The morning Astorian. [volume] (Astoria, Oregon) 1899-1930, 1904-10-07
IN REGARD TO
YES AND YEP
An Astorian Says That Citi-
zens Never Say
Yep"
SCORES EASTERN CRITIC
Claims Westerners Use Good
Language and Are Well
Versed In Deport-
ment.

Astoria, Oct. 6,--(Editor The Astor-
ianl.-lt is gratifying to know that
our friend from Wisconsin appreciates
my interest in Astoria, and likewise
gratifying to observe that he has noted
some signs of change. Why, II he re-
mains here another week he'll surely
run across someone who knows better
than to say yep"
our friend says he experienced some
difficulty in locating Sixteenth and EN-
change streets because of the absence
of street signs, Well, well! | am
surprised. Here we have a gentlemen
from the east--a critic OF matters
municipal-yet he encountered trouble
in his search for Sixteenth and En-
change streets because he did not al
low his glance to rest on the cement
sidewalks, where the names of the
streets are chiseled in large, plain
letters Surely, our eastern friend
must be behind the times in one re-
spect, and it ought to be satisfying to
Astorians to note that we have been
able to teach him at least one munich
pal lesson.
But l am writing more for the pur-
pose of disputing the fasteners poor
idea Of our English than for that of
pointing out his apparent ignorance
of the up-to-date methods which we
have employed in numbering our strets
land / might add that we have begun
our houses in the same
saves the trouble of walk
ing onto front porches when one is
anxious to locate a residence by Its
My business brings me into
daily contact with many people-east-
arners, westerners, southerners and
New Englanders. 1t has ben my ex-
perience that westerners use better
language than the people of any other
section of the country. l have heard |
the expression yep" employed jocu-
arly by westerners, and frequently |
nave heard it in the farming communi-
les of the northwest, but after a long |
'esidence in Astoria can truthfully |
ay that l have never heard the word
employed by any of the ma
ives of this particular section.
Nor have l noticed a manifest dis
'osition on the part of Astorians to
avn when some stranger approaches
hem to engage in conversation. Oc-
asionally, perhaps, the circumstances
nay justify yawn, or a series Of
'awns but it has been my observa-
ion that Astorians are too well versed
n department to give vent to their
ceilings of unrest. believe our friend
rom Wisconsin has overdrawn mat
ers to more thoroughly emphasize
he point which he sought to bring
ut. Astorians will average up very
icely with people of other cities in
he matter Of English.
Now / do not desire to antagonize
ur visiting friend. / know he Is ac-
Iated by a desire to better Astoria,
nd / am satisfied his letters will have
decidedly beneficial effect, in point
lg out to us the fact that visitors are
ways observing. But he Is not
ell informed. People who have lived
ere three or four years could relate
, him a story full Of interest. Four
ears ago our streets disgraced the
anne. The residence section was ap-
allingly unclean and the sidewalks
ere veritable pitfalls. Even the busi-
ess section was unsightly, and gener
ly the appearance Of the city was so
elapidated as to disgust visitors and
.sidents. Had our friend visited us
ree years ago, his letters would now
, full of praise for the advancement G
hich we have now made. There is a
i'll much room for improvement, but q
after the remarkable improvement .
"
e have made in the past three years, ;,
e are now to be scored, the criticism G
ay have a discouraglng tendency. 4,
I shudder to contemplate the tenor
our friends letters had they been
ritten four years ago. Language
1uld have miserably failed him. With
our present faults, we have been -
r worse off-unclean, so far as our
reefs were concerned, and careless, SO
r as civic duty was concerned-but
yer ignorant.
AN Historian.