Jasper County Democrat, Volume 6, Number 16, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 25 July 1903 — Names. [ARTICLE]

Names.

“Here in America,” said a Philadelphia artist who has traveled extensively, “we call a boy Johnnie if we don’t know what his name la It’s curious to note the variations of this custom. In the far west the name is shortened to Jack, and it is applied to any stranger Indiscriminately. On the other hand, we call a Chinaman John. When I was studying in Paris, I was Impressed by the ract that to the Parisian every foreigner is either Jack or Jacques, according to the pronunciatiem of the native who uses the term. I spent one winter in Havana, where I found that the Cubans apply the name Charlie to all Americans and Englishmen. In Mexico if a man’s name is not known he is called Pedro. In our own southern States I have noticed that the colored waiters in the hotels are invariably called George. I think It would be interesting to know how these customs originated.”