Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1897-09-25
NAMES IL. JERSEY.
SOME OF THE TOWNS THAT MAY BE
FOUND IN EVERY ATLAS

FOUND IN EVERY ATLAS.
Picturesqus NoDencla4urs Th.s Il Orig
inAl and Fresh From the SOFIA Native
Jerseyman's Explana&ions q Some os
the Applications.
"Other states may be bigger and
richer and turn in heavier vote. said
the man with the woodbine whiskors
twining gently about his face, "but for
picturesqueness Of nomenclature New
Jersey takes the gold medal"
you're from Jersey. sir, I suppose"
said the man who had just come in
from the smoking car.
II am, sir. and I'm proud of It. I
come In on this train every day to busi-
ness in the city, and in my leisure mo-
ments make a study Of the geography
of my native state. may say. sir
think may say with confidence-that
few men are SO we'll informed as I upon
this interesting subject Of New Jerseys
geographical nomenclature. You OBJ
serve. cir, that say New Jersey, not
Jersey, which is an undignified behead-
Ing OF noble title. 3"
Possibly 1t is because I'm q New
Yorker" said the man across the aisle,
"but have always thought New York
to be pretty strong on interesting
Names" 4-.
"a great error, SIR" declared he Of
the whiskers. IA very great error.
Your names are mainly corrupted In
dian titles or direct cribs from ancient
davs-Ithaca, Marathon. Utica, Homer,
| Virgil, Syracuse, Sempronius, Moravia.
Rome. Cato. Palmyra and a score Of
others. You have borrowed the glories
that should have been buried with
Greece and Rome Our titles, sir, are
dug up from the soil and replete with
meaning. Let me cite some"
Here he pulled small notebook from
his pocket, and the other man. with
regretful politeness, said he would be
glad to learn something on the subject
Consider, SIR. " continued the Jersey
lite, 1.-THE Appropriateness Of such names
as Ragtown, Breakfast Point, Camp
Cav, Polifly, Radix, Pluokemin. Pock-
town, Tillietudelum and Succasuna.
Some of them sound familiar" said
the New Yorker. ''but are all Of those
real names?'
EVERY one Of 'em on the map, sir, -
replied the other warmly. I'm give
you 800 for any one of these that isn't
q real place, and they fairly reek Of
the SOIL Now. here's another batch
Bone Hill, Wickatunk, Bamber. Atco,
Wollyfield, Blue Anchor, Blazing Star,
Hockamick, Jahokeyville, Oney's Hat.
Kalarama, Flyat, Flickerville. Zings.
EN-, Wakeake and Batsto.
"They sound as if they were taken
from Jabberwocky, remarked the New
Yorker. They're utter nonsense.
"Taken straight from the country.
side. " averred the geographer. "They
may not be very strong on sense. Those
names cite merely as instances Of pure
beauty Of sound If you're looking 70,
meaning, can give that to you. Fol
instance, there are Barley Sheaf and
Wheat Sheaf. POLITICALLY suggestive Of
the agricultural riches Of our beautiful
state. Our domestic animals are com
memorated in such fitting titles a
Goosetown, Hensfoot, Hogtown, Mon
keytown, Horseneck and Peacocktown
while for other animals there are Skunk
town, Pole Tavern, which used to b,
Polecat Tavern; Postertown (if postel
amt wild animal don't know wha
is), Snake Hill, Turtletown, Frogtown
and I don't know but what Batstt
ought to come in there. The frogs &c
another show at Ianunka Chunk
which Is the name they gave it them
selves, singing Of nights out in tn,
swamps.
Now, for the temperance folk Their,
are blazing signs Of warning in sucI
names as Whisky Lane, Gin Point. jug
town and Bum Tavern. There used {,
} be an innkeeper in the latter place. b,
! the way, who sued the authorities ono
} q year for maintaining such title AM
always compromised for 8 cents, witt
which he bought himself a drink an,
was well satisfied. One year the authori
ties started in to fight the case and tn
innkeeper in disgust quit the bushes
and Bum Tavern simultaneously. !
place with . suggestive title is Naugh
right, which got its name from larg
farm owners sign, nailed on q tree a
, the roadside, No right Of way here.
They got calling him Old No Right
and when the village sprung up the
called it after him, but a man who ha
spelling reform the wrong way made
, as It now stands Speaking of spelling
; there's one village you can spell eithe
8 Packnack, PacQuanac, Pequanao @
> PeQuannock, but you can't pronounc
' it as the natives do, no matter whic
! way you choose.
"There are some names moro sos
: gestive than Neutrality-suspicious.
Scrapetown. Shutdown, Samptovn an
Solitude, for instance. Some belle tbei
: names, like Recklesstown. which ID q
peaceful as graveyard and in th
same general line Of business, keepin
Q its inhabitants buried far from the carr
Of this busy world Then there's Rount
about, which is . plain four corner
crossing. and Small Lots, with nothin
but wide stretches Of countryside. A
Q for Pellettville, I've heard that the1
I isn't q drug store there, but can't swes