Williston graphic. (Williston, Williams County, N.D.) 1895-1919, 1898-04-29
TAKE YOUR CHOICE.
Different Ways of PronouncinG
Names Of States and Cities.

( . , 4
Different Ways of Pronouncing
Names Of States and Cities.
GIVE been travelling for rs years over
the United States" said the drummer
whose territory extends from Maine to
California, ''and I haven't yet learned
how to pronounce correctly the names
of very many of the places visit. Now
take the states, for instance. There's
Arkansas, with as many calling it as
spelled as calling it Arkansaw; Mis-
souri, is generally Mizzouri; Illinois is
lllinoise; Pennsylvania is often Penn
sylvany, and Virginia is Virginny; Ok
lahoma is long and short o; Califor-
MIA is Californy and Massachusetts, is
with many Massachusetts; Florida is
Floridy, and all the states ending in a
are terminated with ay by very many
of their inhabitants; and even Idaho
gets in as Idyho; Wyoming by many
has the accent on the last syllable, and
there are those who call Michigan,
Michigan; by some few of the elect
the a is broadened in certain names, and
we have Nebrahska, Montana, and
others similar; there is also peculir
turn given to the last syllable of the
word by some Californians, so that in
stead of California;, as generally spoken.
it is called Califor-ne-ya; you may hear
the same, though less distinctly enun-
ciated, in Virginia and Pennsylvania;
Iowa is state of many RECOMMENDATIONS.
and we sometimes have it Iowa, Iowa
or Ioway, or Iowy.
"Among the cities it runs about the
same, and away down in Maine there
are those who do not put all the accent
on the last syllable of Bangor and some
have called Saco as it was spelled. Bos.
ton, of course, is Bawston, of Bahston
as the case may be. Baltimore is often
est Balti1ner, and Washington has many
to call it Washin'ton; so with Lexing.
ton, but only with the Lexing.
tons in southern states. Chicago is
Chicabgo, Chicawgo and Chicl>-awgo
with various twists. indianapolis is
often Indianapolis and Minneapolis
some, but less so. St. Louis is as spelled
and also St. Louie, and it is the same
with Louisville. New Orleans often has
the accent on the last syllable, but the
genuine New Orleanser never varies
from the first syllable. Los Angeles is
hard one, and about every other man
pronounces it the best he can, between
the rule and usage, getting it very near.
ly as spelled. Spokane is easy after you
learn how once, and so with others OF
that kind. Cincinnati is loo loo, and
is capable of any kind of construction
The swell way is to say Cincinnahtee
and the ordinary outside style is to say
Cincinnatee, while the old-timers in the
town and up and down the Ohio valley
invariably call it Cincinnatta or Since
natta, rather. That used to be the only
way until after the war. Another town
that had a variety of RECOMMENDATIONS in
the fall of 1896 was the presidents town,
and while most western people get it
Canton, the tendency in the east was
to put the accent on the last syllable.
In the height of the campaign a good
many who visited the town had an idea
that it's correct pronunciation was Can
teen. AS to that. cannot say, being
a temperance man myself" and with a
murmured, 81 don't care if do" the
drummer smiled at the man across the
counter.-Detroit Free Press.