Los Angeles herald., 1890-07-05
COUNTY ROADS.
A System Proposed for Num-
bering Them.
1t is Called the "Ten-BlOck"
System.
Two Numbers Are Given to Each of
the Divisions.
An Interview with A. L. Bancroft on the
System Proposed for Contra Costa
County.

Mr.. A. L. Bancroft, of San Francisco,
arrived in the city yesterday for brief
visit to Los Angeles. Mr.. Bancroft is
much interested in the numbering Of
houses on the country roads, so that
they may be as easily located as in cities !;
in fact he is one of committee OF five
which was appointed by the residents of
Contra Costa county to prepare plan
for presentation to the supervisors of
that county.
In an interview with q HERALD re-
porter yesterday Mr.. Bancroft said that
for nearly three months the more pro-
gressive residents OF Contra Costa county
had been holding meetings in the sew
eral districts to perfect the plan which
shall secure better manner OF locating
roads and the houses thereon.
Mr.. Bancroft has a large young
orchard of shipping fruits in Contra
Costa county, and he attended the
meetings; in fact, he developed the
system OF numbering which is called
the $40 block SYSTEM" He explained
this system as follows:
The system is to divide each mile
along the roads into ten equal parts, or
imaginary blocks of 52S feet, 176 yards,
CT chains each, and assign to each
block two numbers, one on each side OF
the road. Any and every house located
within block is given the number OF
the block. The first one-and in nearly
every case it will be the only one in the
block-.-has simply the number; the
second one has the same number, fol-
lowed by the letter A; the third by the
letter B; the fourth by c, and SO on
Nos. 1866, 1904, 1863, 1860, etc. If there
is no house in a block, the number is
assigned to it just the same, and it re-
mains in readiness should house be
built at future time.
When a road goes completely through
a town and continues beyond. the coun-
try numbers are suspended
at the town limits. The
measuring is continued through the
town the same as elsewhere, and the
numbers are resumed again after pas
sing out of the town limits again on the
opposite side. The numbers to be ap-
piled are determined, the same as else
where, by the distance from the starting
point.
'See how it works" suggested Ban
croft. "Here are the fine points, and
very strong ones, in favor of this sys-
tenn. In fact, it is the only attempt, SO
far as known, to systematic this thing.
The numbers indicate the distance from
the starting point, which can be figured
almost instantly. As there are two
numbers to each block, divide the
house number by two to find the NUM-
Der of blocks from the commence
ment; as there are 10blocks in the mile,
divide the result by 10, or point off one
decimal, and the distance in miles and
tenths is obtained. Take, for example,
1856. Divide by and you have 9S; di-
vide that again by TO- or point off one
decimal, and you have 9.S miles. This
calculation can be made as fast as
horse can run. In the case of the odd
numbers, add l, divide by 2, divide by
10. and the correct result is obtained.
bers can be added at any time and to
any extent without disturbing the eX-
isting numbers"
In the naming OF streets Mr.. Ban
croft said that an effort had been made
to make as much difference between
them as possible so that there would be
no difficulty in placing them. In Contra
Costra county there is quite foreign
population, and foreign names are in use
in some cases. The word 'road" is not
invariably used, but other equivalents
are substituted, so as to give pleasing
variety. Highway, road, route, way,
crossing, drive; local, for short road
having no outlet; connex, for short
road, useful mostly to connect other
more prominent roads; all are used with
appropriate adjectives.
Mr.. Bancroft thinks that every board
of supervisors should take up the mat
ter of naming and numbering the
county roads.
"Reminiscences of the JOhnst0wn Flood.