The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1906-12-15
The Gender OF q Fountain.

n f0HOwln8 letUerS SHOW a uoop nnu
rational interest in Latin grammar and
Caledonian philanthropy:
TO The EDITOR or THE SUN-Ss' 10 II Fons
csrnerianus or Carnegiana or csrnegisnumf Tho
question is occssioned by THE SUES designating
Mr.. cAkSrdIE's gift OF a lake of water to the Prince
ton University as Fons csrnegiana. Ia this . sam
pie Of Princeton University Latin. or Is THE SUNS
Cicero responsible for the feminine termination
when I went TO school the preceptor took con-
siderable pains to inculcste that fons and pons
ana mons and a long list OF other Latin nouns are
Of the masculine Kind. After the lapse Of thirty
ana more years. however. my memory may be at
fault. or phiioIogisns may have discovered mat
fons Is after oil a feminine. The high schoolers OF
my Acquaintance can throw no light on the subject.
In these progressive days they no longer bother
over such minutie a. the gender Of nouns they
are too busy reading a~uthors-with the help Ofa
crib or a pons asinorlm. as our unfeeling Instructor
called such friendly aids.
- One solution suggested was that II the carne-
uian pool contains only ordinary vulgar water, It
is a soft drink fount and must be content with the
feminine Appellative CarnegiAna; but II IT is . lake
Of nrewster. Il Is decidedly masculine. carnegis-
nus; bu, II a compound Of both, neuter. CsneEta-
mum.
Now, what IA III SnnLKx-
TIL BRONX, December a..
TO TIE Hp1roR or THs sUN-Sr: I noticed
ia your paper this morning the caption "Fons Car
~nesiAna" ~, I presume. an appropriate title Of the
Laird Of sklbo's gift to Princeton University. IL
It possible that the masculine spirit OF the Laird
could for q moment entertain the idea OF handing
over q delicate female thing to the tender mercies
OF Princeton, Perish the thought
BRoonLrN. December II. foNorus-
-Fons- is undoubtedly masculine in
Latin, az a well known passage from
HORACE shows:
20 Fons schibus,r. splendidior Vtiro. Q
puici d,gne Nero
Which Father PRoUT or somebody has
translated thus:
% spring Of skeeboo. whose sheen surpsases
The brightest and best double extra plate glasses
OF PittsourE town
Drink her down."
In Princeton, too, the masculinity OF
-fons' has never been brought in ques-
ton, 80 far a we know. The phrase
"Fons Carnegiana" is Priscian more than
a little scratched, yet twill serve. We
applied il not to that lake with which
the beneicence OF Mr.. CARNEGIE has
lowered the university, but to that
benefcence. Beautiful, constant, modest,
it could be expressed in female terms
only. We love to think Of that fount as
a Lady Bountiful, or at least a cornuco-
pia, feminine therefore by attraction, by
sympathy, by privilege and unchartered
right, a fair and expensive she. Agrace,
a goddess, the muse Of triumphant
Democracy, fortune, liberality, benevo-
lence, wisdom, e~loquence, the fairy god
mother who bestows library buildings
and taxes upon a grateful country:
surely the Carnegian spring OF right
ought to be feminine. No river god Of
more than doubtful character, no mere
and ommon genius, 10 old man Of the
sea, no Triton with his wreath4d horn; not
OF any staggering major or minor di-
vinity does the world think when IL thinks
Of the Carnegian fount. All sweet and
kindly shapes Of nymph and goddess join
hands and dance around her:
" Before her always Fams zoes s~-trumperng.
And Plenty signing checks ambidextrously;
The people weeping rivers of gratitude
Make Lake Carnegie"
Turn a protesting back on Latin gram
mar, dead and damned. Aeus, fedus,
funus. genus and all the other magical
patter Of ANDREWS and SToDDARD and
HARDNESS and the rest Of 'em, away
from il as from strepitum Acherontis
duGri, the racket Of plutocratic Pitts
burg. Oar oblation is due not TO gender,
but to the golden numbers of doniferous
ANDREW, to the waters of wealth and
good advice, to the lady Of Carnegie
Lake.
Let "Fons C~arnegiana' stand, irregular
but great. We scorned to use -fontana'
no low Latin for 50 high a theme. Be-
sides, -~Carnegiana" is shorter than
"Carnegianus' by a letter. The Steel
King is above grammar as above spell
in0.apd n he Can rnaddla will fha anaIlin0