Kanawha

Polital Note Kanawha

Every schoolboy knows that the state of West Virginia was born in the early thunder of the Civil War. Its people, refusing to follow Lee into the camp of Jefferson Davis, seceded from Virginia when Virginia seceded from the Union.

But not every schoolboy's father is conscious of the peculiar individ uality of the transmontane commonwealth. Wherefore, a joint resolu tion has been introduced into the West Virginia Legislature to change its name to Kanawha. "We need a distinctive name," editorialized one time (1911-17) U. S. Senator Chilton in the Charleston (W. Va.) Gazette. "Then the dumbbells would have to learn it as they have learned Oklahoma. . . . Who is not tired of explaining to the morons that Wheeling is not on the James River?"

The chief objection to Kanawha, name ' of a West Virginia river, county, club, hotel, is that the abbreviation would be confused with Kansas. "Transylvania," an alternative, is disliked because of its asso ciation with Hungarian immigrants. Other suggestions: "Lincoln," "Wil son," "Monongahela."