The Wheeling daily register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1864-1878, 1873-06-13
REMAINING THE STREETS.

The City Council meets tonight and
we are not without hope that something
may be done toward the adoption OF the
long discussedproject for remaining the
streets. We learn that the committee
on ordinances in the second branch OF
council is expected to be prepared to
make report in accordance with the re-
port Of the special committee which
was presented last Tuesday evening
The plan proposed is probably as good
and simple as any that can be devised
and we hope it may meet with the APP
prevail Of the City Fathers.
The main features of the plan as we
gather them from the report presented
last Tuesday evening, are these: The
streets running parallel with the river
are to be named; those running east
and west, or at right angles to the river
are 10 be numbered, commencing at
the northern limit OF the city.
On the Island. the streets running east
and west will be named and those run
ming north and south will be numbered.
In numbering The houses "the hundred
system" is to be adopted, one hundred
being assigned to each square, In order
that the number Of the house may in
dictate even to q stranger the quarter OF
the city in which it is situated.
There is a natural though not always
reasonable reluctance felt by some OF
the people at changing the names of the
older and more important streets, such
as the first three or four that run paraI-
lei with the river. Ii this reluctance
could be overcome the proposed system
might be much simplifei by using the
letters Of the alphabet to designate the
streets running north and south, while
those running east and west arc denot-
ed bynumbers. The desire to preserve
in the names of the streets the names
and memory of some OF the earliest and
most noted citizens, might be gratliied
by giving these names to streets on the
Island, while those on the east side OF
the river are designated by Letters and
numbers.
However, if any Of the streets
are to retain arbitrary names, 1t
seems to us that the plan suggested by
the committee has as much system in
it as is admissible where the streets
themselves are SO irregular in their
courses and lengths. The street next
to and parallel with the river will be
called Water street in accordance with
immemorial usage. The names OF Main
and Market streets are appropriate and
will remain unchanged. Fourth street,
Chapline, Jacob and Third streeta,whIch
constitute in reality only one street,
these several names being attached to
it in several quarters OF the city, Is to be
called Chspline throughout Its enure
length. The next street east, which
also bears four different names IN DIFF
ferent localities, w Il be called Eoff street.
The next will be styled Jacob street;
and the next which is now called Ful-
ton and passes the traditional place OF
"McCulloch's leap" when pursued by
the Indians, will be named McCulloch
street. The next, which is on the east
side OF the creek and near the cave
where, according to the local chronicle,
LOUIS WErzEL shot the Indian who had
lured several Of the settlers to death by
initiating the wild turkeys call, will be
named Wetzel street. These local
traditions will aid our citizens in keep
ing in mind the locality and
sequence OF the streets running north
and south, while the numbere will
sufficiently indicate those running east
and west. We believe that the creek
will come between 10Th and Goth streets.
Webster street, the first street south OF
the creek being number 20. The num-
bers at the southern extremity OF the
city will reach 4Sth street.
The system thus indicated is proba'
bly, as simple and convenient as any
that can now be proposed. 1t is Ger.
talnly q vast improvement upon the
existing plan, and would soon be thor
oughly understood by and become IA
milIsr to our citizens. Something OF
the kind ought by all means to be
adopted at once and we look to the
council to act upon the matter as speed
ily "a II NAV.