Men who made a name for themselves

1. This prominent texas pioneer and statesman, Sam M., became part of the English language because of his wandering cattle. He neglected to mark his herd with a brand, so when they strayed, neighboring ranchers called them after the last name of the greenhorn cattleman. The name quickly came to mean any unbranded cattle. Today it refers to any freelancer or nonconformist who resists belonging to a group, including political independents.

2. Josiah W., England's famous potter, gave his name to a superior ceramic he created. He based it on classical designs from ancient Etruscan (Italian) ware. His name is also associated with the particular blue color he used in his glazes. The fame of his family didn't end with high-grade china, however. His son Thomas was arguably the world's first photographer. His daughter was the mother of another famous individual, Charles Darwin.

3. The name of the world's highest mountain on the Nepal-Tibet border honors the British surveyor-general of India who undertook a detailed mapping of the subcontinent in the 1800s. Sir George was not the first to gain the summit, although his last name has come to mean the highest point of one's achievement.

ANSWERS

1. 'Maverick,' after Samuel Augustus Maverick (1803-1870); 2. Wedgwood Ware, by Josiah Wedgwood (1730-1795); 3. Mt. Everest, after Sir George Everest (1790-1866).

(c) Copyright 1999. The Christian Science Publishing Society