The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1899-03-25

lustrous-oyed women whose beauty has
made her famous; to others she is the
Pelican state. a figure of that bird. with
extended wings being the chief device
on the great seal Of the commonwealth.
Maine also enjoys two popular titles,
the Lumber state, owing, of course,
to the vast forests that form much
of her territory, and the Pine tree state,
a lofty representation of which arbor-
ferrous monarch being one of the SYM
bols of her state seal
Maryland enjoys the sucCulcnt title
of the Torrapin state, because only in
the nourishing slime and ooac of the
Chesapeake does the diamond back tur-
tie. the cpicure's greatest delight, reach
perfection.
Massachusetts is another common
wealth with two nicknamcs. The de-
sCendants of the Puritans and the Pill
grims loved to speak of her as the Old
Colony state. but she IS moro popularity
known as the Bay state, obtaining that
title from the fact that cane cod bay.
with its tortuous ramiications, in
cmdcs the greater part Of her coast
line.
two titles. the Wolverine state, that
heautifulln-COate animal being found
in large numbers in hcr far-rea ching
forests, and the Lake state, her boun-
daries heinE largely defined by the
great inland seas of the north
Minnesota is tho Gopher state, hut
whether it gets that odd namn from
two very different American animals,
a., L.
iield-rat, who is a terror To- the tillcrS
of the soil in the West aud Northwest,
or tho great land tortoise which bears
the same name, will have to be de-
tcrmined by some native Of Minnesota.
AS the tortoise is peculiar to tho South
crn states. probably tho little animal
whose hurrOwinC destroys trees.
shrubs. grasses and Vegetables, has
given his name to the great common
wealth We are talking about; but why
he should be selected as a patron saint
is beyond understanding.
Mississippi comes honestly by its
name of the Bayou state for reasons
that are sclf-cvidcnt
Missouri. not enyious, but ambitious
to equal the uses to which the re-
sources of our own cnmmonw
| have been put, terms herself The Penn
Sylvania of the West.
Nevada can properly be referred to
as the Sage Hen state. or the Sage
Brush state, vast stretches of it's ter
ritory being covered by a growth of
tn" latter, making a vast feeding
! ground for the former
New Hampshire comes fairly by it's
nickname of the Granite state, as its
rocky bouldcrs show.
New Jerseys pet aprellation of New
Spain. the source of many jokes in
which it is classified as a foreign state.
| had its origin shortly after the down
| fall Of the great Napoleon. when Jo-
| seph Bonaplrte and Prince Murat
sought an asylum in this country.
| Aliens We're not permitted to hold real
estate except by special legislative act.
| This being sought from Pennsylvania
was refused but was granted by New
jersey, and thereupOn they purchased
land and built a magnificent house at
BordentoWn. They proved proftaD Dle
acquisitions TO the community. Trades.
men and artifcerS in neighboring
states, chagrined at their 2hortsight-
edness and consumed with envy. twit-
ted the people of New Jersey with
having the eX-King of Spain to rule
over them and iOkngly declared that
the Sandy state-fcr that is a better
title for New Jersey-Was no longer in
the Union. The joke bears fruit to this
day.
New York holds the proud title of
the Empire state from its pre-eminent
standing in population and wealth.
North Carolina can properly be IA
miliarly addressed by three different
titles, Old North state, Tar state, and
Tulpentine state, the latter two haV-
ing their origin in the fact that one OF
the chief industries of the common
| wealth has as its basis the resinOui
products of the pine tree.
Ohio, as everyone knows, is the Buck
eye state, but everyone may not know
that the name is derived from it,
abundant growth ct the hOrSc-chesnul
tree, whose nuts are known as the
| buckeye
Pennsylvania, our own dear Penn.
! sylvania, earned its proud title, thj
| keystone state, from the fact thai
when the names Of the original thirtecr
| states-New Hampshire, Massachu,
sets, Rhode Island, Connecticut, New
York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Del
aware, Maryland, Virginia, North Car,
olna, South Carolina and Georgia
We're arranged in their natural geo
graphical order, Pennsylvania occupied
the central position, formed the key,
stone.
Rhode Island, being the smales
state in the onion, is naturally called
Little Rhody.
South Carolina ilaunts palmett,
tree upon its great seal ana thus de
riVes its name of the Palmetto state.
Tennessee, among her sons, is Iov
ingly referred to as the Big Bend state
possibly by reason of the fact that tn,
Tennessee river the largest affluent O
the Ohio, makes such remarkable
bends, leaving the state and again re
turning To it, that in its tortuous lengtl
of eight hundred miles it drains an
area of forty-one thousand squar
miles.
Texas is the Lone Star state, he
great seal displaying as its sole deVic
single star, reminder Of the flag o
the Texan republic.
Vermont, as its name of French deri
walton shows, is the Green Mountain
state, and its towering pinnacles, t,
which distance gives an emerald hue
justify the title.
Virginia is the Old Dominion, bu
more grandiloquently termed tn
Mother of Presidents, Washington
Jefferson, Madison, Monroe and Fill
more claiming it as their native state
West Virginia has a second name il
the odd title Of Pan Handle state thi
having its origin in that narrow stri
of territory extending northward be