New-York tribune., 1903-04-19

almost abolished the old isolated modes of life
There are still Old World rural parts where those
who come from belong to other districts are
generally styled ''furrners." But this is really
survival Of mediPValiSm.
Connected with the old hostile attitude toward
the outsider is the custom, which is found all
over the world. of clubbing the newcomer. whether
TO country town. profession. with nick
name. humorous satiricaI In the Far West of
America Canada he who comes fresh from the
East from Europe is tenderfoor" Originally.
no doubt the name was almost literally true A
bac ckWo oOdsman frOntieTSman. IS a tOlerabIy
tough and hardened individual. and newcomer
from more civilized parts would probably find he
deserved the of ''tenderfoot' before he had
been long the tramp. But, of course. the
epithet soon gained a wider application and be-
came a label for a fresh arrival of any kind. Some
twenty years ago a New-York paper reported that
in Colorado Eastern man was called a ten
derfoot until he had been stabbed, shot at, had
engaged in Il free fight. :alien down mine, been
kicked by mule and chased by vigilance COM
mittee. Life in Colorado in its earlier days was
evidently from monotonous but it is not neces-
sary nowadays for new arrival from the Eastern
States to go through a course Of incidents from
Bret Harte's tales before he get rid of the
name of ''tenderfoot." Another Western name of
like meaning pilgrim
In India, for many Ions year the newcomer 1e1
shortened ''griff'; but one has yet been able
TO explain the origin Of the term As "a griftm
it is not surprising to find the word turned into
Anglo-Indian ballad:
He deemed no sin
To griff a needless friend-piatn English-take
coolies are known ',snkeys," but why. we can
not say: Australia of course, has its own nick nick
the Old Country he is a new chum' or a
''limejuice.' and usually bears the marks of his
newness thick upon him in the shape OF his clothes
the topics of his talk and the Ike If j ne g2es IN
and settles down on a sheep or cattle station, SO
a large run. and thus learn the details essential
10 successful sheep or cattle farming he Is known
st9Tion saYs Mr. F'inch- -Hatton of newcomers in
;. 5 3straia ..1hev eo into the hush to
gain Colonial experience, during which process they
are known in the colony as jackaroos" The
of this queer word is psiniy ia Hod borrowed m c
into the origin Of the combination. 1t is sufficient
to admire its euphonious elegance.
The application of nicknames is not confined to
tia0e 7 In military slang recruit is a rocky and
many other Occupations have parallel nicknames
for the novice. the raw hand, the sreeHhoIn VINO VINO
itself was used in the seventeenth century as
name for a raw recruit; While greenera IS com. com
among sweating employers as term for newly ar
the material TO serve the sweaters purpose, At
English universities, again, the Undergraduate IN
Freshman" which recent Oxford slang, with its
idote 3ye fIt to fresber Across the Atlantic
freshman is similarly used; while a second year
known on this side. In an American n5 uniDersity:
when a man enters college M IN the soPn0Tb0Ie }bFa
he gets the portentous name of frGshman-sGpn0- 3
ton '.fresh-soDh.' At German universities men
rejoice in v@rety Of 5Tangg II tbe oe reaG d.
er may make the acquaintance of the Nasty
Foxes 9heT%5se ola 6nes and Princes Of
ingiess. which is one of the recognized beauties OF
cant terms.