Evening journal., 1898-06-03
TAKE YOUR CHOICE.
different ways of PrOnouncinE
Names Of states and Cities.

Different Ways of PrOnouncinE
Names of states and Cities.
i've been travelling for 25 years over
he United States" said the drummer
,.hose territory extends from Maine TO
california, "and l haven't yet learned
hoW'-rb 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 ArlSansaw; 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 Massatoosets; Florida Is
Floridy, and all the states ending in u
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 arc those who call Michigan,
Michigan; by some few of the elect
the is broadened in certain names, and
we have Nebrahska, Montahna, and
others similar; there is also peculir
turn given to the last syllable of the
word by some Californians, so that in
stead of Californya, as generally spoken,
il is called Califor-ne-ya; you may hear
the same, though less distinctly enun-
ciated, in Virginia and Pennsylvania; /;
Iowa Is state of many pronunciations,
md we sometimes have it Iowa. Iowa
or Ioway, or Iowy.
among the cities 1t runs about the
same, and away down In Maine there
are those who do not put all the accent
or the last syllablS Of Bangor and some
have called Saco as II was spelled. Bos-
ton, of course, Is Bawston, of Bahston,
as the case may be. Baltimore Is often
est Baltimer, and Washington has many
to call it Washlnton; so with LeXing-
ton, but only with the Lexing-
tons in southern states. Chicago IS
Chicahgo, Chicawgo and Chick-awgo
with various twists. indianapolis Is
often Indianapolis and Minneapolis
some, but less so. st. Louis is as spelled,
and also st. Louie, and il 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 mar
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 oi
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 tn,
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 towr
that had variety Of pronunciations ii
the fall of 1896 was the presidents town
md while most western people get /
Canton, the tendency in the east wa
TO put the accent on the last syllable
In the height of the campaign u gooG
many who visited the town had an ide'
that it's correct pronunciation was Can
teen. AS 10 that, cannot say, being
n temperance man myself" and with
murmured, II don't care IL do" tn
drummer smiled at the man across tn
counter.-Detroit Free Press.