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About Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922 | View Entire Issue (Nov. 19, 1911)
The Omaha Sunday Bee PART FIVE MAGAZINE PAGES ONE TO FOUR PART FIVE MAGAZINE PAGES ONE TO FOUR VOL. XLI XO. l'-J. OMAHA, SUNDAY MOKXIXH, XOVKMHKH 1!, I'M 1. SIN(LE COPY FIVE CENTS. Was Father Patriotic When He Picked Your Name? lyla doe8 not recall that the lusty Infant had any par- 7'' S jcfc yLSfr tlcular reverence for tho glorious associations ot S' fl "'., -' Y ' JS S f Z uJ)J v Mount Vernon when It came timo to cry; but today ' ' - "" rLL r S Z ' ' s. . '. ' vlt- 7 Y r the city engineer confesses ho would very likely 771 7A: A A'fKF L cSO&TuPH. ZYCZOWTTCzS , -J A L 'I 6 s kOMEONE has made the assertion that people grow to look llko their names, and to be like them; that Is, "Jack" or "Charley" will certainly dlfTer In looks, actions and bearing from men Balling under the poetic and romantic names of Montmorency or Cecil; that "Gertie" and "Katie" will always differentiate the bearers from other girls who are alwayB addressed In a form way say, aa Sarah or Mehitabel. Perhaps there Is something la this reasoning; and again, maybe not. But that there is something In a name is not to be denied lightly. Suppose your name was Zyglowitcz, and you were the last man on the roster of Omaha citizens would you change it to Joe Smith Just for conven ience sake, or would you let your frienda do the best they could, probably with a cough and a sneeze? Joseph Zyglowitcz took tho Smith route, although a scion of tho old nobility in his own land. Hans Aabel leads off on the list of Omaha citi zens. He Is an Inspector for tho Omaha Grain ex change. A brother heads the directory list in New York and a sister In San Francisco. If you have been called Pill all your life, would you know yourself in the glass if everybody all at one, began calling you Algernon? Would the deli cate and aristocratic name of Percy fit half way decent on a chap who now answers to the homely name of SI; or would Jack, Ed or Sam be the same as precinct and ward leaders if their parents had bitched them to matinee aliases llko Claude, Harold or Chauncey? This question presupposes, of course, that there is a psychological significance in names that they fit the bearers, which may or may not be true. Urst President Popular villi Americans. The man wiio ras "first In war, first In peace and first in the hearts of his countrymen," h?s been honored by many and many a patriot who has named his ron George Washington. Perhaps no man bearing tho name has a betttr right to it than Omaha's city engineer. George Washington CraiR was born In thu Mount Vernon mansion, and is quite proud of it. His father, James Y. Craig, was superintendent of the work of rehabilitating the famous Washington place, just after the war, and bad temporary quarters In the mansion while the work was In progress. Thus It came about that Lis oldest son was born in the room formerly occu pied by the first president ft & library. Mr. Cr&U does not recall that tho lusty Infant had any par tlcular reverence for tho glorious associations ol Mount Vernon when it came timo to cry; but today the city engineer confesses ho would very likely have kept pretty quiet had he only realized whero he was. He has visited the place since growing to mauhood and congratulated himself on his choice of a birthplace. Washington Clabaugh was tho namo of tho father of George Washington Clabaugh, vice president of the Omaha Gas company, so that ho fits quite natur ally Into the patriotic list. too. Then there is George Washington Holdrego, the railroad manager, and George Washington Johnston, president of the elec tric company of that name; also Washington Kun yan and Washington Perclval, the veteran news paper man and dry farmer. "Big Bill" Taft sounds homeliko and natural to the American people, because the president has carried the hefty prefix ever since his college days. And where the ordinary citizen congregates and talks natural, who would think of Theodore In pref erence to "Teddy?" However, we have no Roose velt in Omaha. Used to bo "Cliet" Aldrich. In prayer meeting and official documents it may bo David Cole, but all around the cicrcumferencec of the business world of Omaha "Dave" Cole Is the proper caper. And when you think of it, those other good Presbyterians, "Bob" Smith and "Bill" Ure are better known by the abbreviated than by the full name. So with "Tom" Flynn and "Mike" Endres, "Fred" Hoye and "Phil" McShano. To call them Thomas, Michael, Frederick or Felix would bo wasting time and give cause for sarcastic laughter. Even so dignified a citizen as Senator Millard Is 'Joe" to the old-timers nnd to men who speak of him with appreciation, "Jim" Hill is an other case of tho diminutivo applied to a major general. In tho old days, being a lover of a good horse, his Intimate very probably tailed Aldrich, tho country lawyer, "Chef." Today they universally allude to him as Governor Aldrich, or xife his full name of Chester II. It would bo slightly undigni fied to walk up and slap tho chief magistrate of tlie state 011 the back and bay, "Hello, ClietV Mayor Dahlmau Is juct as bald as tho governor, and n grandfather to boot, but as the mayor of a city is naturally closer to ordinary folks than a governor, no rule seems to be fractured Vihen friends greet him faii iliarly as "Jim." Thy mayor is so UBed to the term he feels a trifle embarrassed when ad dressed more formally. Take Judge Baker, chairman of tho Republican county commlttea. What other name tLaa "lien" would look natural fitted to his cherubic front" Ben Plattl would grate on tho nerves llko tho end of a file on glass, but "Loulo" fits with mellifluous exactitude. If Cornelius McGilllcuddy had happeued