Connecticut western news., 1894-02-15
AND STILL THIEF COME.
The Suggestions of New Name for
 the Village of Canaan.

The Suggestions of a New Name for
 the Village of Canaan.
 Elsewhere in these columns appears letter from MT Newton Reed who sug- gests that the village of Canaan be giv- en the name of Forbes. Inasmuch as the editor of the NEWS is lineal de- scendent of Squire Forbes" it would not be graceful for him to strongly ob- jeet to the name of Forbes. But in harmony with our oft repeated state ment that we desired name for this village that is not duplicated in the United States we still cling to the names Great Canaan or Grand Canaan, more especially as there already are two places in the United States named Forbes and one place named Forbes town.
 Mrs Adeline Beckley writes from Kent, Conn.,, under date of Feb. 9th and we quote as follows from her letter:
 "The controversy about changing the name of the village of Canaan promises to be as lengthy as the tariff bill. I hope the world will remain until both questions are settled to the satisfaction of all parties. Why not settle on Law renceville, or Adamsville, or Beckley- vile, or Gilletteville, or Unity. or Har- mony; or if none of these suit, surely E. Pluribus Unum must please all. I don't expect any reward for my sugges- tions; am only episodin, like Samantha does"
 Concerning the suggestions in the foregoing letter we would remark: There are already in the United States eleven places named Lawrenceville, twenty-two places named Lawrence, five places named Lawrenoeburgh, be- sides other places named Lawrence Station, etc. etc. There are sixteen places named Adamsville, one place named Beckleysville; no place named Gilletteville but there are two places named Gillette. four named Glllett and one named Gillette Grove; fourteen named Unity, one named Unity Station. one named Unityville; twenty-two places named Harmony, two named Harmony Grove, one Harmony Hill, one Harmony Village. You see how difficult it is to select name that is not duplicated.
 The CONNECTICUT WESTERN NEWS. pub lished at Canaan. is laboring arduously for the changing of the name of his will lsge to something that will give it more importance among the people of the earth. Among many suggestions (in- cluding Big Canaan, etc. Brother Beck ley seems especially pleased with ''Great Canaan" Give us "Great Ga naan." by all means; semi pious people like ourself are weary of being restrict ed to "Great Scott. ."-Shore Line Times.
 If Editor Allis wants to use new or different swear word we suggest that he try Great Belt, Great Bend, Greas Bridge, Great Cacapon, Great Crossings, Great Falls, Great Mills, Great Neck, Great Pond, Great River, Great Valley, Great Works, Great Harrington, or the name of some other great place.
 The names Great Canaan or Grand Canaan may be ridiculed to an unlimit- ed extent but that will not develop one sensible or valid reason why either name should not be adopted by thus viii lage. Either name is not proposed in a boastful spirit but with a view to elimi- nate the confusion casued by multi plicity of Canaans. Write, or print, either name and then look at them Don't they look well? Do you see any thing to ridicule? Speak or pronounce either name. Don't they sound well? Why don't you ridicule the name of Great Falls, Great Bend, Great Valley. or Great Darlington; Grand Haven, Grand Rapids, Grand River, Grand Island. etc. etc.. Why not ridicule the name of Great Harrington as we'll as the name Great Canaan? You think it is all right and proper to say Great Barring ton, but you smile when the name Greal Canaan is mentioned although the UiE tdge of Canaan contains nearly double the number of inhabitants that the aohole tooa of Great Burlington did fifty years ago. But we are not boosting o Canaan's greatness but are simply try ing to select name that will designate thls village of Canaan from the score ol more of Canaans in the United States
 We are not asking you to surrender tht name of Canaan. but to just add tn.
 words "Great" or "Grand" to Canaan and then you will have a name not du
 plicated in the United States. Either name, Great Canaan or Grand Canaan
 would be perfectly proper and everyone
 would also love and revere them.