The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1891-12-25
a LOST MOUNTAIN.

History Is never safe from the incur
. hands have shattered its most lovely
shapes. have proved that the rosy clouds
We saw in youth were but damp. chilly
vapor; that our heroes were no heroe. at
all. The boy who was thrilled with the
story OF William Tell now learns in man
hood that there wasn't any such William,
and consequently no apple, child or
arrow. The tender-hearted girl who once
thought of Beatrice Cenci as more lovely,
yet not less high-souled and heroic woman
than the Hebrew Jael or Judith, now finds
with disgust that Beatrice and her STEP
mother killed the old husband and father
because be was stingy and cross, and they
yearned for more life, light, liberty and
pin money.
And so we go. Every dav finds some
dry, cropping, fact-smelIing fellow smear
ing our idols with pitch, or absolutely
hurting them out OF the topmost window
of the Temple of Fame. The historical
existence of Shakespeare, the poet, is denied
by some who think him only mask for
the face of Bacon or Raleigh. Peter the
Great, of Russia, is said TO have been moth
ing but a gigantic Tartar, a monster of
cruelty, subject to hts of homicidal in
sanity and inexpressibly filthy in all his
personal vices and social habits. Queen
Elizabeth makes but mean and con-
temptible figure on the pages of Motley.
Napoleon is de.ineated as little better than
bandit and scoundrel OF genius by Taine.
George Washington i. charged with having
used profane language both on the battle
field and in the cabinet. and with being
deist, like Franklin, Jefferson and Paine
The captivating story of Pocahontas, that
sweet, nut-brown maid, whose figure was
long q beautiful historical shape of love
and humanity, Interposing between
the head of Captain John Smith and the
impending war club of Powhatan-that
charming pictnre ha. become dissolving
view in our own day. for Pocshontas was a
weil-featured but wanton young woman
who used to amuse the colonists by turn
ing cartwheel, naked as she was born, in
the market place at jamestown. It was
very painful to lose Pocahontas, but she
has gone from the roll of nice people N
history and there seem, 10 be danger that
Joan of Arc will have TO go, too, for some
grubber IN French history has already
whispered, ike Betsey Prig, that there
never was no such woman"
But the image breaker is not content
with invading history he attempts 10 OBJ
literate geography, and no less person than
Benjamin Harrison. president OF the
United States. is the most recent icono-
cast, for the president in message sent
70 the Senate on Wednesday last concern
ing the uniform usage by all departments
of the government in the spelling of geo
graphical names, insists that the decisions
of the board on geographical names be re-
spec.ed BY all officers of the governme Mt.
One decision abolished Mount Tahoma, or
Tacoma.
The president in this message will ap-
pear as an historical and geographical i'm
age breaker to the good people of Tacoma,
who have not been disposed hitherto TO re-
gard Tacoma as Lost Mountain" The
savage said Indian no lost; wigwan
lost" and so in their local loyalty the good
people of our big sister city have ALWAYS
insisted that Mount Rainier, nor Tacoma
was the Lost Mountain, or at leas, de-
served to be. But Pres dent Harrison now
rises 10 remark that there must he an end.
at least on the part OF officers of the gov
eminent, to this DIR. Jekyll and Mr.
Hyde theory OF descriptive geography in
Washington.
Officially, therefore. there will hence
forth be no recognition OF any such
mountain as Tacoma" il is Lost
Mountain to standard maps, biographies
and histories of the United States. and
the next generation OF Tacoma schoolbov.
will be no more able 70 find Mount
Tacoma on any standard United States
map or in any standard geography or his
tory than they viii be able to find the
Lost Pieiad on an astronomical chart. or
the Lost Cause" by spending winter in
South Carolina. President Harrison ought
10 be ashamed OF himself The peopIe o.
Tacoma have few monuments Of inventive
a.
and now President Harrison has officially
demolished it by officially denying its
right TO exist The people of Tacoma
ought 10 commemorate their keen sense of
bereavement by changing the name Of
their city from Tacoma" TO that Of Los,
Mountain" When the gallant Colonel
Cameron was dying on the field Of battle
81 Waterloo he bads the piper o; his regi-
ment play "Lochaber No More" The c.rv
of the Lost Mountain" should call is
eoronach Tacoma No More"
Seriously, the state loses nothing By the
loss Of Mount Tacoma, for Mount Rainier
remains; Mr.. Hyde no longer walks the
fields OF earth. but DR.. Jekyll is still
visible presence. Two names with but
single thought, the state Of Washington
has alWArS