ABBREVIATION
Reading edition
This is the style of The News on abbreviating the names of states and territories:
Ala.
Alaska
Ariz.
Ark.
Calif.
Colo.
Conn.
D. C.
Ga.
Fla.
Ida.
Ill.
Ind.
Ia.
Kan.
Ky.
La.
Me.
Mass.
Md.
Mich.
Minn.
Miss.
Mo.
Mont.
N. C.
N. D.
Neb.
Nev.
N. H.
N. J.
N. M.
N. Y.
O.
Okla.
Ore.
Pa.
P. I. (Philippine Islands)
P. R. (Porto Rico)
R. I.
S. C.
S. D.
Tenn.
Tex.
T. H. (Territory of Hawaii)
Utah
Va.
Vt.
Wash.
Wis.
W. Va.
Wyo.
Do not abbreviate Port to Pt.
Abbreviate Fort to Ft., whether a city or a post.
Abbreviate Mount to Mt. in names like Mt. Vernon.
Do not abbreviate names of cities, as Kazoo, Frisco, St. Joe.
Do not use state with names of well-known cities, such as Chicago, Cleveland, Denver, etc.
Follow a firm name as the firm writes it, except in the capitalization of the, as the Ford Motor Co. Later in the story the name may appear as the Ford company. It is the J. L. Hudson Company. However, one may say, after writing the firm name, that the Hudson company will, etc.
Use Mich. after the names of all places in the state except:
Adrian
Ann Arbor
Alpena
Battle Creek
Bay City
Calumet
Flint
Grand Rapids
Jackson
Kalamazoo
Lansing
Muskegon
Mt. Clemens
Marquette
Port Huron
Saginaw
Ypsilanti
and places so near Detroit that they are generally known.
Beware of the names of cities in other states identical with those in Michigan. Also watch for the names of cities identical with those in other states, as Portland, Me., and Portland, Ore. A few cities that should carry a state designation because there are places of the same name in Michigan are:
Akron, O.
Atlanta, Ga.
Augusta, Me., or Ga.
Bangor, Me.
Birmingham, Ala.
Brooklyn, N. Y.
Canton, O.
Caro, Ill.
Chatham, Ont.
Concord, N. H.
Erie, Pa., or N. Y.
Fargo, N. D.
Frankfort, Ky.
Grand Rapids, Wis., or Minn.
Hanover, N. H.
Helena, Mont.
Jackson, Miss.
Lincoln, Neb.
Lowell, Mass.
Manchester, N. H.
Memphis, Tenn.
Nashville, Tenn.
Phoenix, Ariz.
Plymouth, Mass.
Pontiac, Ill.
Portland, Me., or Ore.
Quincy, Ill., or Mass.
Rochester, N. Y., or Minn.
Richmond, Va.
Sandusky, O.
St. Louis, Mo.
Sault Ste. Marie, Ont.
Trenton, N. J.
Vicksburg, Miss.
Do not abbreviate Attorney to Atty. before a name.
Do not abbreviate first names except in reproducing signatures, as, Wm. H. Taft, if Mr. Taft wrote it that way.
Abbreviate senior and junior with commas on each side, as John Jones, Jr., spoke.
Do not make Tom, Dan, Ben, Joe, etc., abbreviations unless you are sure they are. Alex Dow is written without the period.
Write S O S and similar telegraphic abbreviations, and I O U without periods.
Use Bros. only when firm name is so written.
Use ampersand (&) in firm name only when the firm uses it.
Abbreviate number when followed by numerals, as No. 10.
Spell out United States except in addresses or in army and navy phrases. Military and naval titles should be written thus:
Adjt.
Adjt.-Gen.
Brig.-Gen.
Capt.
Col.
Corp.
First Lieut.
Gen.
Lieut.
Lieut.-Col.
Lieut.-Gen.
Maj.
Maj.-Gen.
Private
Q. M.-Gen.
Q. M.-Sergt.
Second Lieut.
Second Sergt.
Sergt.
Sergt.-Maj.
Surg.-Gen.
Surg.-Maj.
Class of '08 may be used for Class of 1908.
Abbreviate degrees after a name.
Book sizes, 4to, 8vo, 12mo, should be written without periods.
Use only abbreviations that will surely be understood, such as Y. M. C. A., W. C. T. U., etc., in referring to organizations.
Never write Xmas.
These abbreviations should be used:
Ald.
Atty.-Gen.
Gov.
Lieut.-Gov.
Sen.
Rep.
Cong.
Supt.
Abbreviate saint and saints in proper names, as St. Louis, Sault Ste. Marie, Ste. Anne's, SS. Peter and Paul's church.
Write scriptural texts Gen. xiv, 24; II Kings viii, 11-15.
Abbreviate names of political parties only thus, Smith (Rep.) defeated Jones (Dem.) for alderman.
Do not abbreviate street, avenue, boulevard, place or other designation of a thoroughfare.
Abbreviate clock time when immediately connected with figures to a. m. and p. m.
Prefer for example to e. g.
Prefer namely to viz.
Prefer that is to i. e.
Write English money £5 4s 6d, without commas.
Abbreviate the months thus:
Jan.
Feb.
March.
April
May
June-Gen.
July
Aug.
Sept.
Oct..
Nov.
Dec.
Use don't only when you may substitute do not. Perhaps you have seen the advertisement which reads: "Hand Made Tobacco Don't Bite the Tongue."