The silver messenger. (Challis, Idaho) 1890-1912, 1906-11-13
TAKE. ANOTHER NAME
REASONS SOME PEOPLE HAVE
FOR MAKING CHANGE.
1t Is of Frequent Occurrence and Is
Countenanced by the Law
Method of Its Accom-
pishment.

Custom has made it almost universal
for all male persons to bear the names
of their parents" said an attache of the
local court the other morning, reports
the Washington Star. 1T seems nat
ural that it should be so. Nevertheless
there is nothing in the laws of this coun-
try prohibiting mans taking another
name, and no legal penalty is attached
in his doing so. There is always, how
ever, a possibility of it's being attend
ed with inconvenience, and perhaps loss
to himself.
Suppose, for instance, Brown as
sumes the name of Smith. Relatives
whose society may peradventure, be
useful to Brown, it is hundred to one
that the relatives discover him under the
name of Smith. So, you see, when
man changes his name at venture, it
may be all the worse for him. OF
course, if he changes his name to es-
cape detection as a criminal, it may save.
him from capture or it may not; if not,
then he figures in the record with an
alias, and that is disgrace. A man may
enter into contract or obligation under
any name he chooses, the law looking
only to the identity of the person.
There is a way. however, by which
man may change his name with the
sanction of the law, and that is the only
safe way. But the law requires him
to assign some reason for the change.
Men have assigned various reasons for
wishing to change their names. Some
times a man wishes to drop his right
name because it is of foreign origin and
difficult for an American tongue to pro-
nounce. This may injure him in his
business, as there is such a thing as
| prejudice even in this free and enlight-
ened commonwealth. Or his name
may have in English an absurd or even
vulgar meaning and subject him to
unpleasant jokes, or it may associate
| him with some notorious criminal or
| be the counterpart of some name which
| history made infamous, or it may be
misspelled and consequently mispro-
nounced on his entry to this country.
Frequently infants are left orphans
| or abandoned by the father after the
death of the mother. In that case it
| is a frequent occurrence for relatives or
reighbors to take a child and adopt it,
giving it their own name In that case
the party desiring to adopt must apply
by written petition to the court OF
the place in which he lives asking leave
to ADOPT the child and change its name
to that of the petitioner. The order al
lowing the adoption and the change of
name must be filed with the court, so
that the parentage of the child may be
subsequently established if necessary.
"A citizen of the district of full age
may change his name by petition in
the same way, or, if he is under age,
his guardian or his nearest friend may
address the petition to the court. When
an adult applies fer leave to change his
name he must give his place of birth,
residence, age and whether he is mar
ried or single and whether there are any
judgments against him or outstanding
commercial paper in the name which he
seeks to abandon. In case of an infant,
notice of an application to change the
name must be served on the father, or
if he is dead and cannot be found, then
on the mother or if she is dead then
Ou d Z utl uldll, OF IL DOlU parents are Out
of the district and there is no guardian,
the court may dispense with the motion
or require notice of it be served on any
body it may see fit. If in any of these
cases the court is satisfied there are no
Objectionable reasons the order is per-
mitted granting change of name. The
order must be filed with the clerk and
30 days thereafter the new name may
be assumed. The granting of the notice
must within ten days thereafter be pub
lished in newspaper designated by the
court.
Thus the law protects the person who
for good and sufficient reasons desires to
assume name other than his own. The
order of the court being recorded, all the
rights of the individual which may sub
sequently accrue to him under his orig
inal name are preserved. his identity be-
ing the view of the law, fully estab-
lished."