Evening star., 1948-12-10
This and That
BIZ Charles Z. TraceuelI
BROOKEvILLE, Md.

Dear Sir:
THE post office was established here March
10, 1902, as Brookville without the 'eD with
Caleb Bently as the first postmaster Mr.
Bently had an honor not shared by any other
postmaster or post Office in the United States
He gave shelter to the President of his coun-
try who was fleeing from the enemy after the
defeat Of Our troops at Bladensburg, August,
1914.
Sometime during the Civil War the oficial
spelling was changed to Brookeville GWith the
'eD. Recently ordered new postmark and
the manufacturer made q mistake and spelled
the name, without the e.. man from as far
away as Denmark wrote about 1t to find out
which was correct. The error has been cor.
rected
More than 90 post offices in the United
States begin with Brook Brookvilles;
Brooksviles, 10 plain Brooks, II Brooklyns, 10
Brookf1elds, to list the most popular Brooks.
only one Brookevtlle!
"Yet sometimes feel that due to bad writ
ing like my own we receive mail intended for
the other 90. Try writing Md. and Ind. and
see II your friends can tell the difference. ]
had to buy a rubber stamp 'Brookville, 1ndi-
ana to take care of forwarding mail ad-
dressed to Brookville, Ind.
Georgia avenue extended in my youth was
marked 'Brookville pike but those old wooden
signs have all disappeared and Georgia avenue
extended is taking its place. Brookville pike
Olney. 1t was the second hard surfaced or
turnpike in the country. Brookvie road or
Brookevtlle road left the main pike at Triangle,
now Montgomery Hills, and was used by far
mers to drive cattle to market at George
town.
IT hope my explanation will clear up doubts
about the correct spelling of 'Brookeville'
Sincerely WILTON J. BOSWELL.
POSTMASTER"
Fps. collect all material can relating
to the past history of this village. wonder
If can use your column to ask your readers
to write me about any family or incidents
they might know in connection with Brooke
ville?"
BEVERLY BEACH, Md.
Dear Sir:
THE controversy appearing in your column
re the spelling of Brook (e)ville road was in
teresting to me in that I am one of those
young college radicals (Georgetown) who are
always clamoring for the MODERN the new
"Why the ladies must insist upon keeping
that useless e. Is beyond me. live at Beverly
Beach, which is spelled by its developers as
Beverley I prefer to drop the e. The result
is the same word, pronunciation and meaning,
but simpler and more American spelling.
mo doubt the good family Brooke who set
tied in that part of Maryland would prefer to
retain the e. were they living today, and Sir
Thomas is probably called Spinning Tom by
St. Peter because he no doubt turns over in
his grave at rapid rate every time the e in
his Brook (e) vile road Is dropped.
However good Sir Tom lived in a day when,
Revolution or no Revolution, what was British
was stylish; and to be so radical as to change
the spelling of a word to simpler form was
practically .unheard of. To Sir Tom our color
was colour and gentlemen of those days spoke
of their honour and not their honor Yes,
1t seems to be quite American to simplify
spelling, so If there is movement afoot con-
sciously or unconscously, to drop the Brook(e)-
Vile e. by all means let's do so
Sincerely, ]. M. B., jr."
Postmaster Boswell typed the middle e. in
Br6okeville in red, making it stand out like
a light on Christmas tree.
We are indebted to him for rubber stamp
ings of "Brookeville, Md" and "Brookvule,
Indiana
The old ways Of spelling have much to COM
mend them.
We know of one writer, the late H. P. Love-
craft who insisted that in all his stories GER
tain words, such as honour and colour" be
set in just that way. One Of his most famous
stories (his own preference by the way) was
called The Colour Out of Space" He was as
good an American as the rest of us.
Simplifed spelling has a hard road to hoe, in
the face of tradition and custom. Over many
years, common everyday usage finally wins
out, but sometimes 1t requires centuries. In the
meantime. the ofacial spellinss ought to be
accented.