The morning call., 1893-05-20
Miles of Street Numbers
Madly Mixed.
SPRINKLED AROUND ANYHOW
The Postoffice, Messenger and De-
livery Services Complaining, Not
of the System, but Its Abuse.

seems TO be borne out by those who ought
to know.
The Postoffice Department, for instance,
ought to be fairly good authority on
street numbers. 1t delivers quite pile of
letters and things every day, and would
like TO deliver them Qui ky.
But it can't do it. New carriers can't
find the houses because the numbering is
SO Irregular. They give 1t up and report
that the houses don't exist Then there is
trouble.
General Superintendent A. NJ. Cox of the
Postoffice spoke quite feelingly on the SUBJ
iect yesterday.
ave have tried to get the nnmbers
Strengthened out." said he. land have
failed. The public is interested in having
the reform carried through. L have o
hesitation in saying that there would not
be half as many missives sent to the Dead
letter Office If the nun beriDg of the streets
was as it ought to be-
at would be good idea for the Super
yisors t0 formulate system for the entire
city. while they are about il. | recently
had every mail-carIier report the lrregu-
larities of numbers on his route. and here
is the result"
Mr.. Cox exhibited sixteen pages of
closely typewriter foolscap. whereon,
under the names of the various streets,
were detailed thousands of Irregularities
In numbering. They seemed to extend
over every street in the city. These wore
the kind of interesting items with which
the report fairly bristled:
Marker street-Even side. 1900 block: 1900.
1902. 1904. 1906. 1905. 1910, 1912, 1906,
1916, 1910, 1912, 1914, 1912
2oo $50, $50, 236. $50. 240 240. 242. 242,
242, 244, 244, PA, $50. $50. ESQ. ODD side.
2oG block: 200, 200, 211, 211.
Poweil SireetA900 block: Two 9I5, two
917. two 9l9. two 921, two 923.
Point Lobos avenue 1000 block: Q, 80.
1000. 1900 block pos 1900 block: Sol. 3oS,
3241. 700 block: 701, 703, 100.
Hayes Street-50o block; TWO $40. two 522,
TWO 52S Two 5l5, two 5lT. two 519. TWO 529.
two 537, two $50, twn 54l.
Laguna street-IS0o block: 141o.
Ninth street-Two 5oS four 504.
And so it might be continued ad infin-
tum,N resumed Mr.. Cox. You should see
some of the directions composed by She
regulars for the benefit of substitutes. Ii
is explained TO them how to get at various
houses by strangely seeming yet time-sav-
ing routes. The Mission is. perhaps, the
worst quarter as a whole, and If a new
man is sent out there he can hardly escape
being lost.
Seine OF the irregularities on that re-
port have been reetlhed, notably jackson
street But the whole method of number
lug IS go-as-you-pieaSe, and there should
be some obligation that no one should
number a house without reference to the
proper authority.
Il have known ot q new house being
built and numbered 1884 -Four doors off
was another 1854. When the mall goi
mixed there We're breathings of war, anu
advised the aew map TO change hrs gum Der.
But my mum ber is right said be, make
tae other fellow change his and / had TO
explain that had no authority to change or
order changed any number. Ii there are
not enough deputies 10 revise the number
ing the police might be called upon by the
Supervisors. The police know their own
beats, and 1t would not be difficult for them
10 serve notices of changes. | can assure
you that the PostUfice Department will b.
glad 10 furnish the Supervisors with any
information in lis power or give them help
IN any other way with view of straight
ening out the city mum bers."
t. +. Weihe. SUPERINTENDENT of the Amer
lean District Telegraph Company, said the
jumble Of numbers was a great source OF
annoyance, especially in the delivery of
messages out in the Mission district Bows
wouid return unable to find an address,
and II was common to send out three boys,
one after she other, to hunt a Mission
number Similar irregularities all over the
town were the cause OF endless delays, and
4 general clean np" would be benefit to
the service aud therefore to the public at
large.
j. a. Miller, superintendent of Morton's
delivery, also complains, chiefly of tie
Mission, but claimed that confusion also
abouuded elsewhere. Their carts deliver
goods from stores after nightfall and ii is
hard work by means OF lantern, some
times in all tie disadvantages OF rain, to
have to struggle with chaotic numbers.
Mr.. Miller says that one cause Of the
trouble Is that people move their houses
| 80 Af, r.
TO them. Another cause OF complaint, he
said, was the reiteraton of names OF
streets. Time is nearly always an object,
and the other day an order came TO 20 to
Caroline street to fetch trunk for a GER
| tain train.
Now there are two Caroline streets"
explained Mr.. Miller, Zone off Harrison,
between Sixth and Seventh, the other of
Folsom, between Ninth and Tenth. How
tHe Postotfice people distinguish them
don't know. But. anyway. l chose the
wrong one, and that trunk never caught
the train desired.
There are two Henry streets-one over
near Larkn and the other in Noe Valley
and ;hey make lots of trouble. These are
only casual instances of the lack of system
prevailing in the city and any improve
ment would be very welcome"
Chief of Police Crowley said that his
department no longer had anything to d.
glad of it. The matter had been turned
over seven years ago to the Street Superin.
| .endent, who bad sixteen deputies to du
the work pertaining TO his Office. The
Police Department. while willing il or
dered TO Cooperate. did not care to under
! lake any Of the duties of the Street Super
! intendent's office. Personally, he would
be glad TO see the city numbers broug bit
| into shape.
a number of large storekeepers stated
| that they were constantly bothered with
! com plants of the non-dellyery of small
parcels, arising from the unreliable num-
! bering Throughout the city. One firm rep
resentatlye said that his house always
made IL a rule in the case of parcels for
| the Mission district TO Inquire particularly
| Of the customer The exact location OF the
address, as to surrounding streets. etc.
| There was only one relief suggested by
| the comDlainanIs and that was: "The
| supervisors must TX it.
| No one seems to doubt The Supervisors
| ability. but all seemed TO fear that
| techni2alities might intervene to prevent
| effective action.
| There is no cost involved" said one
| doubt, some little work. This, however.
will not fall on the Supervisors, but on the
| City Surveyor and Superintendent of
| Streets. Ali the Supervisors have TO do is
10 order plan formulated and this they
must do without delay.
There is no excuse for the state of the
numbers in city of San Fraucisco's size.
| If the matter is taken up now before the
! streets are extended with the natural
| growth of the city it will save endless
trouble hereafter.