Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1884-04-26
Our Street Names.

To the Editor of THE EvENING STAR:
Allow me to correct an impression which has
been widely disseminated by the notice in your
editorial column of the 18th instant in relation
to the bill introduced recently into the House by
Mr.. Springer providing for a change in the
names Of the streets in Washington which are
now designated alphabetically.
AS stated in your article, the advantages OF
the alphabetical system are well retained i'm the
BILL and 1t will be observed by the copy of it
below that the plan heretofore suggested in
your columns Of having the streets north OF the
Capitol bear the names Of eminent civilians and
those south OF 1t the names of distinguished
military and naval men has, with few excep-
TONS been carried out.
There is, therefore, no duplication of names of
streets north and south of the Capitol; no change
is made in the system of numbering the houses,
and the names selected are-the majority of
them-familiar as household words in the his
tory of our country. The change proposed COM
mends itself on the score of mere convenience
in not few cases. It avoids the constantly re-
curing confusion arising from a similarity in
the sounds of letters as NJ and n, and d. III
and Sth,-and to the majority of the residents of
the national capital who think as you do, that
ian initial letter is not proper name for any
thing-lthaS neither dignity nOrindividuality," -
the new system will be most acceptable. E. G.
Be IL enacted by the Senate and House of Repre-
SettuttroS OF tHP C7llteu STATES A7ne7cu
geSs assembled, That on and after the first day of
January, 1885, the names OF the streets In the city
Of Washington District Of Columbia, when are
now designated by the letters OF the alphabet, shall
be changed TO the names herein stated, and that
these names shall be permanent:
First For the streets running east and west to
the north OF East and West Capitol streets the
changes are to be as follows: street to Adams
street, street to Benton street, street to Clay
street, street to Douglas street. street to Ever
EFT street, street to Fillmore street, street to
Gallatin street, street to Hamilton street. street
to Irving street. street to Kent street, street to
Lincoln street. NJ street to Madison street. street
to Nelson street, street to Otis street. street to
Prescott street, street to Quincy street. street
to Rush street, Street to stockton street.
to Taylor street. street to UpShur street, street
to Van Buren, street, " street to Webster street.
Second. For the streets running east and west to
changes are to be as follows: A street to Arthur
street. street to Bancroft street, street 10
Cooper street, street TO Decatur street, street
to EustdS street, street to Franklin street, G
street to Gates street, street to Hull street, OF
street to jackson street. K street to Kane street
street to Lafayette street, NJ street to Morris
street. street to Porter street, @ street to Quit
man street, street to Rodgers street, street to
Stewart street, street to Thomas street, street
to Upton street. street TO Vernon street, street
to Wayne street
Sec. 2. That should any streets be now designated
by any OF the names above specified, the names Of
such streets shall be changed under the direction
OF the commissioners OF the District OF Columbia;
and that all laws or parts Of laws conflicting with
This ACT are neTeDy IepealeQ.
1.-THE few exceptions referred to by our CORE
spondent are enough to destroy the idea Of fix.
ing in the mind the location of given street by
the character Of its name-or rather Of the
person for whom named. II the streets north
ians alone and those south of it those only oil
military and naval heroes, the whereabouts Of
any particular street would at once be indicated
To keep the idea Of geographical location OF
division still more prominent, it has been sug
gested to name the streets north Of the Capitol
after eminent American citizens, civil military
and naval, Unfortunately, only preserving the
proper initial in each case,-and those south
after some of the principal cities of the country
The list would then stand something as follows
North. South.
Adams. Albany.
Benton. Boston.
Clay. Chicago.
Douglas. Detroit.
Everett. Erie.
FRANKLIN. Frankfort.
Gallatin. Galveston.
Hamilton. Hartford.
Irving. Ithica
Knox. KeOkuk.
Lincoln. Lawrence.
Marshall. Milwaukee.
Nelson. Nashville.
Otis. Omaha.
Prescott. Portland
Quitman. Quincy.
Rush. Richmond.
Shepherd. Savannah.
Taylor. Trenton.
Upshur. Utica
Van Buren,. vickeburg.
Webster. Wheeling.
But, as The STAR has said before II the
Springer bill is to be defeated or indefinitely
postponed by amendments or fancigul sugges-
tions, It would be better to keep silent on the
subject, and allow it to pass as it stands. 10 is