Evening star., 1939-01-15

John Nance Garner, the Vice
President, has the following bona
fide nicknames listed to his credit
by DR.. Shankle-Cactus Jack, the
Favorite Son of Texas, Mohair Jack,
The Owl, Poker Face, The Sage
OF Uvalde and Uvalde Jack. "Mohair
Jack" is derived from the fact that
the Vice President advocated tariff
favoring the interests of goat
raisers, a Texas industry (mohair is
made from goat hair).
Henry L. Iour Gehrig, first base
man of the New York Yankees, is
widely known as the Iron Man Of
Baseball and Larruping Lou, the
latter because he knocks so many
home runs.
DR.. Shankle has spent years in
his quest for nicknames, and they
seem to be coined about as fast as he
can find them. He and his research
helpers have already gone through
900 volumes in the Library Of
Congress in tireless pursuit of this
objective of making ultimately a
complete compilation of American
nicknames of all types. He intends
to go through thousands of volumes
OF bound newspapers in the next few
years, with a fine tooth comb for
these sobriquets.
Once nickname is found, that
is only half the battle, for the next
task is to run down and authenticate
the origin of the name. This is by
no means easy. Some of the most
grotesque nicknames have stuck like
burrs to their owners.
John w. Gates 1855-191D, who
made fortune manufacturing wire
fencing, was dubbed Moonshine
Gates because, allegedly having in
fringed upon various patent rights
connected with the making of wire
fencing, he was always travelling
about, especially at night. from
State to State to evade the arm
of the law.
William r. Morrison, who served
as Representative from Illinois in
Congress from 1873 to 1887, and
was very active in the field of tariff,
was nicknamed Horizontal Bill be-
cause he led a concerted fight in
1884 to reduce the tariff on virtually
all imported articles 20 per cent, a
step known as a horizontal reduc-
ton.
The late Senator Huey Pierce Long
OF Louisiana was known by the en-
dearing term of Dictator of Louis
lana, Hooey Long, the Kingfish and
Louisiana's Loud Speaker.
John Dillinger, the outlaw, killed
in 1884. was dominated Public
Enemy No. l and Kill Crazy Dill
linger. Louis Abrams, the notorious
New York burglar. is generally
known as Angel Face on account of
his innocent demeanor.
One OF the most nicknamed Wash
lngtonians was the Capital City's
pioneer woman publicist, Anne New
port Royall who published two
newspapers here century ago,
Paul Pry 1831-1836) and the
Huntress d936-1S54). There was a
great deal of ridicule for any wom-
an intrepid enough in those days
to be journalist. But Anne Royal
could not only take it but she could
dish it out, and she was quite
nickname-caller herself. Her Jour-
nallstlc influence was extensively
felt. One writer says of her: "She
seems to have set an example in the
use of nicknames that has been
followed in later days by the New
York Sun and other journals OF the
country"
, Here are some of the nicknames
conferred upon her: Holy Terror,
Terror of Politicians. Product Of the
BackWoods, Anne Royal Of the
Crusading Pen. Militant Editor, An
Anthony Comstock in Petticoats,
Jacksonian Democrat. First of the
Sisterhood of the Press, PoliceWom-
, an of Truth. A Scold. The Virago
of Early Journalism, Widow EXtraor-
!, dinaire, Mistress of Spirited Invec-
, tive, A Female William Cobbett,
The Widow with the Serpent S
, Tongue, Grandma of the Muck
/ rakers, The Uncommon Scold. Orig
, inal Representative of Embattled
American Womanhood, Paragon of
Human Energy. Witch Hunter and
Arch-nemesis of the Dishonest Pol
, itician.
Above all else. Anne was jealous
reformer, and when she found an
evil which she felt demanded rem
!, edying she roasted every one con-
/, nected with it in her columns.
| Besides publishing the above two
newspapers she wrote and pub
| lished nine travel books, novel
5 and a book of letters. She lies bur-
5 led in the Congressional Cemetery
under a handsome granite marker.
Her most famous nickname, how
ever, was bestowed upon her by
5 President John Quincy Adams, who
: in his diary entry of August 9. 1927,
E called her a "virago-errant in en-
!, chanted armor' She is supposed
to have bounded him for interviews
S constantly, once, according to tradi-
1 ton, when he was swimming in the
Potomac sans garb.