Boston Globe 1889 article on hash-house lingo; questions

[Cohen, Gerald Leonard]

In a Sept. 1, 2005 ads-l message Ben Zimmer presented excerpts from an 1889 Boston Globe article on hash-house lingo. Two brief sentences on potatoes leave me with several questions:
 "Potatoes had as many names as a Spanish princess or a bank cashier in Canada. Here are a few of them: Spuds, Murphies, T.D.'s, ancient orders or A.O.H.'s and St. Clairs.'"

My questions:
1) Why does a bank cashier in Canada have many names?
2) What is "T.D.'" an abbreviation of?
3) Why would potatoes be called "St. Clairs"?

     Any help would be much appreciated.

Gerald Cohen

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