Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1891-03-26
OFT OF TIE usuAL Wy.
Incidents and Impressions Gathered In
the City as Opportunity offered,

the City as Opportunity offered.
Upon the subject of Reform in Spelling
Geographic Names" one of the current
magazines remarks that tall students 81
geography will be glad that our scientific
bureaus at Washington have taken in hand
the revision of our geographic nomencla-
ture. In connection with these promises
Of spelling reform a representative OF
The GAZETTE, while in Postmaster
Stewards office the other day, was shown
the large new post-otfice route-map just
received from Washington. The strange
name, Rapid Ann" was found printed
along the course of the famous old war
river, Rapidan. Such fearful neologism
is sufficient to make all the heroes of the
war, both Yankees and Johnny Rehs, turn
in their graves. The reporter thought
possibly that this newest instance of re-
form was Senator Blars last educational
effort before leaving for his Chinese mis-
sion.
Secretary Proctor also may be very fairly
asked by what title he transforms the
common noun skeleton into an active
verb Of such coarse inelegance as is found
IN the following passage from the New
York Times army and navy news of a
recent date 1.-THE general order issued by
Secretary Proctor in regard to the enlist
ment of 1000 Indians in the army is as
follows: The following-named companies
now skeletonized, namely, Troop l., &C."
Friday afternoon, the occasion when
the recent warm spell reached its maxi
mum, the writer happened to be standing
conyersing with some friends on the door
step of building on West Fifth street,
when suddenly one of the party drew the
attention OF the others to the spectacle of
cloud of ephemere flying in a column
overhead. They were the genuine may fly
and were dancing in the air in their usual
way seen every spring time. The strange
ness of the phenomena is due to the fact
ance Of these early spring BIRDS the Their
mometer stood l6e, a temperature sutii-
Gent to kill the whole swarm instanter.
The word ''dago" as term of opprobium
used on the streets in application to the
Italians is altogether a misnomer. The
tdagon is Spaniard. The term is derived
from hidalgo.n When perusing the In
stitute Library copy Of Mrs. Burton lIar-
rison's most recent work, Flower de Hun
bred, Mrs. Harrison is also the author of
the clever story "Anglomaniacs,' pub
lished in the Century and which puzzled
all New York to discover who wrote til the
writer came upon the following passage
and coming to dogs death at the hands
Of ships load of dagoes." The incident
was in the description of naval engage
ment between an English gunboat and a
h2lttlilSll Pllhte bil tilG LuiolS VI AsllDu
ing last century.
In connection with the present street
roller skating craze, an incident which
arouses the sympathy of all who witness it
is the spectacle Of little crippled newsboy
about 10 or II years of age who with a
skate firmly fixed to his one leg flies along
at quite a respectable speed on his Two
crutches and one skate. The little fellow
seems to enjoy himself Just as much as his
companions do with their full complement
Of legs. He is about the noisiest and most
boisterous of the crowd.