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. '
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