Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1912-01-10
SIGNIFICANT NAMES.
Historical, Fancifui, Olten'ii''e'
IMAGINATIVE Names Claim Cities.

There is a deal of history in a name
and often. too, of fancy and lmaelhatioh.
The beautiful city of Paris has long
been sought as the highest tribunal III
all questions of art for all the world, yet
II is not named for that youth whose
award of prize once reused tine ever
,.-,r,,, ,,..atb of crlIeI Juno" THE
Judgment of Paris" was originally
small question of a handful OF apples
and three feminine contestants. but now
adays dictum of Paris binds or unoinds
the ankles of nearly all womankind, even
as IL makes the fame of painters, scuip-
tors. composers, singers, and the rest
1t is only by chance, however, that
this city whose appraisal of beauty sets
the pace for the whole world, is named
for that traditional young judge OF beau
ty. Yet his sway was hardly less thah
the citys own, for when he favored
Aphrodlte did his act not burn the top
less towers of Ilium, and become uiti-
mately responsible for the "llad am
the "Odyssey" and the "Aened. and
for the founding of Rome, and all that
has followed since? Certainly TINS IS
how the poets make it appear.
But the name of the city was really
given by the Romans. who called the
place Lutetia Parisorum, because IT was
the capital city of the PARISH, tribe OF
celts. Lutetia has been referred, but 1t
seems without sufficient evidence, to the
Latin "lutum" mud" The Seine had
perhaps the same inconvenient habit of
overlooking her low banks in those days,
too, hence the hasty inference that her
name referred to such a condition.
The name of London was in Latin
Londinum, and both the origin of the
name and of the town are unknown; but
that the name of Rome was from the
Greek word meaning stronghold seems
likely in that Valentia. meaning
strength" was a Latin name for the
place Here again we trace some fanci-
full associations which are amusing
enough. For it was out from the golden
milestone at Rome, says tradition, that
all the splendid Roman roads were built,
hence the saying, "All roads lead to
Rome" They surely started from there,
when the DICTIONARIES set out on their
world conquest at pace which, however
can hardly be described as roaming
through the world.
History does not say just how Berlia
got its name but as there is a German
may fancy that the settlement was at
some time posting town where coaches
were to be had to carry one to distant
parts.
Boston was named for the English Bos-
ton, which was st. Botolph's town, or
really Botulfeston. Now the English
Boston is noted for the tower of its
church, which is surmounted by an octag-
onal lantern locally known as Boston
stump Ones thought flashes back
across seas to the big beacon light which
gave it's name to Beacon Hill, where
Massachusetts gilded statehouse dome
now CLEANS. And another vagrant fancy
is pleased to note that the older Boston
is in Lincolnshire name made famous
in American annals during conflict in
which Boston played her part.
New York, first named New Amster-
dam, also harks back for name to the
mother land. York was the capital oil
Britain during the Roman occupation
heard the Emperor Constantine pro-