| Show UNCLE SAM the news has been asked to give the origin of the nickname given to the united states uncle sam it ought to be known to all by reason of the characterization being so well known but paradoxical as it may appear this is one of the reasons it if not the only one why the matter is so little understood like dixie or mason and dixons line itis it is such a household phrase that everybody presumes that ev everybody enbody else understands it and therefore but few take the trouble to brush up tip their understanding shortly after war with england was declared a new yorker named elbert anderson bought a lot of provisions at troy he being beang a contractor oon tractor and the purchase being tor for the use of the colonial army one of the inspectors of the provisions was a man named samuel wilson who also superintended super intended the hauling of the provisions and other details connected with the set service vice re he was invariably i called uncle saw sam 11 the packages package es were marked with the initials of the purchaser fr anderson n E A 11 followed immediately by U a meaning of course united states an employed who did the marking was asked one day by a fellow laborer what the initials meant and in a facetious mood he replied that they probably meant ellery anderson and uncle sam the name clung to the man and on the real meaning of the latter initials coming to light the two breame interchangeable so that the unborn sovereIgn ity was as often called by one name as the other the custom grew and uncle sam without some distinguishing term means the united states though not quite in an off official iclal sense |
