Pueblo chieftain., 1922-03-08
CHANGING NAMES
By Frederic J. Haskin.


By Frederic ]. Haskin.
NEW YORK CITY. March 5.-one
OF the convenient features about iv-
ing in the United States is that you
can change your name here as often As
you like without getting into lesa!
difficulties. No one has to go thru IKE
squirming under the burden OF a
ridiculous name because his parents
were unkind enough to bestow 1t upon
him. He can simply discard 1t and
take another-two or three others. at
intervals-if tho spirit moves him. NO
one will object. except perhaps the
parents whose Judgment has been
questioned. Certainly the law will not
stop him.
There is a great deal in a name,
Will Shakespeare to tho contrary not
with.tandine. A rose would unques-
tionably lose some of its beauty II 1t
! were called a turnip, and there are
names which obviously detract from
the Elamor and dignity OF human
be extremity beautiful to live down the
| effect of the name Lizzie Buxzard-
which Is ono selected at random from
the telephone directory-and man
1 would have to be scintillatng indeed
to overcome the general impression
created by tho name Peter h. Dun
another telephone subscriber. Business
, men. especially retailers, cannot afford
to have long and complicated names;
which explains why so many immi-
grants eliminate a syllable or two from
their names after residing In this coun-
I try awhile.
1t is not uncommon for people to
apply to the courts for permission to
change their names, but it Is not com
pulsory. They do so only as an extra
precaution in case distant relatives
should leave them legacies, and It
should became necessary for them to
provo. beyond the question Of \ doubt.
| that they were once the owners Of the
names mentioned in the Wills. This
privilege of repudiatins a displeasink
anccs from English common law, and
ono which Is not enjoyed by most
| European nations. where change in
namc Is certain to excite the suspicion
both OF the police and the passport au-
thoritics.
UNAWARE OF PRIVILEGE
| Many people keep tho names they
have inherited not because they have
any special affection for them, but
because they do not realize how easy
1t would be to get rid of them. They
arc under tho impression that they
would have to take the matter to court.
when, as matter of fact. all they
would have to do would be 10 mako the
announcement. Tho Possession OF The
name-changing privilege was definitely
| confirmed in New York state in the
| case OF Smith versus United States
Casualty company when judge Vann.
| who handed down the opinion. quoted
some historical examples to substan-
| tiate Il.
"A predecessor OF Honors de Bal
zac,'' he wrote. was born Gucz,
which means bcggar. and row 10
manhood under that name. When he
became conscious OF his powers as a
7 Nar Ia III a.
be published under that humble name.
so he selected tho surname OF Bal
FAC from an estate that he owned.
Voltairc. Molierc, Dante. Pctrarch.
Richclicu. Loyola. Erasmus and
Linacus were assumed names Napoi-
after his Victories had lurcd him to-
ward crown and he wanted a grand
Or name TO aid his daring aspirations
Tho Duke OF Wellington We. not by
blood a Wellesley. but a Collcy, his
grandfather. Richard Coiley. having
assumed tho name OF relative named
Wesley. which was aftcrward expand
ed TO Wellesley"
Further instances of intcres.fne
adopted names are contributed by an
other authority. who writcs:
ALL ACTORS WERE vAGABoNps
In the days when actors were Legal
~ classified as 'vaSa bonds II was GUS
tornary for every player to assume
stage name and the custom continued
well into the present era. But in these
days. when actors and actresses are In
vitcd to tea In tho best houses they
generally takc their real names to the
| stage with them. Lou Tellegen, how
ever, Was originally 1sador Louis Bcr-
| rard Edmund van Dominelen, Sir
Henry Irving. who did moro than any
other actor to bring about tho social
recognition of his profession. aided by
the good will OF that Prince OF Vale,
Tho first gentleman of Europe who
aftcrward rcigncd rs Edward VII. wa.
| born Broadribb and adopted Irving as a
| stage name
'Artcmus Ward and Mark Twain
| wcrc literary examples OF adopted
| names. Henry ". Stanley. tho African
explorer; was originally John Row.
James b. Taylor became Bayard Tay,
lor and James y. Matthews became
Brandcr Matthews. Ulysses S. Grant
began as Hiram s. Grant. Grover
Cleveland as Stephen c.. Cleveland and
Whiteiaw Reid as Jacob w Reid
There Is also tho historical case of
| Thomas W. Wilson, President Of the
| United States as Woodrow Wilson"
ono of the most difficult things about
changing your name. OF course, is In
getting your family and friends TO ac-
cept It. Long after you hive become
accustomed to yourself under the name
Of Phillip Suratt. there will be friends
who will tacticssly call you Philippi
Stocnstrupt and thereby try to prove
1 TO You that your new coEnomcn Is
| nothing but an affcctatiou. Yet people
! become rcconcilcd to n change in name
for human beings much moro quickly
| than they do to n change in the names
of places.
Not long ago. for Instance. tn. wei.
fare Department OF the CITY OF New