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Show Tiie Origin I cf "Hoosier" A story of tho origin of the nan "Hoosier," perhaps tho truo one, was told tho other day, "In the white winter win-ter of his ago," by John S. Stackwell, Iho oldest Inhabitant of Chnrlestown, Ind., and a former sheriff of Clark; county. Mr. Stockwcll was born near Charlcstown in 1811. Though 04 years old ho has n vast fund of plc-nror plc-nror reminiscences, which ho recounts entertainingly, but tho story of the origin of tho Hoosier name ho hftd not told for years. The other day Mr. Stockwell met Carl Brayflold, odltor of tho Clark County Citizen, on Main street, and a happy thought struck him. "Did you ever hear how the name Hoosier originated?" ho asked. "I've heard several explanations," was the reply, "but nono Is satisfactory." satisfac-tory." 'Then I will tell you the true story," sto-ry," said the old man, seating hlmselt before a butcher shop, where a chair always Invites the loiterer. "Tho word Is a corruption of tho Hooslcrism 'hushcr.' "Tho Incident that gave the state Its nickname," continued Mr. Stock-well, Stock-well, "happened at the digging of the Portland canal around the falls of the Ohio at Louisville. The date was, I believe, about 1820, and the tale was told mo by William Coombs, who was a leading citizen o( this town In his day. Ht said that a gang of Indl-anlans Indl-anlans from Clark tounty took a subcontract sub-contract to dig the canal, The Indl-anlans Indl-anlans lived together In a separate camp and several other companies ot laborers had their camps near by. ' "Of course, thero was plenty of liquor liq-uor In tho Kentucky camp. Ono day a big Hcntucklan got Jubilantly drunk and started to clean out the Indiana crowd. Ho posted himself before tho Clark county camp, like Goliath ot old, phoutlng tauntingly that ho was tha best man there. "'I am from Lexington,' yelled tho big fellow, 'where tho women nro tho liwectest and tho horses nro tho fleetest fleet-est and tho whisky Is completcst of my placo In tho universe nnd whero the Ho always calls for a blow. I stand up beforo this wholo camp and call tho d He! I'll fight tho first man Hint takes It up!" "Then out from tho Indiana camp strode a man whose namo I've forgotten. forgot-ten. It Is n pity It Is, for ho ought lo havo n skyscraplng monumant. Ho was six feet high and of tho good old stock that smashed tho Prophet of Tlppccanoo nnd took Knskasla nnd Vlncenncs from the BrltlBh. His words were few, but ho knew how to do things. "'You hush,' snld tho Indlanlnn simply, as ho stepped out from his companions. "I call tho d n lie!' cried tho Ken-tuc.klan Ken-tuc.klan onco moro. '"You hush,' said tho Clnrk county man again; you hush and go away.' But tho big man did not hush. Then tho Indiana man sailed In nnd gavo him a terrific thrashing. Tho Ken-(ucklnn Ken-(ucklnn wni mauled black. and blue, nnd finally begged for mercy. Tho victor vic-tor allowed him to rlso and tho combatants com-batants retired to their soparato quarters. quar-ters. 'Yoit wiped up tho earth with him." said one of tho Hoosier friends oc ttiK champlon'a roturn to tho camp. " 'Yes,' was tho reply, 'I mado him hush. I'm a hushcr.' "Tho story gotjibroad In tho camp, and soon tho Iudinnlans wore nit known as 'HushcrH' about' tho falls. Tho namo was scattered everywhere, and peoplo who did not know how the term originated corrupted it to Hoosier." When ho had heard" tho story John Carr, tho butcher, recalled that his father, fa-ther, Col. Thomas Carr, an early sheriff of Clark county, had told him tho fiiino story In Ills boyhood. Both ho and Cnrl Brayflold, whoso father was for many years chief of tho associate asso-ciate bench of tho VInccnnes district undor tho old constitution, "romomboi that tho word "Hushcr," meaning one who could sllenco thoso who annoyed him by force, was current nil ovci In Indlaun. With tho spread of education educa-tion tho old dlnlcct began to pase away, nnd tho word "Hushcr" became corrupted Into Hoosier. But tho name to which It gave birth fastened ltsell to tli stato with bonds moro lasting than brass, It survived n famoui name when tho word from which it derives Its origin was rescued, as It were, "by tho skin ot tho teeth," from tho unbrcnknhlo silence of tho gravo A few years moro and tho word "hushcr" would havo been hushed forever. |