The morning call., 1894-06-15
HYDE INSISTS ON THE RULE.
! VERY FAR-REACHING FAD.

Teachers in the public schools will have
TO drop their pet names. The fat has
gone forth from President Hyde, and it
is only question of time when it will be
strictly enforced. Mr.. HYDE brought the
matter up in a meeting of the board
Wednesday night, but it was sat upon.
However, he has sent his recommendation
TO the Committee on Rules, and il is quite
probable that this committee will report
favorably rule prohibiting the school
teachers from signing their pet names TO
certificates and other department docu-
ments. The Committee on Rules is COM
posed OF Directors Ames, Symmes and
Culver. all ardent supporters of President
Hyde in board meetings.
When seen yesterday, President Hyde
was quite willing to talk about the object
of his reform. 81 was signing a number
of certificates the other day." he said,
land it disguised me before l finished to
see the most of them signed Daisy sO-and-
so. Essie this and Birdie that. l didn't
think it was dignified and don't think so
now. Why, just think of it, the teacher
who had signed herself Birdie is named
Blanche. Her name isn't Birdie at all.
WHO is Birdie" asked the reporter.
NOW, | really cannot TELL" replied the
president; "but it's a fact that she signed
herself Birdie. Now that isn't right or
dignifed. Then there were Essies and
Daisys and Ettas galore. l don't think it
is quite the thing. / spoke a year ago to
Superintendent SWEET about this, but it
seems that the epidemic of pet names is
spreading again. In the East there has
been much talk about this, and they have
stopped 1t in most of the cities. Why,
just think, there is the principal of
school whom every one calls Bessie She
is so ashamed Of it now that she signs her.
self Miss B. Blank. 1 won't give you her
name. 1t wouldn't be fair"
"But Daisy is a name given at christen-
ing, and SO is Carrie and many of the
olhers?" interrupted the reporter.
That may be so. In such a case, of
course. we could do nothing. I merely
took the list Of names as l found them.
But just think how it would look if [
signed myself Freddie" and President
Hyde lifted up bis hands in horror at the
thought.
Freddie HYDE" be repeated slowly.
Just imagine how that would sound"
FREDDIE Hyde; why, that is preposterous.
And yet we see gray haired women In the
department signing themselves Gussie,
Jennie, Jessie and Birdie. Just imagine
Birdie" In fact, birdie" was name
that seemed to stick in the Presidents
throat He repeated it several times. and
then repeated Freddie Hyde" as if he
wished to compare the idiocy in the sound
of Freddie" and Birdie"
AS a matter of fact, there is quite a
futter among the teachers over President
Hyde's announced intention of enforcing
such a rule as the prohibition of pet
names. About a third of the teachers are
printed with their pet names in the school
directory. Out of the first fifty names
there are no less than fifteen diminutives
given, such as Mrs. Annie Anderson. Miss
Nettie II. Anderson, Miss Nellie Arm
strong, Miss Nellie Baldwin. Miss Jessie
Banks. Miss Maggie Bannan, Miss Carrie
B. Barlow, Miss Carrie NJ. Barron, Miss
Carrie E. Beckwith, Miss Maggie Buggy,
Miss Jennie Bigley. Miss Maggie Black
staff and SO on.
All through the list of names there are
diminutiyes in this way. Most of the
names which used to be terminated with
~" are now ended with ''1e." An old
teacher explained this on the grounds of
the instinct aristocracy of the womanly
nature. 'For instance" she said, Molly
was the way we spelled it fifteen years
ago, but now it is ''Mollie." The change
began when the young ladies became
teachers. They were "Mollys" and Fan
.nys" until they got into the school depart
ment and then they began to be "Molie"
and Fannie" AS far as the incongruity
is concerned, President Hyde is quite
right. The lady he referred to as being
named bessie" and who is so ashamed of
it that she signs herself 3d." is Miss Bes
sic Dixon of Edison School. She is the
principal and quite elderly and dignified.
OF course, she isn't anything like Bessie.
But she isn't the only principal that is
called by diminutive. There is Miss
Mamie Deane of Redding School. I don't
know whom President Hyde referred to as
calling herself ''BirdIe," but whose true
name is Blanche. There are only two
Blanches in the department. They
are Miss Blanche Bates of Emerson and
Miss Blanche A. Mcclure of South San
Francisco. 1t might have been either or
both. In the Smith family we have Miss
Jennie and Miss Jessie Smith, of Long
fellow and Denman respectively, who are
sisters, both women of some years. Miss
Abbie Sprague is corrupted from Abigail.
of course. Sheis OF Whittier. Miss Nellie
Sullivan is vice-president of Mission
School. quiet, digniied woman whose
. appearance is anything but Nellifed, if I
may coin word. There are instances, of
course. where the teachers won't sign
themselves by their pet names. There
is Mrs. n. A. Wood, who is known gem
orally as "Nettie" She signs herself
always IN. a" The only two ''Daisys"
/ know of in the department are Miss
Daisy G. Jesse of South End and Miss
Daisy Wilson of Horace Mann. They prob
ably were christened so, as were many OF the
others no doubt. Most of these are women
in the full meaning of the term. some of
them are principals-there is Miss Susie
Haas-and it does sound funny to call
them by pet names. Why, there are