Bisbee daily review., 1908-04-17
IS ROOSEVELT
OAM,AOT TONIC,
MEANING FOOL
Washington Went Up In Air
When They Learned the
Definition of Tonto-WaS
Changed.
fArizona Republicanl

tAr1ZOua RepuDHcaub
The irrigation editor of the Repub-
lican was strolling down the street
the other day when he met Constant
Reader, who, by the way, is not
farmer nor an irrigationist. even
though he likes TO wet up" a bit
now and then. Mr.. Constant Reader
took him to task about a matter which
had been preying on his mind for
long time. He is an old-timer IN
these parts and something OF an anti
quarian and archaeologist. He clings
to the customs of the older days when
Arizona was really what a lot OF
eastern people think it is still, trt-
fie wild and woody and at least dis
tinctiye and characteristic in its no.
menclature, as witness such proper
names as Humbug creek, Tip Top
and Vuiture mines, Squaw Peak, PIC
ket Post, Tombstone, Silent and other
unique names of towns, Superstition
mountains, etc, etc His kick was
that the big dam of the Salt river
storage project was persistently call
ed the Roosevelt dam when the
right name for 1t was "Tonto" dam.
Constant Reader said he had inter
viewed his neighbors, Vox Pouli, e.
Pluribus Unum, Citizen. zone Who
Knows" and Anonymous" on this
matter and they all agreed that the
Republican was at fault in the mat
ter: that 1t had gone hero worship
ming and insisted on calling It Roose-
welt dam in honor of the president,
regardless of its time-honored title of
Tonto, and the practice had been con-
strued as a direct slap In the face of
the old pioneers. He said, moreover,
that he had taken occasion within re-
cent weeks to discuss the building OF
the dam with Supervising Engineer
Hill and with Arthur P. Davis during
his last visit to these parts, and that
both of these men had referred to it
as the Tonic" dam. He believed
that was the highest authority posi-
Bile for Mr.. Davis has been generally
credited with the paternity of that
structure and if a man don't know the
names of his own children, to whom
shall the seeker after information ap-
ply?
Constant Reader would not be salts
fed until after he had bought o round
of cigars and exacted a promise that
the matter would be taken up for a
searching Investigation and the facts
given to the world in such way they
could be depended upon, and here's
| the answer: Roosevelt Is the official
name, blown in the bottle, registered
| trade mark and there is none genuine
without il. Anybody who calls it Ton
| to is a has been" or has associated
with the pioneers until he has grown
careless. Mr.. Davis may be forgiven
| for he is something of an old
timer himself, having prognosticated
around these Arizona hills before
most people knew they were on the
man. In fact, when this baby was
! first born it was christened Tonic
and the name was changed only when
| the time came for the youngster to
| demand national recognition and be
| seech his old Uncle Sam Cor money
with which to cut some figure in the
world Mr.. Hill may be excused fo1
| l.e has met so many old-timers during
| construction work here that he has
hard work sometimes TO know where
| he is "at" in more serious things than
| the name of the dam site.
The name Tonic was originally Civ
| en- to the dam site because it is 10
| Gated very near the confluence o.
Tonic creek and Salt river. 1t seemed
the natural name for it and every Ar
conan accepted it as most appropri
| ate. the more so as it was on the
| ground made historic by the TontC
| Apaches. But down in Washington
| they have grown mighty finnicky
| about names in these later years and
| everyone suggested for a postofice Of
anything else wherein the govern
ment has a chance to give approval
has to measure up to the bureau idea
The name must not be too long, mo-
compounded and its meaning must BIZ
clear. Name words must have gooC
reputation II they get into polite Off
ciaI society When the censors dow
IN Washington found out that tn
word Tonic in the Apache languag,
meant fool" they went up in tn
air. II would never do to have tn,
first and one of the greatest of tn
reclamation projects known as foo
project nor would it do to subject tn
project to the derision of the jester
And in hunting for newer and bel
ter name there was none more appTC
pirate than that Of the president VIII
signed the reclamation bill. All tn
appropriations are made for tn
Roosevelt" dam, all the official map
. of it carry the legend Roosevelt
dam, and the contract with Mr.. o
Rourke was for the construction {
the Roosevelt" dam.
a