Shepherdstown register. [volume] (Shepherdstown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1849-1955, 1917-06-21
How Cities Were Named.

the height OF fame man must have a
street, town and a cigar named after
him. But if is an odd fact that while
many men achieve such greatness, there
are only one or two who have had the
capitals OF nations named for them.
There is, ofcourse, Washington, named
after the first president; Petrograd, named
for its founder, Peter the Great, and Con-
stantine; but beyond these the capitals
of the various countries have received
their names by reason OF their climate,
their geographic position or some touch
OF sentiment, writer in the Philadelphia
North American observes.
Changing the name of the capital has
been frequently done. Indeed it was
only with the beginning OF the present
war that ST. Petersburg became Petro-
grad, eliminating the German "burg,"
whose choosing has always been myS-
terry to the Russian people.
Tokyo, the capital of Japan, has also
had its name changed, for less than fifty
years ago it was known as "Yeddo," a
Japanese word meaning estuary gate.
When the mikado took up his resi-
dence there, however, he changed the
name to Tokyo, meaning eastern capital,
thus differentiating it from the former
capital, which had been called Saikyo, or
western capital.
Another capital which has been re-
christened within recent years is Chris
tiana, the capital OF Norway, which de-
rives it name from King Christian ~,
who built the now-famous city after de-
struction by fire of the old capital Oslo.
II was his desire 10 make il the most
modern and most beautiful OF cities, and
he took so great personal interest in ii
that when il came to a name everyone
urged that it be called for him, and Chris
tiana was finally adopted as being more
artistic than Christianville or burg.
There are very few great cities OF the
United States named for Americans. but
there are many which commemorate ia
nous men OF history. OF those named
tor Americans, there are, among others,
Jefferson City, Mo-; Madison, Wis;
Lincoln, Neb.; and Houston, Tex, while
there are also many cities which tell in
their names the stories of gallant priests
who started missions among the Indians,
and were after the first white men TO
penetrate into the depths OF the wilder
ness. San Francisco is named, it is true,
for ST. Francis, but the monks OF that or
der are really the ones whose deeds the
city commentaries and there are, be-
sides, Hennepin, Mnn., and Marquette,
Wis, whose names tell mute stories OF
the priests.
The majority OF the larger cities are,
however, named for Englishmen or
Frenchmen, for when the cities received
their christening no one dreamed that the
time would come when the vast new
country would be nation OF itself. Thus
New York was named for The duke OF
OF York, st. Louis for the king OF France,
Pittsburgh for Lord Pitt, Baltimore Tor
Lord Baltimore, New Orleans for the
duke OF Orleans. and so on through a
long list OF names that have now become
most thoroughly Americanized in the
thoughts OF the whole world.
In Australia the habit OF naming cities
after statesmen is more prevalent than in
any other country, and the majority OF its
larger towns bring 10 mind men who
have helped TO make history. Thus Mel
bourne recalls Lord Melbourne; Sydney
was named after Thomas ownsend, first
viscount Sydney, and at that time secre-
tary OF State for the colonies, and Adelaide,
another OF Australia's capital cities, keeps
green the memory of Queen Adelaide,
wife OF William w.