Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1899-05-25
On Geographic Names.
LOO ID . EErnIng So:

To the Editor Of lie Evening star:
was much interested in the article pub
IisheI in last evenings S-ar concerning the
work Of the board on geographic names
No one at all familiar with the eXceiient
work done by that painstakinS body OF men
can fail to recognize the great merit OF il.
As one of many IN an" government printing
OIhcc tNnere the board work Is the stand
ard on the subjecIj VINO make frequent use
of The valuable list OF geographic names
prepared by the board, il gives me pleasure
10 TESTIFY TO the JnOrJugGness Of the work
and 10 the evident care used n its prepaga-
tlon-a testimony winch l am sure my feI-
low printers VIII generally InuoGse. dare
say Jldt there may occasionally be room
for an honest difference of opinion as TO
the choice of a spe.Ing, yet / do not re-
member having heard sins.e criticism of
the board work among the gentlemen en-
piOyed IL the BIS establishment IN THE
swamp / suppose there Is no other body
Of men quicker 10 recognize the necessity
Tor reIIStuIe literary SsauUaTds, none more
Thoroughly aPpEec4aJlve oil the STANDARD
WAtI worthy, sald none reader TO yield
10 recognized ''t1UtIoT--y Jnan printers.
1Ee4r OPINION, thyn, II 1 r.gAJIy express II,
concerning tile boards WORK ought TO have
some weight IN determining It's true value.
Now the ClsSl GGJyGt n view III the cTed-
ton Of the board On geographic names was
10 secure EHLiJInn5! ii iac spelling OF geo
grapnlc names. Every one who mas 10 DO
VIA ,He names Of PAGES knows that the
accom- ,lLslHrHJ oil Jh!S purpose II 4 matter
vi tie HrsI Importance. l. goes without
say.rS tnat J.e mere CG0lce OF Il CERTAIN
Spelling Tor a gwen name ny the board vii
10, ii Itself accomplish that important OBJ
JvCt. II requires lES Cooperation OF every
person for whose guidance tnr work of The.
board IS INTENDED. II, tor instance, the
pubic pr-nter should In a number Of cases
dissent froIa th= choice Of the bsard-a very
CIl4-he.y p:JeeeAnS-sG4d should instruct his
sUJJrG-LatgS to disregard such choice, il
Would tenG 10 seriously d@ranEe, ii not TO
defeat. the work OF the board. Moreover
II one Oincial OF tine government or one of
It's departments has the right 10 set aside
the board : decisions. amy . her Ofhc.al or
department has the right do 50. and
thus the purpose for walCa the board was
brought into existence would be defeated
and its work be without permanent result
The very evils which 1t Was the purpose of
is creation 10 cure would be perpetuated.
Il ought 10 be the rule. therefore. that the
decisions of The board shall stand, except
when in a given case the consensus of opin-
Ion Of qualified Judges shall Otherwise de-
teTmine- That there is danger that the
Board may be robbed of the Legitimate
fruits Of is labor and researches is plainly
evidenced by the example of Mr.. Bristow
which You mention. Al leaSt il strikes me
As quite opposite Concerning the Use Of
lIIS na.iIt puerto -slCp the spelling which
the board has sSiected-you report him as
saying. We spell here tie, in the Post
Oihc- Department. in the common-sense
English way-P-o-r-t-o-Porto. ard d. not
pat III any Us. v ha- nonsense that ISL
Now, as = matter of fact. Mr. Editor
Porto Rico i the commOn-selSe Portu-
Suese way Of spelling Puerto Rico and
1ot the commoA-sense English way at all
Porto Rico IS neither English nor Span
Ism, but : about as far from English as
one can easily get II We are to spell
Puerto Rico in the coInmon-sense. E,n-
gilsh way We snail have to say Rich
For- OF Port Rich. which is the En-
giisn equivalent for the name. have never
bccn able TO learn how Porto Rico" was
substituted for Puerto Rico the proper
Spanish name for the island. 1t Is doubt
less corruption. though in form il is pure
Portuguese l submit. therefore that mn
less We are prepared 10 use the real En-
gliSh equivalents for this and hundreds of
ether Spanish names that We are compeIIed
10 use. ough- in consistency and to
avoid endless confusion confine ourselves
10 the wise choice of tfs board on geo.
graphic names and cali IL by its right name
Puerto Rico. J. r. BRADLEY.
May "a, 1899.