Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1893-11-01
NAMING OUR STREETS.
MI. Robert Ball Makes Suggestions Re-
garding Courts and Alleys
Names by His Plan to BE
AvOided-LOcatiOns to BE Desig-
nated-The Scheme.

Mr.. Robert Ball wrote the Commissioners
today concerning the naming of streets and
alleys in the District of Columbia. In his
letter Mr. Ball says:
Il take the liberty to suggest a change
in ire names of the alleys or streets
that are embraced in the squares of our
city. At this time some of them bear the
names of distinguished men, as Washington
street, jackson street, Grant street, Cor
coran street. &c. Others have such names
as Louise alley, Tin Cup alley, Hog alley,
Cow alley, &C., and it is very apparent
that none of these names are any guide to
their location
1T was on my motion in the city council
In 1865 that the houses in this city were
numbered as they now are Beginning at
the Capitol as the central point and divid-
ing the city into four parts: The quarter
situated west of North Capitol street and
north of the old canal or the mall as north
west. That portion east Of North Capitol
street and north of East Capitol street as
northeast. That portion south of East
capitol street and east of South Capitol
street as southeast, and that quarter lying
west of South Capitol street and south Of
the old canal or a due west line from the
Capitol as southwest.
My present suggestion is that in each of
these divisions you describe these streets
Indl are lorLneu out OF the Alleys as lalQ
down IN the map of the city, or that may
hereafter be formed, whatever direction
they may run, by the name of the streets
that cross each other at the corner of the
square Qn which said alley may be situ-
ated nearest the Capitol, for instance in
the square bounded on the east by I'd street
west and on the south by G street north, /
would call court I'd and G northwest. The
square bounded on the west by I'd street
east, and on the south by street north, l
would name court ID and A northeast. In
the square bounded on the north by B
street south, and on the west by 4th street
east, would name court 4th and b south
east, and those running through the square
bounded on the east by 9Th street west and
on the north by F street south, 1 would
name court 9th and F southwest.
Il venture the assertion that there are
not now two hundred men, women and
children in this District that can locate
without looking at a city directory, ten Of
these alleys streets by the names that
the people living in them know them by.
These thoroughfares exist in a majority
of the squares or blocks. Some of them
are now occupied by elegant houses, and
in others houses are being constantly built
and occupied to some of our best people,
while many others contain a very inferior
great satisfaction to our proverbially ac-
commodating citizens to be able to inform
strangers that they may meet inQuring
for a friend or relative living in one of
these localities where the place they seek
is to be found.
Our magnificent city is beautifully laid
out, the streets plainly and appropriately
named, and the houses numbered in as per-
feet form as those of any other city, and
IL is greatly desired that this puzzle In the
names of the lanes should be removed and
uniform system of naming them adopted" :"