The Cape Girardeau Democrat. (Cape Girardeau, Mo.) 1876-1909, 1893-07-01
THE "FLIcXERTAIL" STATE.
How tho Natives of North Drkota Got
Their Odd Nickname.

How tho Natives OF North Dckota Got
Their Odd Nickname.
Whenever an intelligent Dakotan-
and all Dakotans are intelligent-goes
away from home he is surprised at the
familiarity shown by strangers with
the main facts in the states history.
He hears conversations on the trains,
in the hotel Hobbies and among his dis
tant friends which show a degree of in
formation concerning Dakota for which
he is not prepared. Our peculiar polit-
zeal methods and gatherings and their
unexpected outcomes have assisted our
wheat crop. our climate and our mag
n~ificent cities in making the state ia
nous, until shrewd observers in neigh
boring states declare they car tell a
fiickcrtail Dakotan lust by the bat of
his eyes" But one thing has always
puzzled the best posted of strangers
That is our name 1t is said a rose by
any other name would smell as sweet"
but it would be hard to convince n dem
izcn of the effetc east that any Dakota
product was genuine unless the flick
ertail' was blown in the bottle. The
Illinois man is known as n Sucker, be
cause he is. The Connecticut mar is a
Nutmeg. The Kansas man is a Jay
hawker. The Missourian is called a
Puke from the facility with which he
tan unload during the fever and ague
season. The North Carolinian is called
a Tarheel. because a soldier of that state
when called 4 ''tarheel' by a Virginia
comrade, rctorted: Yes. we've got tar
on our heels and that makes us stick in
the fight, while You fellows III away"
Ohioans are called buckeyes on account
of their nuts. M~innesotans are called
Gophcrs on account of their animals.
But why North Dakotans are called
Flickcrtails is something entirely be
yond the imagination of the hninitiated.
The name originated at the first scs-
sion of the legislature after statehood
in a bill introduced by Representative
Frank J. Thompson, of Fargo. The
following is a full text of the resolu-
ton, which passed by a large majority.
The joke was afterward expungcd from
the records of the house, but never tx
plunged from the brains of Dakotans:
Whereas. North Dakota is now placed in the
galaxy OF states destitute Of a familiar cogno-
men by which those born upon her fertile soil
can he known: and
Whereas, Those born in the other several
states Of the union are called by some charac-
teristic aprellation peculiar to the state OF his
nativity: and
Whereas. Bountiful nature in her kindness
and prodigaiiiy. and in the eternal fitness OF
things. has placed among the numerous dcn:-
2 Us Of her broad prairies an animal OF the or
der rodent, family scinr.dn, known as The spor-
mophiIus richardson. called vulgo. the flicker
tail gopher. As "a thing OF beauty" AMI "a loy
forever" except in certain cases; and
Whereas, Tn" spormophilus richardson. or
fickcrtail gopher. is a creature endemic to this
land OF the Dakoias: therefore be it
Resolved. That We, the house OF representa-
tives of the state of North Dakota, dc by this
resolution chrisien every child born or who may
he borb within the boundaries Of this
state with the ma ne "F1ickertail." which chris
tened name shall be applied in tAe same maa.
ncr as the work Sucker" Is applied 10 children
born in Illinois. Wolverine" to those horn in
Badger" TO those born 10 Wiscon-
sin. etc NIFUS