to draw the name of Jedldlah Littlemau, and had run to baked beans instead of corned beef and cabbage, would he now bo wrapped In u championship flag? The chances are ho would not, but would be scruti nizing bank figures. Or if "Bill" Kourke had be jii christened Jeremiah, could ho have mourned moro seriously than he has over shattered hopes? Tel Jed Sokol If you know. The Abraham Lincoln Hoy. Being baptized Abraham Lincoln Sutton, it would bo tho natural thing to surmiso that tho well known Judgo of the district court was called "Abo" in his boyhood; but who among the members of tho bar would dream of calling him by a short tltlo today? Yet Judge Kennody is "Howard" to many practi tioners who have seen him grow up In Omaha; and It Is quite safe to say Judge Sutton would not freeze up at tho sound of the old name. The most solid dignity often melts under tho Intimate touch that recalls auld lang syne. Besides Judgo Sutton, we have Abraham Lincoln Heed. Several other Omaha citizens have tho initials that might stand for Abraham Lincoln for Instance, A. L. Mohler, the railroad president; A. L. Alexander, the shoe merchant; A. L. Hoover, a salesman. But In each of these cai'es the first name is Albert. "The Milltoy of the Slashes," prido of Kentucky nnd thriller of list'riing senates, has at least tlireo namesakes in Omaha, Henry Clay Cheney, Henry Clay Kichmond and Henry Clay Aki'i. Only Kirli nionj can be dubbed politician. .achary Taylor Lindsey, tho rubber man, and Zack Taylor Howell are tho only persons here whose names recall tho soldier-president who mhi glory in tho .Mexican war; but vc have Millard l'illinoro Funkhouser la the presidential Ih.t. Benjamin Frank lin Cruinmer and Linjamin Franklin Bailey tvpil'y u loudness of their parents lor thu grand old philosopher; while Charles Sum ner Stebblns and Charles Sumner Hay ward carry along tho memory of tho classic orator of Massa chusetts. Llucolu, our statu capital, Laa several citizens with patriotic baptismal names. There Is Judge Lincoln Frost, Andrew Jackson Sawyer and John C. Fremont McKesson. Few Patriotic Patronymics In Onutlui. And whllo on tho subject of patriotic names, ex amination of tho Omaha city directory Indicates they aro not being used at christenings as frequent ly as of yore. Perhaps that's why Grover Cleveland Alexander, of St. Paul, Neb., attracted so much at tention as a ball player In Philadelphia, although It must be said ho was also quite a success as a pitcher. We find no Gcorgo Washington In tho city direc tory, and wo also miss the names of Thomas Jeffer bon, Alexander Hamilton, Patrick Henry, Daniel Webster, Wendell Phillips, John C. Calhoun, Wil liam Lloyd Garrison. John Hancock has not bouu written In this long list, nor do wo find Abraham Lincoln, Stephen A. Douglas, Grover Cleveland, James G. Blaine, nor even William Jennings Bryan. But Andrew Jackson SlmpFou, who has been building vehicles here since Omaha was a group of shanties, wears as well as tho old warrior after whom he was named; and there is also one An drew Jackson. .Vino men bear tho namo Andrew Johnson, but no Omaha man carries the namo of Clysses S. Grant. John IJuim y Adams has but ono nametsnko in Omaha, while John Adams is almost as numerous as John Brown. Wo have 0110 Benjamin Franklin, and one James A. Garfield, whilo two citizens are named Jefferson Davis and two aro called Kobert E. Lee, not to mention JkObert )'. Lee ilei'dinali. Daniel O'Connell is a foreman in a factory, Wil liam Tell hi a printer; ami the famous namo of Lafayette i.-; curried on by u laborer and a worker in tho Lord's vim yard. Seven Oiuahans aro named Walter Scott, ono William C. Bryant, two Tom Moore, and one Kobert Burns, but there is no Henry W. Longfellow, nor Edgar Allen l'oe. Passing to names out of tho ordinary, what's the matter with Friends Tuw or Clalaflaro Tila Uelfo? Likewise, Thea Tvedt and Mary Vri. or Steve Acs, or Charles Hon, or Sam Acquaviva? all good and proper people helping to build up Omaha. A bank cashier with the name of Tom Toy would be able to avoid many an ache in his wrist when signing checks. The contrary would bo the case, of course, If the name were Nicholas Paraskevopulous, probably tho longest namo In the list, and carried by a smiling bootblack from the classic precincts of Greece. Ireland and England aro represented by good men and true, and a good many ScotUi appear, but no Scotland. Several boar the name of Turk, but there is no Turkey. Goos and Quail are to bo found, also Rabbit and Boost, but no Rooster. However, there Is Bird, Partridge, Parrot and Robin. Kvwjr Character of Names Represented. We have KIs and Hug, Love, Angel, Darlius. Peach and Pettle, but no Saint of either sex. Tho closest we come to the angelic host is through Canon, Priest, Bishop, Abbot, Monk, Dean and Rector. There Is also Church and Kirk. Babel, Hainan and Jordan aro likewise with us. Being shy on Sport, we can still fall back on Topp. Marble, Runn and Jumper. There Is nu Angler, -vt plenty of Fish; and we can pack along Sudds and Beer", who probably have as etout a pride In their names uo P-Ulewell himself. High and Lowe, Weakley and Strong, a'.! go Into the list with the Shorts and the Longs, Quick and Spry. Even Mr. Was Btill Is, alive and happy. Drlnkwater travels along with plain Waters, and Rivers and Lakes are not wanting. Sorth, North, East and Weet like Omaha well enough to camp here, with Spring, Summer and Winter. Wit and Wisdom are also struggling along w ith the common herd and philosophizing oa tho high cost of living. Battle is represented by a woman, Peace by a man, and Joy la not shad owed by. Gloom. Beard and Whisker have a place in spite of the vogue for clean faces, but Barbers are not lacking; and thera Is a Curtain to shut off tho play right her. ' I