The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1904-04-03
WHATS IN A NAME?

Shakespeare asked: whats III a
name?' In the April Atlantic Monthly
what a splendid and always interesting
and instructive publication it is, without
flourish of trumpet or sensation!-Walt
Whitman has striking article on the
origin of names and words, from which a
few extracts are taken, as follows:
Names are magic. One word can pour
such a flood through the soul. To-day
/ will mention Christs before all other
names Grand words of names are still
left. What is it that flows through me
at the sight of the word Socrates or
'Cincinnatus, or Alfred of the olden times
or at the sight of the word Columbus,
or Shakespeare, or Rousseau, or Mira
Ibcau-or at the sight OF the word Wash
Iington, OF Jefferson or Emerson?
Names are a test OF the aesthetic and
of spirituality. A delicate subtle some
thing there is in the right rame-an I'M
dcmonstrablc nourishment-that exhila-
rates the soul. Masses Of men, unaware
what they like, lazily inquire what differ
cnce there is between one name and an
|
world decide for thcm-the masses being
always as eligible as any whether they
know il or not. All that immense vol
Iumes, and more than volumes can tell,
lis conveyed in the right name. The right
name Of a city, state, town, man or wo
man, is a perpetual feast to the aesthetic
lard musical nature. Take the names OF
newspapers. What has such name as
MI. 30 a.
do in American
Whitman suggests that the st Law
renee River should be changed Niagara
and that ST. Louis, New Orleans and st.
Louis ''stand in need of fresh appropriate
names" In North Carolina the tendency
has been to get away from aboriginal
lnames-names that have history, mean.
ing and beauty mo country can have
Its own poems without it have its own
names" Is that why good poetry in
North Carolina is not more plentiful?
There should be going back to old In
ldian names, and we take the liberty OF
lsuggestng that two good towns in Will
lscn and Wayne counties make the start.
Twenty years or more the name OF the
Iylllage about eight or ten miles north
Iof Goldsboro was called Nahunta-a
beautiful Indian name so called because
THAT section was the home of tribe OF
indians who bore that pcetical name.
One day it was suggested that it would
he a nice thing to compliment Col. FIRE.
Imont, a splendid gentleman who was an
officer of the Wilmington and Weldon
railroad and so the people who had
more courtesy than love of history and
name of the town to Fremont. Some 9th
CT honor ought to be given to Col. Ere
lmont and the place should be re-chris-
Itened by the beautiful name Nahunta-
ut rolls with venison richness ON the
Iralate."
Siy miles north of Wilson is the pro-
gressive town of Elm City. Until few
lycars ago it bore the Indian name of
Toisnot because long years ago an In
dian tribe of that name lived in the coun-
try Immediately north of Wilson. In its
early history the town OF Wilson bore
the name of Toisnot, but its name was
changed to Wilson in honor of the gal
liant Gen. Louis D. Wilson. When the
new town of Toisnot was incorporated
it took the Indian name, thus preserving
History A few wears ago the name was
changed to Elm City, principally he
cause it was not Il city and there were
no elms there to speak Of Many people
still call it Toisnot and the adjacent
stream is still called Toisnot.
Boil Of these town have within the
last two years taken on new life, and
this would be good year, when the
study of North Carosla history is com
manding deep interest in all the schools,
for the people of these two towns to
| give us back Nahunta and Toisnot and
| let US teach history in the names of
Washington. of Goldsboro, would writ
history of the Nahunta Indians and
Mr. T. c. Davis, of Wilson, a history of
| The Toisnot Indians, it would give the
children and grown up people something
of real and lasting value and interest.
Give us back the Indian names.
RAILROADS AND MATRIMONY.