The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1899-06-11
MR.. SMITH ON SURNAMES.
Thinks Americans should Eschew AriHto-
cratic Spelling or Take the Consequences.

There is one thing that a man who comes
to settle in this country ought to leave behind
him" snid Smith OF New Mexico. who happens
to be staying at an upper Broadway hotel
and that is his surname II 1t happens to DO
a long or uncommon ono"
Somebody asked Smith how he. Smith. had
reached this conclusion. seeing that his own
name was neither long nor uncommon. II the
speaker might he allowed the liberty OF 80 per-
sonal n remark.
Huh" smith replied. you are jumping at
your conclusions. my son. You think that
because am Smith now have always been
Smith. Not at all. 1 was Tollemnche once
Yes. the name is pronounced something like
Tolemash. so far as | can remember. It's n
long time since l last used it. and before made
ur my mind to drop it my adopted fellow cti-
zcns had twisted it into SO many different
shapes that wasn't quite sure which was the
right thing One citizen who came over from
Old Mexico and claimed descent from Cortez
German partner in the Prospecting business
haI Pat rs rGermamHT III, ahH gr"ases I@'q
must be OF German origin.
THAT German settlTi it for me- | made up
my mind to be nlain smith in future
And after fifteen years OF knocking about
in these United states and their Territories.
am more ami more convinced that we don't
want any oi these queer, curious names here
The climate and the soil don't seem to agree
with them. nor tho genius of our institutions.
and so sure ~ they come among us they get
quick to notice whore names have been badly
mauled, because they weren't plain, straight
forward names. l met an irish undertaken
once. for instance. in connection with some
business had not far from Lexington. Ky.
turned out that. in early childhood. he used to
hear, his own father, called Denny but com
his 1 1 i n"mS Is" Dtnahy s GfrGp r'
was what III got for his pains. -, Then
used to- DO business with in Chicago. his Lame,
Meneher and pronounced Mah-er There
here in New York whose lie was embittrred
because everybody else insisted on calling hun
eesan il" "E wan M ry so%is E drnmmrr " ani
his cards were printed Mr. Groghsean. |
printed with Mr. O'Hagan on them. but he
seemed 70 think that i any change was to be
'Gnggcnh"inl.', 1 have lost sight Of him for
som" time past.
RACES The Irish Iav" suffered in their names in
thus country. The Germans may have been
ingli-h- speaking country. Look at the num-
lnr O! hrorI". Of German origin who have taken
AVOID having it pronounced to rhyme witt
dumb, | snow one, man whom everybody
that's hi> oh-tinucy. On the other hand
there is Il who'll Iamil y that know in the
South who let themselves b" called tn" Com
mndores without Il murmur, ana YOU may
spell their nam" any way you please. for all
they, care; | know that they are IT," grand
children OF Il frcnchman named COmmnnd.ur
What | say is, that il Il man. or his forDear,
hasn't had the foresight to see that his name
was properly cIipued or changed when he came
to America. he ought t" let his fellow citizens
call him Just what they please and spell his
name rs near as he can grt 10 what they call
it, That is Just what good many Of the earlier
settlers, general ions back. actually did. | be-
lliryr. 9ryou wo4''!!,t find so many names in the
United States lIk" MInEs and Deshu probably
tn" scotch Menzios nud tho French Duchone-
which YOU cant md spelled the same way in
any other country They were quite right.
That's the way to puzzle and shut oil thes" fell
lows who are always trying to connect Ampri-
cans with families of tn" European aristocracy.
We want names Of our own
Her" sOmrhndy remark al that the name OF
Snlith - not rSclusiy"IT American
No. said h. Of New Mexico. " | grant that.
But. ANYHOW. IT'S n name that any American
can pronounr" pretty well, not nam" that hns
sort Of secret key 10 it. - that only the initi-
ate! can really get at il right. That sort Of
thing Is undemocratc-too much class distnc-
nlDut ~