Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1908-02-07
"GERRYMAND DER"
Two Accounts Of the Origin of Fa.
nous Word.

Two Accounts Of the Origin Of Fa-
nous Word.
In the last number Of the Voter, Ed
itor Henry Bassett Chamberlin drops
into Massachusetts, history and tells
"where the gerrymander was born
His version is as follows: "The word
gerrymander came out Of Massachu-
setts during the year these United
States tried conclusions with Great
Britain for the second time. The APP
portionment Act Of February II, 1912,
suggested the name, owing to the fact
that some Of the districts were formed
into fantastic shapes. Towns were
separated and single towns were iso-
lated from their proper counties. AS
a matter Of history 1t stands almost
alone as the rankest bit Of work of the
character ever attempted in American
politics. The redistricting Of today Is
equitable and sincere as compared
Herewith. There Is not body OF
politicians extant that would have the
nerve to even suggest the proposition
which became q law in those days.
Nathan Hale, one Of the editors OF
the Boston Weekly Messenger, pub
lished a map exhibiting the two Es-
sex districts in the edition Of his paper
of March 6, and the paper stated at
that time: The county of Essex has
been divided into two districts,
to which the ingenious carvers have
been unwilling to assign names. The
district of which the extremes are
Salisbury, on the north side OF the
Merrimack river, and Chelsea,
may be properly called by the name
which children give to a letter in the
alphabet, Crooked S." or one district
may be denominated concave and the
other convex, as one of them fits into
the other very much as the half of
small egg may be put into half the
shell of a larger egg The map was
displayed by ]. G. Cogswell, afterward
librarian Of the Astor library, at din
ner at Col. Thorndike's house, In Sum-
discussed, and some one remarked
that the outer district but needed
wings to resemble a prehistoric mon
ster. The suggestion was at once act
ed upon by the artist, Elkanah Tis-
dale. Some one called for a name for
the figure, and q guest proposed the
term salamander. Another guest,
thought to be Mr.. Alsop, quickly pro-
tested, and suggested that, as Cover
nor Gerry had signed the bill and per-
mitted 1t to become a law, it should
be named after him-hence the word
gerrymander."
This version differs widely from the
story Of the coming of the word as told
by John Fiske in Civil Government in
the United States Mr. Fiske's ac-
count, which is drawn from 'Winsors
Memorial History of Boston, runs
thus: In 1912, while Gerry was gov
ernor of the state, the Republican leg
islature redistributed the districts in
such wise that the shapes of the
towns forming single district in Es-
sex county gave to the district some
what dragon-like contour. This was
indicated upon a may Of Massachu-
setts which Benjamin Russell, an ar
dent Federalist and editor of the Sen
tinel, hung up over the desk Of his Of
fee. The celebrated painter, Gilbert
Stuart, coming into the office one day
and observing the uncouth figure, add
ed with a pencil a head, wings and
claws and exclaimed. That will do for
a salamander!' Better say Gerry
mander.' growled the editor. and the
outlandish name, thus duly coined.
soon came into general currency.
From Boston Transcript.