Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1898-06-11
An Effort Being Made to Have the Verb
Dewey Coined.


into Colonel Gould's new company. and
the rest will be mustered later. Many of
the recruits for this company failed to
pass the examination before the surgeon.
superintendent w. w. Stetson re
ceived a letter, Wednesday, from a
gentleman in Houston, Texas, asking
Mr.. Stetson to advocate the idea II
adopting the verb Dewey" into the
English language. Accompanying the
letter was a clipping from a Houston
paper regarding the matter. which may
be of interest to the patriotic readers.
The following is the letter:
Houston, Texas, May 81, 1898.
Hon. State Superintendent of Educa-
ton, Augusta, Maine.
Dear Sin: Enclosed you will please
find a newspaper clipping containing Il
suggestion | hope it may be your
pleasure to take up, and promptly
bring to tine attention of the school
children Of your State. Similar re
quests viii be made of the other state
superintendent Of the Union.
Yours Very respectfully,
j. S. DAUGHERTY.
Inc CHpplnp READ as 1o!lONS.
"Mr. j. S. Daughcrty Of this city has
addressed the following letter TO thu
teachers and school children of Texas:
believing that a proper manifesto
ton of appreciation on the part Of
those served is the greatest incentive
TO noble action, and for the purpose OF
duly commemorative the destruction Of
the Spanish fleet in the harbor af
Manila and fittingly complmenting
Commodore Dewey. | suggested the
idea outlined in the following CORES
pondence:
Hon. j. NJ. Carlisle. Austin. Texas:
Houston, Texas. May 9. 1S9S.-Dcar
Sir: l have written Messrs. c. & G.
Merriam 6; Co, publishers of Webster's
dictionary, Springfield. Mass. and to
Messrs. j. =. Lippincott & Co, publish
cas- Of Wore ester's dictionary, Philadel-
phia. Pa. and to Messrs. Funk & Wag-
nails. publishers Of the Standard die
lionary, New York. y. Y, as follows:
"Gentlemen: AS q compliment to
Commodore Dewey, [ suggest that a
new verb be added to the English Ian
guage. viz: DeWey-to wipe out, an
initiate. destroy" and that you insert
it N the next edition of your diction-
aly. with a note in substance as fol-
lows: CThe word dewey was made 4
verb at the request of the school chill
.lrtn Of the United States, as 4 com
Dlimant 10 Commodore Dewey of the
United States navy and to commend
rate the destruction of the Spanish
fleet in the harbor of Manila, Philip
pine islands May /, 1881
Through the state superintendent of
education | expect to secure the desired
request from the children. | believe
this one Of the most fitting h0nors that
can be paid Commodore Dewey, and If
vcu approve the idea | would be
pleased for YOU to address a circular
| letter to each of the state superin-
| tenlents Of education and request
them to bring the subject to the atten-
| zion Of the children of their respectiN"
states in order that they may take APP
propriate action. and notify the here
inl,afore mentioned publishers. and that
Won may use Your good offices to secure
| apIHnpriate action in the premises on
the part of the children of Texas
| IN reply to this / received letter
| fraln Superintendent Carlisle stating
| that he was 50 oVerrun with business
that it would be Impossible for him t"
take any active part in the matter b"t
| that he would be pleased to see COM
| molore Dewey hcnorCd in the manner
suggested.
Il also received a letter from tn"
| publishers Of Webstcr's dictionary, eX-
| pressing their gratitude for the Sug-
@estion and promising to place the
| matter in the hands of their editors.
The j. Il. Lippncott Company Of
Philadelphia. write: We will consider
the matter and will advise you later.
| We commend The patriotism when you
manifest and assure you that against
| the common enemy We are one today
as we have not been for more than 81
years
The Funk & Wagnalls Company OF
| New York. replied as follows: w nue.
we appreciate the patriotism that mas
| led Won TO write us concerning new
verb in the English language. permit
rs to say that before the verb that You
| s,,m~ast can be recognized it Will Dc
necessary that it receive the indofse-
ment of some high literary authority
or the sanction of usage. There is llttie
douht i'm our mind that as slang, ol
oven nerhaps as a colloquial express
| sion. 20 deWey-to annlhllate, TO wipe
ont nav come into sufficient promineni
use to be put on record At present II
is only in its infancy. Time alone VII
| show whether the word VIII survive
and o,lr counsel to you is TO wait
1--WE doubt very much whether ans
state Superintendent has the power t'
Interfere in such matter as TINS. il
is not to be expected that one or tW'
state officials can control a language
spoken by nearly two millions Oh peo-
rfe.' ~
Superintendent Carlisle having de-
c1fned TO take action, and desiring Il
aiva Won the first opportunity TO ac'
through the courtesy of the state press
T bona 70 promptly reach you all anc
that YOU may not let the PreSei
scholastic year close without pdsSih-
Iannrnpriate resolutions ana hidlilh=
them TO the publishers, whose ao'
dresses are herein given. 1t Is III YOU
nn,yar to create the verb instead O
,cinm Two words and saying wipe on
that example, say dewey that eN
| ~ r,lI1nb rpSDpct,