The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1891-12-16
WORK FOR THE CANAL
The Committee Organizes for
Active Business.
PLANS FOR THE STREET NAMES.
Duplicates Should Be Done Away with
Say Chamber OF Commerce
Trustees-Whar

OF Commerce yesterday morning E. o. Graves,
1homas w. Prosch, A. u. Brookes, A. P Bur-
wen, Captain w. r. Ballard. Senator W. r. For
resi-, John Fl. McGraw, Colonel c. NJ. sheafe and
r. +. Nitfler were present. Notes were received
from d. ID Gilman, G.. T. Conoyer, e. H. He'll
Dron and DR.. A. Z. Mitten accepting the work to
when they had been appointed on the perman-
enl committee on the Lake Washington ship
canal Later in the afternoon the committee
held meeting in Mr.. Gilman's Office and organ
izeo by electing ID. II. Gilman president ana Dr.
A. K. Mitten secretary The committee will at
once communicate with the state congressional
delegation in order to learn what line OF action
would best be followed
Inc special committee on street remaining,
consisting of Senator Forrest Mr. Prosch and
Dir. Wrestling presented the following report:
Your special committee to whom was re-
Ierred the proposed plan suggested by Mr. H. II.
dearborn for remaining streets, numbering
buildings and designating wharves and piers by
numbering or lettering, which plan Is now I'M
der consideration by the street committee OF
the house OF delegates, beg to report as follows:
We have carefully examined the plan sug-
gested by Mr.. Dearborn and find much in it TO
commend. IL is questionable, however, whether
1t is advisable to undertake the remaining of
all the streets in the city. particularly in the
older portion, where for many years the names
OF thoroughfares have remained unchanged
ana nave become part OF the history OF the
place. 1t Is hardly 10 be expected that old set
tiers viii see the names OF these landmarks,
associated, changed to new and strange ones
without an earnest protest. There is also a GER
tain amount of inconvenience TO the public
which would result from this change that must
be taken into account. On the other hand eursory
examination of the map of the city drawn with
particula- reference to the names and location
OF streets, such as is now in use in the postofice
and which was specially designed for the pur-
pose Will convince the most careless observer OF
the great benefits which must accrue to the
jewellers in our city, especially II its growth
will be as rapid as We believe and present indi-
cations warrant, if the city could be divided
into districts and the streets named and build
1ngs numbered in awell-planned and systematic
manner.
This work, however, is of such magnitude
and OF such peculiar character that it ought not
in the opinion of your committee, be under
taken at all unless the city government is will
ing to expend a considerable sum of money
upon 1t and employ the best talent to be OBJ
tanned An entirely new map of the city should
be made and many OF the streets Strengthened
and extended, but IL this work should be done
with judgment and by skillful hand II need
not necessarily be extravagantly expensive.
Again, the matter of selecting names for streets
calls for particular aptitude for the work and
display OF much good taste and Judgment.
Your committee have therefore determined to
make no recommendations as TO the remaining
of streets.
Your committee desire to call your attention,
and through this body the attention OF the city
council 10 the urgent need of immediate action
IN the matter OF remaining streets where dupli-
cate names exist and which is already a source
peated from three to five times, and in the
Pontius and other additions to the city streets
are designated numbers In utter disregard OF the
TACT that streets in the Oldest part OF the city
have been designated by similar numbers for
more than thirty years. Another evil which
should be remcdied is the possession by single
street of several different names at several diff
terent points. For instance, in the Renton ad-
dition and the editions Immediately adjoining
OF the streets running north and south, Rose
street within e few blocks becomes Duwamish
Incomes
Chestnut street is changed to Cedar street OF
the north and south streets, Bancroft changes
within short distance to Talbot street, Hayes
to Adams, Gould TO Mastlck, and Choat street
within Il few blocks becomes Blakeley street,
and again within a few blocks changes back to
Choat street. These all straight streets
and are cited from among many instances
OF unnecessary and inexcusable multiplication
OF names OF streets running through different
additions In the southern part of the city,
where the streets running north and south are
mum bered, similar evils exist without any ap-
parent excuse, except that some one plated an
addition to the city with direct reference 10 the
number of lots to be gotten out of his land and
no reference whatever 10 streets and alleys. As
a result, at one point Tventy-second street be-
comes Twentyfo fourth street for couple Of
blocks and then once more becomes Twenty.
second street. Twenty-stxth street changes its
name i'll q like manner and Twenty first, Twenty
third and Twenty fifth streets are duplicated
within two boeks OF each other. AS the city is
built up this condition of affairs will lead TO
greater confusion each year. These evils result
WnOlIy from cuipaDi5 carelessness or utter d1sre-
gard for the rights OF the public by those plat
ting land aud the equally culpable carelessness
of the authorities VINO accept and approve such
plats.
Your committee therefore recommends that
the city council be respectfully urged to scrutin-
ize carefully all plsts of additions to the city
submitted for approval and accept none until
the streets OF the proposed new additions
made TO connect with and CONFORM in name to
those of adjoining plats.
In the matter OF numbering buildings the plan
as practicable 10 the present system and, as
your committee believes IL to be in every way
superior to the present system, we respectfully
recommend that the city council be requested
to adopt and put it in force at as early date as
possible.
The adoption of systematic plan for desig-
mating wharves aud piers along our water front
meets the hearty approval OF your committee and
we recommend the plan suggested by Mr.. Dear
born, modified, however, to some extent We
would suggest that, commencing at the foot Of
Yeser avenue, the wharves north from that
point be numbered consecutively, allowing one
number for each block. Should there be any
slips in a wharf they can be subnum bered or
otherwise designated as slip A, wharf l." or in
some other convenient form.
South of Yesler avenue anc continuing around
the harbor rim the wharves and piers to be
lettered consecutively, allowing, as above, one
letter for each block. Your committee believes
that the putting into practical operation OF some
such plan as suggested viii prove OF great ben
eft and convenience To seaiariug men and to
shippers. as well as to the public at large.
The plan for numbering houses referred 10 in
the report is to use the numbers from to 80 in
each 100 in one part of the city. and the num-
beers from 81 10 100 in another part.
The report was adopted and the chairman re-
Quested TO present il 10 the city council and
urge the immediate passage of ordinances to
carry the Recommendations into effect.
letter was received from W. T. Clark, gen
eral manager of the State Board of Trade. He
called attention to the fact that George E.
avis Of OF m lin.