and
the iilae Hen" concerning which
The following story j. told This
Snbttguet j. said 10 have had its origin
IN a certain capt. cal,iweli's fantinesS
Tor the amusement If cock fighting
caldwell Was foe time an afiitcr OF
The fwst Delaware regiment ia the
war of the Revolution. and was great
" distinguished fer his daring and us-
daGntrd spirit. He was exceedingly
popular N the regiment. and is high
state of discipline was generally con
eeSied Ia be due to his exertians. so
that ahcn 0fiiserS were sent on recruit
ing serVi,c a. enlist new men in order
Ia tN sacancies caused hv death or
c1hefNtse, Il was a saving that they
has gone hofNe for more III salslwcil's
game coeks, hut a. caldwell Insisted
thSt nc cock ruuid he truly game an
Hess its mother was blue hen. the eN-
preston, blue hens chickens" Was
substituted for game ey,.kS" BY
This nansc, ar a. Uhsc Hens." thu
people Of Delaware are s;ili callti.
tl0sissa j. sometimes ealipsi the
febiHsstlsf state el uouF<s. on az
count 81 i;S ConfisuFsgioa. It's prop-
or mamie WAS awarded il on an Easter
SUNDAY al lsN something hv Pence
its dlss,ovescr. Faster ,saisaay. On the
spanish tsshosh calendar. being set
down a. fescaa Florida. 81 Sse least
AT Flowers The people Of Florida
are occasionally niCknamea fiy ny
The ,syoss." though shy it Is not
easy TO say
The sagd Illinois Is a compound ~
Indian snd Preach. the Indians. Who
wcre the aboriginal inhabitants csu.
tng themselves gihni tnien. ~ r0eA
,neFii. ami the Preach. Who were the
first settlers tkaskaskia ttsst. a.isisns
oss. The popular names 81 the state