Las Vegas daily optic. [volume] (Las Vegas, N.M.) 1880-1908, 1906-03-02
Raton's War OF Words

iuesuay 10 Thursday enabled me
once again TO see something Of the
outside world.
My brother once remarked TO me,
Nov, II you will keep your eyes open
YOU will zee something funny every.
where" Subsequent observation has
proven TO me that his remark was
true, and as well. that the more fun
you can get out Of life the better Il
Is.
Observe the travellers on a railroad
coach and you will notice some so
grave and dignifed that they never
even smile. To such this life seems
a powerful reality to be endured. ra-
ther than a brief season OF pleasure
under all circumstances to be enjoy
ed.
AS an antidote to undue gravity an I
to give a little spice to life, II Of
ten meets the jolly soul OF whom II
II. Reinken Of Watrous is a fine speci-
men,. who puts into life as much
of JOY and good cheer as they take
out Of 1t.
Some good denizens OF Ration are
carrying on a campaign of education.
and are seeking to teach this big
world how to pronounce the name OF
their progressive and interesting CITY.
In company of some friends recently
| innocently pronounced the name
with the emphasis on the first sylla-
BILE, Rat. as II II were pronounced as
we do the nam Of house rat. Don.
pronounce it that way was the OBJ
servation, there is nothing 'ratty'
about Ration" called a halt. apo.
logized and asked for information.
well, don't you see said my RAJ
ton teacher, SO many people mis-
pronounce the name. The first syt
liable should be 'rah,' or like the last
syllable in 'hur-rah,' Rah-tone, with
a long o sound on the last" triei
It several times and we all agreed the
name did not, properly pronounced,
sound SO "ratty," as in the usual pro-
n~unciation given to the name OF the
second best city in north New Mexi-
co.
The old Hoosier state also comes
in for a fair share Of mistakes in
pronouncing the name of that great
commonwealth.
One man on the cars remarked In
gianny'' was a great state. Recently
a stranger told me he understood u
only F. H. Pierce was from "Old
Kaintuck," while a man In town who
had to be shown" recently insisted
that Misoury. with accent on the
~" was the biggest state In the
union. | told him he was correct and
If he should at any time need any wit.
nesses to call in Billy Hayden and
DR.. Upton.
was talking on the way down this
trip, about the Meadow City, and a
stranger asked me ii | was from Las
Vegas, giving the e a long sound, and
e the soft one. l answered In the
affirmative, when he remarked he had
read a great deal about the town
and asked if the Gillinas river was
much Of a stream. He placed especial
emphasis Of the first syllable, ana
pronounced 1t as ii he had a lingering
memory Of some Gall" who had
given him the mitten,' In the days of
his youth.
What a name. Galli-nas--and yet SO
1t is often called. But ! began to
write about Ration and am off the sub
iect.
/" Seeing is believing" That IS an
old saying. but 1t is true Of Ration.
Mountains of fine coal gives the town
a production which Is daily being con-
verted into money.
Here there are resources. some.
| thing to build upon, and the product
| OF the mines is being utilized to buii'i
up a little Pittsburg."
The smoke that lowered over the
| city wednesday morning reminded me
OF the great city Of Pittsburg as
saw It in the early days. H..
We often observe an advertisement
Of "the beer that made Milwaukee
fausoss%x. - IE.z#
II is the coal that will make RIA.
ton, II not famous, at least progress
| sive, prosperous and rich.
The mountains around and about
that city IN all directions abound IN
| mineral wealth. and the hand Of man
with capital by the hundreds Of thou.
| SANDS is with adventurous EFFORT turn
/ ing this mineral into productive chan.
neIs. and every element In business
feels the new life which that region
ia entering upon.
Ration and Las Vegas, while ther
may not be exactly twin Cities YET
thev are friendly rivals for suprema'
CIV IN north New Mexico.
Each should help the other and
develop that spirit Of generous men
ton which will give the world some
knowledge q the magnitude Of theiI
resources. e. v. LONG.
March 3. 1Ses. =