Frostburg mining journal. [volume] (Frostburg, Md.) 1871-1913, 1910-05-21
BECOME "OPP|D|STS"
II So You'll Smile With Pride on
the Home Merchants.
BOGY TO MAIL ORDER HOUSES

They Seem to Be Placed In a Pre-
carious Position by This New Word
"oppidism," Invented by Jersey
Woman-"PhiIopoIis Are Victims
of Catalogue Menace.
Gentle and apprcCiativc reader, are
you nm oppidlst or a philopoliSt? Ncv-
or heard Of those terms before? Well
neither did I until | read them the
other day In a New York newspapers $
Letters From the People" column.
One appeared one day and the other
the next. "Oppidism" was the pre-
cursor of "phllopoliSt" There is a
sermon In these words. and the under
signed right here takes off his hat,
mounts the secular pulpit and pro
cccds to preach IT,
But first, dearly beloved, let us read
these two letters, wherein appeared
the new words. Letter No. l:
l am firmly convinced that the English
language needs new word. and | appeal
to you to Introduce 1t. We want a word
to express the same sentiment for ones
home town that ''patriotism expresses
for ones country. The phrase "Civic
pride is entirely inadequate. We want
to express the combination OF affection
interest. pride. enthusiasm and devotion
which is indicated by "patriotism."
1t has occurred to me that from the
Latin "oppidum," a town. might be form
ed the word "oppidism" That is not the
most graceful OF words but II does eX-
press the idea. A friend has suggested
"urbanism.' which Is certainly more eu-
phonious. l might have thought of this
myself but for the Idea that this would
refer to large cities only. "Urbs." l used
to be told in school. was applied by the
Romans only to Rome. any smaller com
munity being "oppidum." We ac
customed to apply the term urban" In n
much less restricted sense, but 1t still
conveys the suggestion OF citihed life.
while | am looking for word equally
applicable to suburban towns and country
towns and villages.
GERTRUDE w. ORVIS.
Railway, N. j.
Letter No. .:
In re communication of Gertrude w.
Orvis OF Railway, N. j., suggesting "op-
pidism" good word to express feel
Ing for ones town. as "patriotism' does
for ones country. why isn't philopolism n
better word? Fhilos. love; polls, city
isn't that n more expressive word and
more euphonic than oppdism. from oppi-
dunn? or course Railway person might
be an oppodist. but isn't New Yorker a
phlopolist of the deepest dye?
The patriot feeling still exists.
But greatcrs the philopolists.
What7 w. ]. l..
New York.
l strongly suspect that the initials
"W. ]. L." appertnin to our old friend
William J. hampton, who writes the
barbaric ''yawp" poems for New York
papers, which now and then pcrcolate
through the country. Mr.. Hampton
hns lived in great city so long that
he can appreciate only partially Miss
Orvis' viewpoint. The Railway lady
cares nothing for n word to express
ones love for an ovcrgrown city In
which one may be existing. She wants
a word to express town love, the de-
votion to the good old home place,
whether 1t be n thriving small city like
Railway or a ScQueStcred hamlet like
Lower Suuankum, In the same state.
We shall dismiss Mr Lampton's new
word, therefore, and preach from the
text supplied by Miss Orvis.
Firstly, oppodism is fine new word
because 1t sounds so much like opti-
mist. Optimism means belief in things.
We believe In our parents and love
them. We believe in our friends and
are devoted to them. We believe In
our town, our community, and feel OPP
pidistic about 1t.
Secondly, oppidism suggests doing
something for those or that which we
love. If we love our friends we refuse
to knock them. We speak a good word
for them whenever we can. If we love
our town we pursue similar course
Of speech or action. We seek out Its
fine points, II they do not happen to
appeal to us without seeking, and op-
pidize upon them. We are oppldistic
wherever we go. Even If we visit the
nearest big city we never fail to prac-
tice oppidism in our conversation. In
this way we do our town some good
Thirdly, oppidism expresses co-opera-
tiOn. Our ncighbOrs are more to us
than the inhabitants of New York,
Chicago or Mars. We come In touch
with them daily. They, just as we,
have their way to make In this world,
right here among us. All OF lis go
to the making OF community. We
must interchange IDEAS and we must
intertrade. That's really the glst of
OpDiliSm, dearly beloved. Those who
practice mail order trading are prac-
ticing philopodism rather than oppi-
dism. Those who do their trading at
home are the only true oppidists.
Fourthly, fifthly and all the rest, this
New Jersey woman ought to be voted
n gold medal trimmed with radium
for having given the world n new
word that should inspire every dweller
In nOncity communities to unselfish
efforts I'm behalf of the home, place.
ROBERTTSnLOVE.