Daily capital journal. (Salem, Oregon) 1903-1919, 1907-05-18
OREGON
COLONIES
EXPLAINED
When II Comes TO Titles the Beaver
State Asks FayOrS of None 0lher

That smooth writer John Steven
son has following explanation OF the
origin OF Oregon titles in the Port
land Telegram:
The constitutional ban on titles OF
nobility has kept American soil free
from lords and dukes and earls, and
the Flofy of general and judge and
| colonel runs on apace The titled
laristocracy of the sunny south has
caused many smile. but Oregon
lives in a glass house. The tale of
the sewing-machine seller in Texas.
whose card read John Doe So-an6i-
So. General Agent" and who was
known ever afterward as General"
has Utmost a parallel in the titled
pageantry of the Beaver state.
The Oregon Blue book fails to con-
tain a record OF all the un-battle-
Scared "colonels" in the state, nor
does the Office of the secretary OF
state show how many Judges" never
wore the ermine nor felt the soft
satisfaction of the woolsack. But
mere casting around of the eye spots
few In the throng.
Judge" Thomas o'Day got his
title by running for the supreme
bench OF Nebraska against Samuel
Maxwell, who won tho day by CO.,
600 votes. II Is said that the late
Judge Bellinger asked o'Day is that
was the total of votes cast for Judge
at that election. And yet Judge"
O'Day has come TO be almost an In
stitution, though the distinguished
Democrat never reposed his ponder
Gus avoirdupois on a judicial throne
General" Edward Kilfeather has
come TO be n matter OF course. bu.
the flre-eating Democratic orator and
spellbIndcr never shifted the smoke
of battle even from afar.
Hofer Was Wounded.
Colonel Il. Hofer is another whose
title was crystallized. II never fell
10 the lot OF the Colonel" TO have
"fit" in the war. but II any one were
TO address him as "Mr. Hofer" the
Colonel would probably feel little
slighted. Several years ago, says
the Colonel" In telling the story
OF the origin OF his title. he was
elected commander OF the Sons of
Veterans OF Oregon. The election
was held at Oregon City. and the
Colonel was chosen after n hot
scrap In the convention. After he
was elected his friends hoisted him
on their shoulders and bore him hero
like around the hall. In the shufiie
Colonel" Hofer suffered a broken
rib. and this Is the nearest he ever
came To being wounded In battle.
Major" James Mel. Wood, Colo
mel" David NJ. Dunno and Colonel"
Schuyler Colfax Spencer all absorbed
their titles from serving on guberna-
torial stars.
Colonel" John Plunkett Burkart.
the Democrat stalwart. comes by his
front handle from having been a cap
tain in the Texas rangers. an offshoot
OF the confederate army.
Was Attorney General"
Cicero Milton Idleman has been
/ dubbed General ever since he was
elected attorney general Of Oregon
Colonel" =. v. Drake. once a
prominent Portland character. was
chrlstenedl with his military pseudo
nym by Ben l.. Norden. a prominent
Democrat leader in the good old days
Sidney Dell. formerly OF Portland.
but now living at San Pedro, Cal,
was a private in the confederate
ranks. but was almost habitau'ly
called Colonel" To his credit,
though. Private Dell resented the
honor
Colonel l.. c. Garrlgus. the well
known Portland lawyer was once
real live colonel IN the southern
army.
"Count" senofsky. the bon-ylvant
of local publishing circles. was given
his title of nobility because his
fFiends couldn't get used 20 his Pol
fish eognomen.