The review. [volume] (High Point, N.C.) 1908-19??, 1914-06-25
MECHANICS OF STATES.

Nearly every SCdtG III Tic OiIiOIl Has c
nickname Some are too obvious to neee
explanation, as for instance, in the case Of
Alabama the Cotton state;;' Florida, the
Peninsular state, etc. But some OF the 9th.
ers have names which are not 50 plain, and
these can only be accounted for by finding the
origin from the French word bayou, which
signifies sluggish water course, and the
name, sthe Bayou state" is the familiar
one given to Mississippi, in reference to the
rumberIess water courses shown on the first
maps of the state.
New York, the Empire state,'' takes its
nickname from the title given it by Washing
ton written during the winter of 1884.
Minnesota, the Gopher state,'' takes its
nickname from the French word "gaufre, :"
which means honeycombed. The state was
so called because of the great number of
ground squirrels which burrowed in the
earth.
Mississippi has nickname which is also
taken of the terms used.
Arkansas is called the "Bear state. !"
This name was bestowed because of the
great number of bears that haunted its forests
when the Sttae was first settled.
Colorado, the Centennial state'' is so
called because it was admitted into the Union
in 1876, the year that marked the one hun
dredth anniversary of independence In Amer
ica.
Connecticut, the ''Nutmeg state>'' was so
called because it was said of the settlers who
first lived in the state, ''They are so sharp
that they can Sell wooden nutmegs to GUS
toners and lot get caught.
Delaware, the I" Blue Hen stat, was named
in the following manner: One of the best
known officers of Delaware regiment during
the civil war was certain Colons Caldwell,
who had become known as a chicken fancier
AMI breeder of gamecocks. He advanced the
opinion that the best game birds came from
the eggs of a blue hen, and in jest the men
Of his regiment were dubbed by their fellows
the blue hens,'' a name which atterward
came to be applied to jewellers in Delaware
Indiana, the ''Hosier state,'i is said to be a
of the word husher, a vulgar term
throughout the west for a bully. Another
contention is made that the word comes from
The custom of farming people of the state
Of inquiring of the wayfarer, who's yer?'
which means ''Who are yor.'
Illinois, which rejoices in the nickname ST
he ''Sucker state,'' came to be thus afflicted
n the following way: The prairies of this
state were found to be covered with holes
made by crawf1sh and filled with good drink
ng water. The early settlers and nomads
earned to suck this water up through hollow
1eeds, and it is this custom which gave its
licL name to Illinois,
Iowa, the "Hawkeye state.' takes its
;obriquet from the name of an Indian chief
Who was held in terror by the early settlers. /
Kentucky, the 'Rlue Grass state, gets its |
lame from the widespread growth of GER
ain grass known as blue grass.
louisiana, the "Pelican state,'' gets its |
lame from the picture of the bird on the state |
eal.
Massachusetts, the ebay state" was in
arly times known as the Bay colony, and
Ifter its admission into the Union retained
he title as a nickname.
Maryland, the ''OId Line state,'' is so
allied because it marked the boundary during
he Confederacy and tine Union, and because |
he Mason and Dixon line ran through it.
Ohio, the buckeye state, ," takes it's name |
rom the large number of horse chestnut trees
hat grow there, for ''buckeye' is common
ame for horse chestnut,
In an arch, the stones of which were SYM
olized by the thirteen original states, PEN
sylvania occupies the central or keystone
osition, and hence came it to be called the
Keystone state.''
On the state seal of South Carolina ap-
ears palmetto, and the nickname of the
tate is derived from this.
In the war of 1912 so many volunteers
anne from Tennessee that it has ever since
cen called the Volunteer state -
Before Texas was admitted into the Union,
IS flag bore single star, and from this fact
derived its nickname, the "Lone Star
tate
West Virginia, the panhandle state,''
ives its nickname to the resemblance OF the
arrow upper part of the state to the handle
pan.
Virginia, the "Old Dominion state,'' has
nickname which is very ancient In the
arly history of America. all the British pos
essions were called Virginia, and were
poken of ur.der the general name of the
olony, and dominion of Virginia. Later
0 differentiate what is now known as Vir-
irio %Hn IN No,r, |