The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1891-07-15
THE ROMANCE OF IDAHO.
How the State was Named for a
Pretty Little Indian Girl.

In the autumn Of 1865 l resided in
Twenty-second street. New York. A
genial fellow boarder was a gentle.
man of about fortv-five years, who
was putting some mining stock on the
market. His name was Cole. and he
claimed the distinction of having for
initials three Csc. G. Cole-of being
| one Of the first members of Congress
| from the new State, and of receiving
| the largest mileage ever paid to a
member of Congress-over $40, 600
his mileage being computed from
Idaho to San Francisco, thence
(around the Horn by way of New
York to Washington. He was a
pioneer from New York, and for a
time kept q trading store at Fort
Walla Walla.
One evening the strange name of
the new state became a subject of
comment, and Mr.. Cole gave me the
following account OF how the name
came to be adopted, and also the
selected meaning. or rather the mean
ing which he and Others concluded to
give as the Indian words translation.
One bright morning about ten o'clock,
in company with another gentleman
interested in the government of the
territory, while riding over some bar
rem mountain tops, or rather hills, the
road became so rough as to compel
the slowest travelling. As they ploddd
on, the name for the new State became
a topic of conversation. While talk
ing over the various names that had
been suggested they came to the top
of a small plateau, on the farther edge
of which stood an Indian howell or
cabin.
The utter loneliness of the spot sug-
gested to the travellers that they had
come upon the hiding place of some
outlaw, of whom the country then
boosted q great number. Just before
they reached, but while In plain view
from the cabin, an Indian woman
came out and called out several tunes
in a high spirited, far reaching voice
the word Idaho. The tone was a com
bination of those of the Swiss yodeler.
the Spanish Indian and Louisiana
negress, and, as was supposed, a call
to the squaw's husband. The sound
of the voice as given by Mr.. Cole, and
he had been familiar with the Indians
for some years, was Eh-dah-hoo-oo-oo
Ia drop from the first E to the sec
ond, a long q, almost as II ah-ah, and
a musical, long-drawn-out dwelling
upon the hoo, using the full force of
the langs in expiration and in cres-
condo.
The squaw's call was answered by
the sudden appearance of an Indian
girl about nine years of age. She was
clean and better looking than most of
her race. The inference of both MI.
Cole and his companion was that
Idaho was the girls maine, and the
idea of adopting it as the name of the
new state occurred to both men at
about the same time, Mr.. Cole claim
ing to be the first TO speak.
All efforts to find the English of the
word resulted in failure; and
finally, in consideration of the sex
and surroundings of the Indian whose
name had helped solve the difficulty in
finding one for the state. that of Gem
of the Mountains was decided upon.
The real meaning of the word Mr..
Cole never knew. As the Indians
name their children from physical
peculiarities or circumstances occur
ring at their birth, and as the child
was born about daylight, the transla-
ton of Light on the Mountains was
first deemed a good one, but its fit
ness as a name for the State had to
give way to the more appropriate one
OF Gem of the Mountains, which was
given to Congress as the translation
of the Indian word.
narrate the tale as / got it from
Nh. Cole. and add what, at the time,
/ suggested to him-that the State
arnok n ~ ~ /. onf ~. The aDnf xrka,1
the name was ~seleeted-and as amend
ment, that Joaquin Miller. the poet
Of the Sierras, write the Inscriptions
Edward p. Roche, d. D., an Boston
Journal.
How 'ouida'' Dresses Her Heroines.
An author who fairly riots in
clothes, and attires her heroines in
genuine arabian Nights ma~gnifeence,
Is Ouida. Her brides travel in cream
velvet and sables, and her great ladies
are always drawing yer white marble
terraces skirts of India muslin, Flem-
ish lace, and primrose satin" As
their husbands usually W gold
mines, if not municipalities, it is quite
unnecessary for them to hold up their
frocks, and simple morning dresses of
this description, DR. trailing rose
colored ones" with ''rose-colored
pearl-sewn slippers" are merely or
binary incidents. One of these suInp-
tuous ladies seemed on fire with the
superb rubies that glittered all over
her, and shone like sparks of flame
upon the exquisite whiteness of her
skin and upon the iame-colored robes
that cleaned under the black shower
of her laces,n while on an another
occasion golden tissues fioated about
her like sunlit air, and a girdle of
sanDhires flashed beneath her breast.n