The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1902-08-26
THE NICKNAME ~BoNEsv
10 Proved Hoodoo When success Seemed
to BE In Sight.

10 Proved Hoodoo When Success sccrnct
TO BE In Sight.
''I wasn't born cross-eyed nor club
footed" said the man from Montana,
as he made vicious bite at the end OF
o fresh cigar" and things have gone
fairly we'll with. me in business way,
nut yet there is one thing which never
comes up to me that I don't feel likC
committing murder.
my father named me Bonaparte. As
u child was, of course, called Bony,
but as soon as old enough to get out
into the street the boye shortened that
to Bones. and Bones am to this day.
I'm telling you that no man who is
Bill or Joe or Tom ever gets up in the
world beyond a certain point. He may
be known as a good fellow, but your
familiarity with him loses him your
respect and you undervalue him. Let
a man get nickname after he has
conquered fame and It helps him, but
people are not helping Jacks and Jims
and Peters to Congressional honors or
Governorships. That name of Bones
excited r!dicule and contempt, I lick
ed fifty different kids for loading 1t on
to me. but 1t stuck, went to Sunday
school and day school as Bones, went
to College and to business as Bones.
II my name had been George or Regi-
maid or Harry, people would have con-
sidered that I had feelings. but as It
was any old thing was all right for
Bones. No Introduction was consider
ed necessary. Being named Bones /
must be good fellow, and good fell
lows never stand on ceremony. The
name kept me back at school and COLI
cge, and though fell in love with a.
dozen different girls before I was %,
they all gave me the shake on account
Of the name.
Il finally packed up and took a skip
OF a thousand miles for the sole pur-
pose OF getting rid Of Bones. simply
used the initial, and after three months
l was way up in the new community.
l opened a store, began to court girl
and the people insisted that / take
the postmastership. I'd have had It
and propably a wife at the same time,
but for the advent of one of my old
acquaintances. He dropped into town
and called me Bones, and 1t knocked
me into the middle of the last century.
Nobody had any use for a man with
such name. There was no weight,
no dignity to 1t. 1t would have been
all right for Digger Indian or Chin
aman, but even the Hanks and Sans
and Abes scoffed at it. AS a matter Of
fact 1t was man known to every
body as Snub-Nosed Bill who started
the move to freeze me out. In sixty
days took another jump and settled
down In a new place. ! was almost
Immediately asked to run for the State
Senate. / had accepted, and the cam
paign had opened with certainty Of
my being winner when l was given
away again. / knew how 1t would be.
Within twenty-four hours was asked
to withdraw, and another candidate
was put up. The local papers even
tried to make It out that l was a WILL
ain for having played the public.
Z My third spike landed, pe in Nom
tana, I'm there yet. JTnJ Zones to ev-
cry man. woman and child for a hun
dred miles around. I'm Bones to my
cowpuncher and Bones to every tramp
who comes along, and I'm given tho
throw-down for no other reason. For
the last month I've been working
political racket which was designed
to land me in Congress after a while.
1t has cost me good deal of thought
end considerable money, and this fore-
noon ! was dead sure of success. But
I'd forgotten my hoodoo, you SEQ. An
hour ago received this telegram
from one Of my workers. See what
he says: No use. They got ON to
Bones, and the deal Is off, ."'