The National tribune., 1901-05-16
CHAT OF THE CORRIDORS.

on the Counties.
have often wondered by what process
of mind the people OF the thousands Of
Counties in the United States arrived at
their names, as well as those of the
towns. OF course, the first settlers, re-
membering the homes they left, gave their
new ones the dear old English, Scotch and
Irish names. Thus. we have Cumberland,
Essex, Chester, Ulster, Portland, Spring
field, Dublin, Belfast, Fairfield, Hartford,
etc, appearing not only all over the
United States, but of Canada, Australia,
New Zealand, Jamaica, etc. This makes
monotony as well as confusion. This is
worse in the United States be-
cause of the tendency to migrate
due west, and carry the names
of the Eastern towns and counties with
them. Thus we have belt of New Eng
land names stretching from the Atlantic
to the Pacific, with a considerable city by
the name of Portland on each coast, more
than 5000 miles apart. We have four
good-sized cities named Springfield. Next
comes q belt of New York, New Jersey
and Pennsylvania names. Then one of
Southern names, as the Virginians, Caro-
linians and Georgians have treked west
ward. As the feeling toward England
ripened toward actual war, there was
revolution against English names, and
tendency toward n revival of the beauti-
full Indian ones, for which we cannot be
too thankful The Revolution gave us
crop of Washingtons. Mt. Vernons, Lees,
Waynes, Knoxes, Hancocks, Adamses,
Lafayettes, MERGERS, Pauldings, Van
Werts, etc. The War of 1912 gave us
Decatur, Bainbridge, Dearborn, Hull,
can War Scott, Taylor, Buena Vista,
etc. The rebellion gave us Grant, Sher-
man, Sheridan, Logan, etc. One great
mistake. | think, has been in not prehxing
the initials to these names. Few people
stop to remember, if they ever knew, that
to honor the gallant old Gen. Jacob
Brown, who once commanded the Army of
the United States, and who won for us
about all the credit we gained on the i'll
fated New York frontier during the War
of 1912. Most of the counties and many
Of the principal towns of Kansas are
named after prominent soldiers and pub
lie men in the rebellion, yet what Brown,
what Smith, and what Wilson are those
counties intended to honor? I hope that
the settlers in Oklahoma will think of this,
and profit thereby, giving us names which
will be entirely distinctive.
Nebraska had a county named L'Eau-
qui Court. This was of course a stumbling
block, but they did not improve matters
as much as they should when they re-
named it Knox. If they meant to honor
the great artilerist of the Revolution, and
our first Secretary of War, why not call
it Henry Knox, or Gen. Knox?
Wisconsin had a county called Bad AK,
but they changed it to Vernon, which is
bad, since there are three of the name in
the United States, and Mt. Vernons every
where.
Early in the slavery days some enthus-
iastic admirer of the great Georgia fire.
eater, who boasted that he would call the
roll of his slaves at the foot of Bunker
Hill monument. succeeded in having
county in Minnesota named TOombs.
There seems to have been a strong South
ern element in the county, for later they
had its named changed to Andy johnson.
Then another revolution asserted itself,
and the name was changed to Wilkin,
which was not good, since there are other
names of Counties nearly approaching it,
and it does not mean anything particu-
larly.
Montana has the County with the larg-
est area, Custer, which covers 20,490
square miles; the second largest is San
Bernardino County, Cal, with 1891
square miles. Both Counties are larger
than either Maryland, Massachusetts,
Connecticut, Delaware, New Hampshire,
New Jersey, Rhode Island, or Vermont.
The smallest County in the United
States Is Bristol, r. l., % square miles.
The next smallest is Alexandria Coun-
ty, Va.-Once part of the District OF Co
lumbia-32 square miles.
Texas has 245 Counties. the largest
number. Delaware has three Counties
n nd Ial fIIn fnp 4
Arizona have 13 each.
Texas covers 26j, $50 square miles, and
is not half SO large as Alaska, which has
59O,SS4 square miles.
Montana comes next to Texas in size,
and has 146,080 square miles.
The District of Columbia covers the
smallest area OF any division, 20 square
miles.
There are several Counties lost, stray
ed or stolen. Nothing has been heard
1880. when it had population of 15S.
Wahanata County, in the same State, dis
appeared about the same time with a
population or two more than the other.
Carson County, Nevada, has been miss
ing since 1860.
hmOHs tHe OLueE SOuuIieS WHICH nave
disappeared are one of the Dawson Coun-
ties, in Texas; Cedar County, Utah, and
Lyons County, Neb.
The relatives of those who were killed
on the Maine have begun filing claims
with the Spanish Claims Commission,
ayerring that Spain was responsible for
the loss Of the vessel. Harry McCann, a
seaman, asks for $4,000 for injuries re-
ceived in the explosion, and Catherine
Burns asks $4,000 for the loss of her
son, Corporal Of Marines.
Washington retains in the 1900 census
| census of having more colored inhabitants
| The explanation of Washington's popu-
ored people is that it is the Winter quar-
| the beginning of Spring begin their exo-
| Virginia and Maryland Summer resorts.
The cost Of living for colored people in
| Washington Is not high. The climate is
equable, the National Government does
| not authorize restrictions against colored
people such as prevail in most Southern
States as to residence and means of trans
| portation. There is no discrimination
against them In the Washington courts,
and the large transient population of the
District of Columbia during the sessions
of Congress and when the public Depart
ments are under full headway causes a
large demand for colored employees.
Washington retains Its popularity
or I,,Nf fa,,.