The Fairmont West Virginian. (Fairmont, W. Va.) 1904-1914, 1905-11-03
STATE MECHANICS
AND THEIR ORIGIN
MANY OF THE TITLES Asso.
GATED WITH RoMANcE-How
NEW YORK WAS NAMED.

George Washington delivered an
address before the common council
Of New York City in 1884 in which he
said: II pray that heaven may bestow
rs choicest blessings on your city;
that the devastation OF war In which
you founded 1t may soon be without a
trace; that well regulated and benefi-
e.ai commerce may enrich your citi-
zens and that your state-at present
the seat OF empire-may set such ex-
Y amples of wisdom as shall have ten.
dency to strengthen the union"
And from that day to this New
York has been known as the Empire
state.
Back in the early days. before Amer
lea as nation began to make history.
somebody wrotesa romance and called
Il Las Sergas de Esplanadian. and
somebody else published 1t in 1910. In
this tale, says the Chicago Chronicle,
. beautiful pagan queen called Gala
( fa, living In a kingdom called Califor.
MIA, furnished an army of Amazons to
Esplanadian, Emperor OF the Greeks,
to aid In defending Constantinople
agafust eastern infdefs. This land of
tie pagan queen was filed with gold
Cortez. the explorer of later date.
lad read and been impressed by this
Ale When he set out upon his ex-
petition OF adventure mis- mind was
thrilled at the thought of new riches
se was to acquire, and thus he call
sdi the land which he discovered on
the Pacific coast California. From
titat day to this 1t has been known
as the golden State, and it's people
Eaye been named gold hunters.
y Il is an interesting matter for in.
gestigation. this of how the States
q the union came to be called what
they are called to-day, the manner in
which they acquire their nick
names and why their respective cit
liens are characterized by the more
or less odious epithets that cling to
them. In other words, why are North
oarolinians called tar heels. citizens
OF Colorado called rovers. Indianians
boosters, or Missourians pukes.
II IS recalling facts in history to
answer In the first place. most of
\ i. e States which form this union
took their names originally from the
stream or mountain that formed o
tcnnspicuous feature CT the territory.
nj, haI
ty the Indians.
The State of Colorado was named
for the river The word means red.
As a general thing Colorado streams
4 are clear. limpid and reflect the blue
Of the heavens and natures green.
4 But when mountain storms arise there
IS rolled through these disturbed wa
tiers quantities of red sand. Hence
The name.
Colorado was admitted into the I'M
ion the year Of the centennial. and
Hence its nickname. the Centennial
State Its people are called rovers, an
spithet that was callei into heing by
the Pixies peak gold fever.
To Missouri, named for the river
the Indians called Big Muddy, and her
people 1t attached the reprehensible
nickname of puke. This dates back
10 1927, the time VIXEN the .Galena lead
mines were drawing people from, all
ever the country. So many of these
came from Missouri that other Mis-.
sourians who had gone On before re.
marked that the State had taken a
sudden puke.
Several years previous to this there
bod been a big exodus from these
same mines that had given rise to the
nickname Of the citizens of Illinois
or Tribe of Men. A large party while
boarding The steamer at the Galena
wharf was asked, Where ye gofng?"
70 hum, was the reply. Well" was
the rejoiner of the old miner. "ye put
me in mind Of suckers. They go uf
! the river in the spring, spawn, and all
return down cgain in the fall. The II.
hnoisians became suckers. The State
Is known as the Prairie State on ac.
count OF its sweeping land.
Just why 1ndianians are called hoos-
hers is matter that has not been en-.
Nrely settled. In the carrier days the
word husher was common western
term for bully. and this is offered by
ID 4 u u T.