The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1912-11-17


thirty years has been the geographer
! of the national Geological Survey, and
who for some years has been president
of the National Geographic Society. He
is a native Of Maine and q Harvard
graduate. Yesterday he talked to me
at length about the modus operandi OF
his tribunal concerning which you
probably know but little. II you have
even heard Of it at all
You Can Appeal.
You or any one of your neighbors
has a right to appeal to this board
il you have evidence OF general
dispute or discrepancy concerning any
geographic name in your community.
But this busy body Of men will not
entertain your objections IL based
purely on questions Of euphony or in
dividual taste.
The bulk Of cases on the boards
docket has concerned place names over
which there was local difference OF
opinion. of those supposed to attach to
places never named before. In but
very few cases has it sanctioned the
complete change in an established
name.
Confusion in our geographic namee
has resulted from many causes. In
unsettled parts Of our country explor-
ing expeditions. ignoring the work OF
those gone before, have given new
names to places already named Every
where Indian names have caused many
different methods of spelling. Tor no
two persons alike understood or rem
der into the same English characters
the obscure sounds of the red mans
dialects. Then the railroads are fire.
AhAN~ totN In
Games different from those of the
towns in which they are situated. and
an even greater factor in the general
confusion has been the Post-Ohfce De-
aartment, which in the smaller vii
lagos has given thousands OF post
Offices names not conforming with To-
cal Usage.
Mania for Dist0rtinG Names.
But by far the greatest amount OF
confusion has resulted from careless
ness or ignorance on the part of those
making use of names.
These corfuptions soon find their way
Into print and In that manner get their
hold upon the victimized community.
Remarkable, to say the least, Is this
human weakness for mispronouncinS
names-for adding an 81" to the end o.
one whenever possible. or for giving
some manner OF other twist to the SUI
fix ! have always wondered why the
average shop clerk despises the sufrix
"kins" and almost invariably suhstt-
tutes son"
1t is largely as the result Of such
frailties OF the human ear that pr ob-
abiy-as the geographic board claims
a majority OF names of the natural
features of uor landscape have UNDER
gone alterations.
But the geographic board does not
aim to restore all Of the original place
names. II it did SO a large proportion
would n DIV be unrecognized by the COM
rnunity. Instead the board has adopted
the policy that lin general the name
which is in common local use at pres
ent shall be adopted" This broad prin-
ciple 4. applied except where changed
or corrupted names are considered I'M
worthy OF perpetGatioE- The board
realizes tina. the change II a corrupted
form back to pure form after the
corrupted form has been established
would tend to unsctt!e usage II such
were done, Port Townsend. for exam
pie, would be restored TO Port Town
shead, Psyht to Psyche and Ozan 10
Observation-Disclosures which the ma
iorisy Of the people would not respect.
AS each case comes upon its docket
the Jard sends out inquiries as to the
established usage. Where local opin-
ION appears {, We evenly divided. the
more appropriate or euphoaious name
- adopted.
.DuvSh- ssa "Bcrsweb- Tsbcced.
II is well for those considering new
names Z. know that this frib'SIat- for
III. SAX. Of adopting uniform star'-
ard e what IL calls reform in nomSn-
cls,ure.- will disregard local usage 10
tn. ex.cr, OF ending town names vita
bore instead % borough" ard burg
instead OF "burgh.- Il dssIikcs names
containing the pcssesssve. and thus
lately ruled that a Jake in Maine shcu,o
be known a. Gsrdner. not Gardner $.
IL prefers Center TO Centre aad seeks
as far as possible 10 omit after names
o. county seats the letters &c. H.
meaning courthouse. " dfstkcs
hyphenased names and favors the coia-
btraflon into one word Of names OF Two
or more worJs-thuS Lafayette instead
Y IN Fsycttc and t.idorado ins-ead OF
~ Dorado. 70 regards the adding d
city or town after name. such
az in Boise city and Drummoadfown.
a. a useless complication.
These are not personal prejud'ccs
" ~. majority OF the seosrapG'n
y ard. but arc StsH'@9US ""-'" w. ""
yrepond~rance OF popular taste. Thus
burg" IS preferred To ~bargh ne.
caus~ investigation sN shown that
in more than thr~e-fourths OF places
having these ramc examinations tire
anal N" IS not in local Use.
Points vIhsn our TERRITORY are con.
ttnu.lIy bcing named ~ explorers end
SURVIVORS. For the Gsrdance cf thers
.he geographic board mas complied
| ii.t 81 "rr.nciples~ These ADVISE she
re,estfca Of local 1nAssa. French 81
spsni. terms 10 syphcnicus ana suss'
able. or the sAopstcr ~ word sve
ges.ing oUOs psculIsrtsy OF The teoe'
scAoe 0vch 6ossGnooees - CsssSo'