The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1892-07-25

ssshssA's Street siens and House Nunbers
Denounced by IA Lady.


To THE EDITOR OF The suN-Sir: Instead OF
snarling back at critic IL Is wiser to consider
the criticism and profit thereby. No true citi-
zen OF New York but feels underneath the
throb OF anger at wholesale denunciation OF
our municipal management second throb Of
anger at said municipality for it's total disre-
gard OF him In the matter Of street and house
numbering. The aggregate OF time. distance.
and temper wasted in searching would in a
year amount to months. miles. and martyra
For example. want to reach LOO on Lex
inRton avenue. say from Fifty-eiehth street
and Ninth avenue. OF course to one who has
done so once. or who Is well acquainted with
the city. this Is simple enough. Every one has
not. or is not.
First to find Lexington. have to ziGzag my
course half dozen times on my way east In
order to find the name OF the street. Many cor
ners have no street sign whatever: others have
but one. In some cases the sign is too dilapi-
dated to be road. The name Is sometimes on
a lamp. again On a house. again on a bill
board s;n and one spends minutes IL search OF
:, lieaching Lexington, / pcrhars bring IN at
street. and 1 might as well walk up as e round
by either Madison or TIL rd nvenue Thore is
no possible way OF guessing on either Of these
two avenues where number ]. loo may DO In
may hive to walk Ave BIZ blocks < north to ind The
lar discrepancy IN q southwark direction is
liable to meet mo by the Third ays ,n route
sns W The s
in the best OF health!
What i there to Greysns hnv1f SoGks
streets, thus after Fourteenth street. l:40O;
after Fifteenth street. l.5OO; Twsnty-third
forth. Then n Tenth could
locate NUM- her in Avenue A without loss Of
time Or opY step; Think Of the aggregate ., OF
Again Nnnd this Is most Irritating OF alone
to the end q ito lind how the hunters
stand up, tho street from one corner come
sucsessively club house two or three bust bust
nSm6ers 't the same the otter sorns
find out that the desired number lies IN the
opposite direction time and travel
branded branded with the he number Of tho first house
unon it as un indication Of the why the num-
hers run? Then. instead g bunting h N one
Moreover. theirs ia no regularity about the
placing q numbers the a9 naec o., tns
in another. Tho only approaeh toa system
that does occur is that Of marking the hulf Of
ts '9 wsn there i
| without the mounting OF. q fight OF steps and
| close ins pection. At night the figures are q,
invisible. so that one Ia Obliged to ring the bell
! this Ia tho hub OF tho hub Of the uni verse IN
| tho huh OF tho hub ~ tho century! Would
! there were swear words enough in the Ian
| gnnges to represent metropolitan emotion In
| these regards
| The remedy is: .
| ]. Number all houses according to tho
| streets which cross town.
. II.v. the number Of the first house IN
every block marked upon the corner to indi-
| cate how the numbers run.
| 3. Have houses systematically numbered
| where tho figures may he seen distinctly nigh,
or day whether the door be open or shut.
| 1. Have street signs so arranged that they
| may be read from the street cars.
5. Have every corner distinctly and sys
! tematicnlly marked.
Yes. there is a key to locality in the Direc-
tory: So my butcher has plan 6Y which ne
| travels invented by himself. But we are
| speaking OF municipal care OF US. not that OF
our butcher or vender OF drugs.
| FANNIE EDGAR THOMAS.