Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1890-06-28
1876
24S

| Would indicate the entrance to be 243 feet
distant from the edge of the block on the
left and 2S5 feet distant on the right.
Knowing the road and number of a resi-
dent, it can be located exactly, and a per-
| son can readily be directed to it.
With this full scheme established, it be-
comes practicable opublish countro direc-
tories upon the same plan as city direc-
tories or addresses of the voters could be
given in the great register of the county
full as far as it goes
1t also becomes feasible to use four
page folder or card the size of large
letter envelope in this way: The first page
for business advertisement the inside or
second and third pages could contain in
tabular form complete list of all the
roads in any ordinary county giving names,
the exact point of demarkation from any
other road, direction, length of the road
by means of the numbers in it, and the
exact point Of its junction with another
road at its ending. The fourth page would
accommodate complete map of the
county.
With such a card, or being familiar with
the points of connection and the length of
the roads, the distance from any number
on any road to any number on any other
road in the county could be calculated in
about two minutes.
The features named will frequently save
time, which is occasionally money even in
| Contra Costa, besides the satisfaction of
living in and travelling through country
surrounded by these marks of progressive
| civilization.
APPLYING THE NAMES To THE ROADS.
With a system of house numbers which
indicate distance, it will be at once seen
that it is desirable for the roads to be
known by the same NAM, and to have
continuous house-numbering for as long
distances as practicable.
Martinez, the county seat, is situated at
the northern edge of the county. 1t seems
hardly practical to establish rule for APP
plying names to roads which would be
applicable to all counties. 1t seems to be
necessary TO consider each case somewhat
I, independently. In the case of Contra Costa,
the following general idea was adopted
All roads having a terminus at the county
seat were considered to commence at that
point, and the measuring for the ''blockso
to begin at the Courthouse, the country
numbers to begin when the city limits are
passed. The first country number used is
determined by the distance from the Court.
house.
| The numbers on the roads not touching
the county seat begin at the end of the
| road nearest to it and work away from it,
although there are some exceptions to this
rule.
Names are made to extend in general
| direction as far as practicable, even where
there is slight offset where one road
| crosses another.
With all roads being numbered to or
toward the Courthouse, it is very easy to
calculate the mileage of jurymen.
GUIDE-BoARDs.
The kind of guide board to be used and
the style of lettering has not vet been
fully determined, but it is taking shape.
What it will probably be is board of gal
vanized sheet-iron sufficiently thick to
withstand charge of shot from the gun
of the small boy, with the edges rolled
into tubes to stifien them, and the boards
] themselves bent so as to admit of being
fastened with screws on two right-angular
sides of AKA redwood post extending
about eight feet above the ground.
The boards are to be painted with a
light background, not quite white the let
tering to be very dark brown color. and
a dark painted border surrounding the
whole. The wording on the boards will
contain the name of the road, and in verv
small letters in line below, the termini
OF the road, and below that the names Of
connecting roads and towns in either direc-
| ton, with the distances in miles and deci.
NAL fractions, thus: