Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1911-08-01

to the farmer and Is going to be bet
ter for them than a good rain, bu'
really why any of our country resi-
dents that bear the venerable names
Of their forbears, and who have beer
handed down a good name through a
long line of ancestry could bear to see
that family title almost obliterated and
the home of the noble family put aside
by such a meaningless name as Sun
ny-slide" "Farview" "Slopemost' OF
"Slopeleast" which does not suggest
anything at all. But then it does get
them on the map even If their identity
as the home of "Prospers" Is blotted
out.
If the farmer wants something that
the youth will bear in mind and grow
up with, and. something that will cling
/ to the place. and be dot on the map
registered as all its own without any
contention start in the right way and
impress the said youth with something
on the western border idea, like the
name of "Lost Nugget" as a sugges'
ton for a place that has had series
! Of bad crops, or the Deadly Print" II
your farm is located where the mud
! is heavy or if you had been flooded
with poor newspapers and hadn't been
SO fortunate as to get on the Courier
Hist, or the Swell where the land
didn't run even, or If papa had
bought a new auto or something OF
that kind to suggest it.
This sort of name for your farm or
family home of your herefords and
yourself Is all right and very cute II
the good old family name Of Browns
farm or the old Chester place is not
rotund or stylish enough, and could
at least be classified in the mind of
the young and kept before them, but
when soft sister names borrowed from
the sentimental novels Is all the rage,
the case is indeed hopeless.
AS an illustration the name of
Maud might be good name for a
slow going, retired, and retired again,
eastern town but candidly isn't it out
Of place in Arizona Better leave the
"A" out and call it "Mud" If located
in growing place, for mud will grow
something.
OF course in this selection Of names
one should look ahead, for there is no
telling how big place will grow and
many people may cluster around a
prettily selected name that your daugh-
ter picked out of fairy tale, and let
me suggest that you get something
that would look we'll in case the popu-
latiop around your hamlet increased,
and real throbbing city like our own
Ottumwa was the result. Why there
Is the name of "Peopopolis," which
suggests plenty of mankind and no
romanticism about it, just hard facts
business, stock yards, manufacturing
banks. and people.
In the safe reareat Of "Restwell'' or
"Cleftdale" all may be we'll. but when
away from home in some distant city
how will our country neighbor desig-
nate his place of abode. 1t is going to
sound too local and too little known
for Mr.. Bronx and his wife to register
that they are from "Slopemost' when
everybody knew their farm sloped the
least of any place around Ottumwa.
The designation business may be all
right and it is at least a diversion
while we are not having rain but our
lawmakers at next session should 60
into it deeper and. give greater at
itention to 1t, leaving the mere details
Of appropriations, education, laws, and
the public health to future sessions,
and pass an act to enable the urban
people to put DAISY" name on their
houses and wood sheds too, and a
grandiloquent title to everybody OF
Berkshire 1, 2,3, 4, s, 6, or to the limit
of the brood for every pig owned and
compel the atlas makers that could
do business in the state put the names
of all on the map, no matter If the
map is so crowded that there remains
no room for county lines or the rail-
road routes to show.
That would make no difference con-
sidering the enjoyment one gets in be-
Ing the first to get their name OF
"Moonside" brought into the full light
OF day and placed on the map.
Who will be the next? And there
will be many.
E. e. Barrow.