Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1898-05-19
INFLUENTIAL NAMES.
THERE ARE SOME THAT BRING GOOD
4 LUCK; OTHERS, THE REVERSE.
How u Man Lost Fortune and Took An
Unsatisfactory Wife - Why Napoleon
Chose n Certain MesseDger-The Good
Luck of Trottermarsil.

Unsatisfactory Wife - why Napoleon
Chose "A Certain Messenger-The Good
Luck of Trottermarsll.
1t does not seem feasible at first thought
that PERSONS name could have anything
material to do with his success in life,
much less that it could occasionally prove
to be the pivot upon which the loss or gain
of solid wealth is made to hinge, yet de-
spite the abstract trt..h that the sound OF
ones name cannot actually make or mar
ones destiny it undoubtedly often has
curious influence upon ones career, either
for good or for otherwise.
Speaking generally, it must be admitted
that most OF us are apt, without at all
! knowing why, to mentally attach sort of
dignity or Importance to the posscssor of u
fine sounding surname and vice versa, and
it is equally true that very odd, nncom-
mon names, by catching on the memory
and coming most readily to the tongue,
sometimes bring their owncrs slices OF
good fortune that they would never other
wise have enjoyed. So it is nOexaggeration
to say that many Il person owes his posi-
ton to the mere fact OF his having q
"luchy' name, and that, on the other
hand, Others suffer from the reverse case.
SO many Instances of this keep cropping
up that the question is placed beyond
doubt.
Perhaps it is rare indeed that tho nero
sound OF name has been made to stand
between person and what to all intents
and purposes might be regarded as for
tune. 1hls, however. was really the sim
Eularly hard case of u gentleman with
Hon, L.
ancc some years ago, and the circumstances
were peculiar to degree.
he tthc gentleman in quest hul had been
led 10 expect Il very handsome legacy from
u rich old srinster relative and on the
strength of the doctors report that her
days were numbered. proposal to take a
wife and set up in business. line aged reln-
tive died, the beqnest was eva1 more sub
rtantal than he had Anticipate I'd; nothing
was anliss except the one ccce nitric condi-
ton that, upon taking over tive money, he
was also TO take over the decel soti 5 famiy
name and perpetrlatc it.
This seemed {; simple ma'itar enough
but it eventually robbed him nj his legacy
and married all his prospects Yhe name in
question CHANGED to he one that, if not
downright objectionable fro1 the point Of
and set up an inevitable utter and the
prospective bride declared at. once that she
would sooner remain single {. nan he known
by il. Finally the worried la -;.tcc gave up
his money and chose the wife instead. The
ironical huiEor of the situat ON lay chiefly
! n,the fact that, as he subscu ucutly discoy-
cred, he had Won yirago rs well as lost
Il small fortune.
The iuct that there may he marked
luck IN IL name was perh; as never moro
strikinSly exempliflcu than ly the follow
ing historical incicent: Ii vsls shortly be-
fore the awful flight Of the Trench legions
| before Moscow when it IccanLF rImored in
camp that NapolcoIi required. some daring
spirit to execute u delicate emit ,rprisc which,
although dangerous, was &c :ts.in To prove
very profitable il successful.
| Anticipation was Keen nd GREATNESS
while the great man scanned a long list Of
! those OF his officers IS no lad volunt ccrGd TO
undertake the risk. il2 c,alld net decide
but curious nanse ON the. list caught his
attention meanwhile. and u w'lliln seized
! him, as he subsequently, ,sy ned
who is this ln.hl: BTiI him to me, F"
he ordered, and the oWnersJf tie name was
| brought, stared Tt for Il n le and dispatch
ed h&phazard on the Crr,u q. He was sue
tessiul, and on his reta1'n Napoleon pro.
NOTED him and handed linn u most vaIu-
able ring from his own finger remarking,
Your name sir, should certainly provo
your fortune
! Most people must at,sune time or other
have come into contact with persons whose
names have seemed Iclpctually to bring
/ them INTO prCmlnen when there was no
question Of personal or mental superiority.
Such cases make ON think that Whiting
ton, for instance, wed some II his success
to his catchy name and to the fact that
the bells could app ear to jangle it
On the same footing with the present
writer at school ears ago was youth re-
picing in the uncommon Appreciation Of
@rottermarsh, True, the rossessor was
| the recipient Of considerable chatf from his
fellows, bat the, laugh was notoriously on
the other side when, as frequently happen
ed, the headn: istcr required one of the
scholars TO PEI form for him private tasks
and crrands which were always we'll re-
wardcd. The latter was ahsentmindcd and
uinc times cat of ten Ir0ttCrmarsh was
| the only nan Ne lie could remember on tho
! spur of the hoIIent. The especial piece CT
luck in this instance was that the curious.
iy named ole, being IL this way frequent
| g broughJ':+ltD contact with the masters
pretty daughter, eventually contrivcd to
win her fof"uIS wife, and 10 doubt has been
much the gi.lirr by the transaction.
Names nl;tt,oa good deal Of difference
nowadays. some thin skinned persons, it
is we'll known, suffer great mislry through
out life because of the fact that their names
are apt, wheu pronounced i'll public, to set
up an involuntary gigglc. In love affairs
especially is 1t often shown how much NAV
hang upon Il name. Many a man has set
about his wooing confidently enough, but
the romantic clement gives place to the
ludicrous at once when he owns to POSSESS
ing u name that is the reverse of poetical.
1t is not at all improbable that he may
hear, 'Oh, could never go through life
with name of that description!'
A well sounding name on well polish
ed brass plate has good deal to do with
the success OF medical practitioner, say
in rising neighborhood, where the doctor
Snd his patients are newcomers and the
choice of the former by the latter is much
Of Il lottery. John Brown, NJ d. !" looks
poor, but let the name be "Golightly
Brown, Physician and Surgeon" and pub
lie confidence is ut once secured. The same