Perth Amboy evening news., 1923-04-10

distinct influence on the United
States map.
For n thing, the board aims to
simplify names to some extent. 1t
advocates dropping the words Court
louise as they are sometimes used
after the name of a county seat. 1t
prefers simple word names. 1t be-
lieves in dropping out the possessive
apostrophe In such names as Jones
Point and Peters Landing. 1t has
established the practice of spelling
Harrisburg and similar names with
out the final h. and the spelling of,
center in the American way. rather
than in the English, centre.
Confusing Implications
The board also sees that no two
post offices in a state bear the same
name. There is great duplication of
names in different states, and this is
sufficiently confusing. The presidents
L honored all over the country by
towns named for them. There are
% Washingtons, "a Lincolns, 81 Ma
disons, and 16 Jeffersons, besides
other places which use these names
in combination with words or end
ings like town or vile. A number of
ONAACA AloLAlCo / OQudllN pODuldIs
There are 81 Troys, 81 CIaytons, 90
Plymouths and 80 C%lintons in the
postal guide.
Duplication of this sort is a cause
OF trouble when letters badly ad-
dressed leave the post office in doubt
as to the state for which they are
intended. Confusion may also result
whenever a place Is referred to with
clif fhp state ma hafna, aJIoJ D,,k
changing the name of one of these
towns is almost impossible. 1t is
rarely suggested. It Is true, a COM
mercial organization in Salem, Ore
gon, once proposed to Salem, Massa-
chusetts, that the latter should take
a different name because the two
places were often confused, and sim
liar proposals have been made by
other cities who wanted a name to
themselves. But these suggestions
have always been politely but firmly
refused by the cities approached.
Within a state, however, two post
ofhces can not well hold the same
title, and must be changed.
The quaint and picturesque names
that are linked with our national
history are whenever possible pre-.
served by the boards decisions. In
dian names particularly are ap-
proved whenever they are euphoni-
Gus and practical.
Partial to Indian names as the
board Is, it lays great stress on the
importance of continuing a form in
common use. a conflict between
these two principles has occurred in
the controversy over Mount Rainier,
For more than twenty years the
board has been urged to authorize
the name of Mount Takoma for this
famous peak. The city of Takoma.
Washington, near which the noun
tain rises, is strongly in favor of the
change. But the name Mount Rainier
is established by a ruling of the
board, and advocates of Mount Ia
koma have never succeeded in hay-
ing the ruling reversed.
A list of decisions by the board
shows that there are several well de-
fined differences between a name
suitable for a town and one suitable
Tor a bay or mountain. A fairly
snort name is generally preferred for
q town. Some people go so far as to
say that some of New York's prom
inence is the result of its easily pro-
nounced and remembered name.
Towns also avoid names ueges-
tive of anything unpleasant. Succor
Fiat a village in California, was es-
taolished by the Geographic Board.
ana the form Sucker Flat declared
ofhcially incorrect. Wild and woolly
names reminiscent of pioneer DAYS
are not found attached to very many
western towns. But creeks, canyons.
peaks, points, and islands may enjoy
the picturesque names without much
danger OF frightening away visitors
or residents to the neighborhood.
linus, the board has established such
names as Hoodoo Creek, in Wyo-
ming, Deadman Point, Maine. Horse
thief Trail, Colorado; Bonehead Hill.
Idaho; n Devils Point, Florida.
occasionally q name is changed 10
Keep up with the times. Several
places called Germany changed their
names during the war. At least one
Of these, New Germany, Minnesota,
has changed back since. A numbe-
OF points on the map still go by l
dolent names established in pre-
Volstead days. But as conditions are
now, Brandy Pond, Whiskey Island.
and Rum River ere aot so much out
OF date, and it will probably be some
time before names of this sort are
entirely meaningless and defunct.