The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1888-04-01
THE HOUSE NUMBERING.
An Advocate of the Philadelphia and
Baltimore Plan

Baltimo ore Plan.
Editor Morning NelCs: As suggestions
seem to be the order of the day, and as
those bearing upon the subject of thine"
seem to have been exhausted, the writer de-
sires to make one upon another subject.
The MORNING News states that our city
fathers contemplate a REMEMBERING of the
houses OF Savannah. 1t is a work they
cannot undertake too soon for it is one
that is greatly needed, especially on the
outskirts Of the city When they do it,
however, why not abandon the old system
and adopt the admirable one in which
Philadelphia long ago led the way, and
which, in more recent years, few other
cities have had the good sense to follow?
Those who are acquainted with the
Quaker City know it is numbered after the
following manner: The buildings on the
streets running east and west Chestnut,
Market, etc. are numbered from the Della
ware west; those between Front to First
street and Second street being found be-
tween 100 and POO and these between Sec
Ond and Third streets between 200 and 800,
and so on On the streets running north and
south the buildings are numbered the same
way in either direction from Market street.
Washington City IS partly numbered in the
same way, and within the last two years
system.
Its advantage in locating business houses
and residences is readily seen by all. Let us
apply it TO Savannah, taking as an example
the streets running east and west. Begin
ming at East Broad the streets that intersect
them, as the writer remembers, are in the
following order: East Broad, Houston,
Price, Habersham, Lincoln, Abercorn,
Drayton, Bull, etc. Suppose one now wishes
70 nd on 7 i har-fyr 20
running from $50 TO $50, who knows it is
between Bull and Whitaker Only few
do. If the plan proposed was adopted any
one who knew the order of the
streets, knowing that Bull was the
eighth street west, would know at once
that all numbers between 800 and 900 were
between Bull and Whitaker. and all be-
tween 900 and LOO were Barnard and
Montgomery, and so on. Where those who
have Il pretty fair knowledge of the city
are now often very much in doubt as to
how far they will have to travel to find a
particular number, under the plan suggested
each one would know upon starting
from one point to another just how many
squares were between them.
Another advantage 1t would give Savan-
nah much more the air of a large city.
Birmingham, Ala, which has not much
more than half the population of Savan-
nah, employs this style of numbering, aud
hence you see such addresses there as 200
and 800 on the different streets Now. as
mere matter of appearance, LOCO and
200 Bay, or Broughton, or South Broad,
or Liberty, would sound and look more city
like than 100 and 200 as we now have it,
The sp carapce, however, is a secondary
matter The writer urges the system for
its great practical advantages.
The objection may be urged that the
change would set aside tHe new Directory
Not at all. TO otviate this difficulty the
expedient of Baltimore could be adopted,
viz: The leaving up, for the time being the
old numbers along with the new.
As Savannah is adopting some new things,
let her consider this system of numbering,
and if she sees fit TO try it, 1t is believed
her citizanS and visitors will find more COM
fort in il than even in the change which has
been made to standard time.
CITIZEN.