Wichita eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1886-1890, 1889-09-01
THE NAMES OF CITIES
PROF. FREEMAN ON THE ORIGIN OF
AMERICAN PLACE NAMES.

| Many Were Transplanted from FOREIGN
Landslide Name Washington Traced
| Back to Ensland-An Observer of the
Couutry's Nomenclature.
The history Of the United States, especially
| that OF the eastern states, is plainly written
| in their local nomenclature. The uomencla-
| ture of itself could tell US at what period of
| English history the settlement was made.
| Virginia might or might not suggest the
| Virgin Queen-peraaps that might be going
long way-but jamestown, Charleston,
| Carolina, Maryland, Albany in connection
with New York;, Orange county, Annapolis,
Georgia, crowd of names OF the same class.
speak for themselves, tell us under what
kings, queens and princes the settlements
were made. Royal and princely names are
not unknown IL the north, but they are far
more common in the south, while the north
has class of names peculiar to itself, names
Ike Salem, Providence, Concord, which dis
tinctly bear the stamp of one of the great re-
lgious parties OF England
The map alone could show that New Eng
land was largely settled by Puritans, ard
that Virginia and Maryland were largely
settled by Cavaliers And as Philadelphia
could not be reasonably supposed to directly
have been settled from one Of the seven
churches of Asia, too, it might suggest,
though not With the same certainty as Salem
and Providence, that its presence was q sign
Of the religious movements OF the Seventeenth
century. Thus, without consulting man or
book, such an inquirer as I have supposed
might put together a fair skeleton history of
the earlier days Of the thirteen states. He
could see that the settlement was almost
wholly made from England, but that in enc
district it was first made from the seven
provinces. New Netherlands is still visible
enough, though New Sweden could, perhaps,
hardly show itself
Our inquirer will see that a great number
of the chief towns in England have their
more recent naneSakes on American soil.
He will lot be surprised to come across Lon
don, York, Boston, Bristol, Northampton,
Worcester, Litchfeld, crowd OF other names
familiar in his own land; he would rather be
surprised if it were not So But when he
comes to the capital of the whole land and
finds that 1t bears the name Of Washington,
he may well wonder at it. That English
settlers should reproduce the names of cities
like Bristol and Worcester in their new coun-
try would seem the most obvious thing in the
world But why should any of them cali any
place, above ALL why should they call the
head city Of all, after a place so obscure as
the elder " ashington in Englandi l fancy
that 1t may be news to some in both bemiS-
pheres that there is any Washington in Eng
land. | remember a certain satisfaction that
once felt in pointing out to an American
friend in England bill on a wall in the city
OF Durham, announcing that sale of some
thing or other was TO take place at the unfa-
nous Washington in that part Of the world.
Our inquirer viii perhaps think it hardly
possible that Washington in the District Of
Columbia could have been directly called
after Washington in the bishopric of Dur
ham. Ie will have to think by what inter
mediate steps the name Of one could have
been carried to another. And as men so
often bear tho names OF places, and as places
SO often bear the names Of men, he VIII be
strongly tempted to risk the guess that the
younger Washington was called after soma
man whose forefGther had taken toe name of
the elder, and had therefore originally come
from the elder. Without knowing a single
act Of the actual George Washington, our
inquiry would come very near to the moral
certainty that some bearer Of his surname
had, at one important stage Of the history Of
the country, stood out SO far above other
men that he was thought worthy of giving
his name to the meeting place of the nation.
This is good deal to find out by the map
alone; but 1t is quite certain that our some
what impossible person, the man who knew
so much of other history as to be able to 90
through this process, and so little of Amer
can history as to need to go through it, could
easily, without any kind Of help, find c1t as
much as this. Having taken our inquiring
friend to Washington, it may be well 10 leave
him there. The United States may be thank
ful for many things connected with their first
president, and for his name not the least 1t
was good luck indeed that gave the Federal
capital name 50 happy in every way. No
succeeding president has a name in the least
suited for the purpose till we come to Abra- I.
ham Lincoln. And Lincoln would not have
done SO well as Washington, because Lincoln
could not fail to suggest the Lincoln Of the
elder country, while Washington practically I
stands by itself, and suggests the elder Wash /
ington only to a few who are specially curious I
i'll such matter. city might indeed have /
been named Alexander Hamilton; but it was /
well that the Federal capital was saved from /
the i'll luck OF those places which have been /
called after jefferson, or even after Adams
The older nomenclature of the United States I
is good in every way. Be the name native,
or Puritan, or descriptive, or borrowed from .
some place in England ell these are good ele- /
meuts. But alas, the art Of nomenclature .
seems TO have died out both in America and (
everywhere else. With endless Teutonic end /
ings to choose from-ton, burgh, ham, WICK, I
by-for the settlers from Scandinavia, the .
favorite fashion seems now to be 70 add .
on q French vile even 10 English place .
nanes which are ready made. What .
name can be better than Whitney eI-
cept its true form, Whitney, Yet Whitney
was not thought enough, and thero is Whit
neville Yet it Is not true that TO pass by
not few WashIngtens, which do not boast
OF capitols, there IL somewhere within the
borders Of the Union get Of men for whom
" Arlington was not enough, ald who must
needs add little French elegance In tho shape
OF " ashingtoRvf 4. Freeman in
New York Mail and. EyI..-<rss.
Skin TraCol.;s.
For thoss having tack, oily skins, broken
by pirnplss and corhedones, or black headed
worms, there Is no alternative but a careful
diet, II they would have II grow smooth and
fine grained Bu, little butter must be eaten,
10 mt meat, AID the food consist for the
most part of vegetables and fruit. 4 table
spoonful Of sulphur takca every other morn
ing for week. then omitted three mornings
and taken again. VIII clear the compilation in
couple Of months, but will probably make
the black specks looS more numerous for
week or two. 4 r7i-rsrs OF powdered brira-
e---,. ~ SI-l7y,r y, 6ff-1.e4 e-frcarfra -.IFos