The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 18??-19??, 1902-06-10
BERN IS RIGHT
Discussion as to the Correct
Spelling of the Name.
An Act of 1897 Settles the Question. By Act o.
1923 1t Was Newbern, Origin Ct
the Name.

is still maintained, as 10 WndL Is the
correct photography of the name Of the
City of New Bern. 1t is v~ariously writ
ten by the different adherents OF The
several methods New Bern. Newbern.
| New Berne and Newberne. but the last
mentioned is so absurd and without war
rant, that it Will not be considered III
this article.
The enquiry is often made, (Which is
the correct spelling?'
The replies vary, as intimated above,
according to the taste Of the particular
| writer, but if information is sought
as to the legal name Of the W. AS now
established by statute, there can be but
one reply-it is New Bern. This will be
seen in the Act OF Assembly, quoted be-
low, which is given entire, and this
spelling would seem to conform to that
originally used:
PRIVATE LAWS OF 1897.
CHAPTER 122.
AN ACT TO AMEND THE CHATTER
OF THE CITY OF NEW BERN.
The General Assembly of North Carolina
do enact:
That the corporation heretofore exist
ing as the CITY OIL NcWUeTH Shall utIc-
after be known and designated as the
city of New Bern, and all laws III con-
fict with the above are hereby repealed.
Ratified the 9Th day Of March, A. d.
1897.
In this connection I have been asked
to give some account Of the origin and
history OF the name Of the town, which,
it is thought, may be Of interest and tend
y, ~ = q ~ =
it's spelling.
Now Bern was founded in 171O by
Christopher, Baron De Graffenried, who,
with Louis Michel, bought out a colony
of Bernese Swiss. and Germans OF tho
Palatinate, and was named by him New
Fern in honor of his native Canton md
City, Bern in switzerland. Bern was
then, and still is, the German Swiss *"-H
ing of the word, and it would seenl IA
tural to follow that spelling in the name
of our city. In the 1st volume Of our
Colonial Records De Graffenried's ac-
count of the settlement of New Bern,
written about 1713, is printed in full. A
foot-note of the translator on page 225
says: Z Graffenried's orthography for
Newbern (sic), most of the time, is the
German form New Bern" Naturally he
Nii( L II liz ~ AZ
accustomed. He knew no other.
There was, and is, no final sc" in the
name, which, in the German text, is
Born. Rerne is the name Anglicized. and
as such is the only authority for that
spelling though the form is preferred and
used by many. The German form, would
appear to be more proper. rs denoting
the origin Of the word and it's history.
Bern is the word in the old Sra bian dia-
lect Of German, for bear. The CITY Of
that name was founded IN 1871 ~ Duke
Berchtold Of Zaringhen and the name
was given by him, it is said. to
crate his exploit in killing a bear on the
SIot where the cathedral Of Bern now
stands. The bear is the principal charge
in the Bernese Coat OF Arms. and in tho
city OF Bern are several bear pits in
which bears are kept on exhibition. and
provided for, at the public expense. A
handsome flag was presented a few years
ago to New Bern by its mother city.
Upon 1T is a climbing bear and the colors
Of the flag, black and red. have been
adopted as the colors also of New Bern.
In 1928 the town of NeWbern was in
corporated by the General Assembly,
and the spelling last quoted was appar-
emily then adopted as the LEGAL name. 1t
occurs twice in the Act of incorporation,
and, as It to accentuate the orthograpny,
it appears in italics. The Act is given
herewith in full; from the collection OF
Private Acts of North Carolina. publish
ed by f. x. Martin at NeWbern in 1874.
GEORGE /. The 23rd of November,
1928, Q. S.
Chap. XIII. An act for the better set
Ting the town Of Newbern, in the
precinct of Craven.
j. Whereas, A certain plot of ground,
being part of a tract Of land, lying in
the fork Of Neuse river, late belonging
to the honorable Colonel Thomas Pol
lock, deceased, but now the property Of
Mr.. Cullen Pollock, was formerly laid
out into a township by the namc Of New
bern, with proper allotments for a
church, courthouse and market place; as
by a plot Or d%raught upon record in
the Clerks office Of Craven Precinct
| Court, will more plainly appear: There