The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1893-03-28
REMEMBERING STREETS.
II Was Very Much Needed In the Case
Of Westminster Street.
some OF THE FUNNY INCIDENTS
There Are Some Fault Finders and Kick
ers Of Course-The New Numbers Give
General Satisfaction - Westminster
Street Now Nearly rwo Miles In Length.

As is generally understood there has
been crying need of the REMEMBERING
OF Westminster and some OF the other
streets In the central part Of the city Tor
long time. The only reason that West
minister street has not been remembered
before this is, that it was expected Tor
some time that High street as lar
as the junction of Cranston street
at least would eventually be renamed
Westminster. and as this would Of course
include REMEMBERING, 1t was thought best
by the committee on street signs and
numbers aud superintendent Petts TO
have all the numbering of Westmins' er
done at one time. The extension OF
Westminster street to Olneyville square
of course made no difference In the plan
sistant began the renumbering a week
ago and finished on Saturday. The last
number being 1866.
The reason why IL was thought neces-
sary to renumber Westminster street
from Market square i. that there were
more doors than numbers owing to the
advent of many new buildings since the
street was numbered. This has caused
the use of half numbers which Is In it
self quite an Inconvenience and in some
Eases no number could be given TO GER
tain doors There was another reason
which was that the numbers on one side
Did Not Correspond
to the numbers opposite which was due
principally to the long break at Turks
Head where Weybosset street comes in.
For instance. the first number above
Turks Head on the left was 40, while the
one exactly opposite was 6l. and this
state of things did not improve farther
up the street, as there are more doors on
the right side.
1t was decided to have a uniform dis
tance OF ten feet for each number, as in
many cases the doors were even closer
together than that, and this would save
the necessity OF ever REMEMBERING the
street again, which also applies to all the
streets in the center OF the city VIII ich
have been aud will be REMEMBERED. This
standard, even, it il found, Is hardly
sufficiently narrow IN some cases where
three or four doors come side by side. On
the whole, however, the numbers are all
right aud when the people get accus-
toned to it everything will be satisfac-
tory.
OF course there
Are Some Kiclxers,
there always are, but in general there
was no need for any big mistakes in or
b fore the REMEMBERING was done. Peo-
pie who kept up to the times knew for a
long time back that the work was to be
done aud delayed their orders un-
til they found what their numbers
would be. No doubt there was some in
convenience caused on account Of this
but the instances are very rare where
business houses had cards printed with
their old numbers. II there is any con-
siderable Of these latter q rubber stamp
with the new number will make things
all right. Some inconvenience will re-
suit 10 strangers who visit the city as the
city directory does not come out till June
or July and the present street directory
will be rather confusing.
Above the Hoyle building there II con-
siderable dissatisfaction, as many of the
residents prefer the name of High street.
There Is at present no High street In the
city, aud this Is radically wrong, as there
is hardly "A city In New England which
has not a street by this name. The keep.
ers or stores on all parts Of what was
formerly High street are satisfied with
the change, as 1t puts them on the prin-
cpal str. ct in the city, and the resi-
dents are the only objectors. Oc'
casionaly person is fouua who ordered
large quantity OF business cards and
letterheaus printed, AS they had waite |
so long for the change that did not come
thai they decided to take the chances.
One firm had given their order only a
few hours previous to the REMEMBERING,
aud they Immediately changed it so
that the number reads all right
In the cards. Stores on West
minister street have now numbers
which formerly designated other store.
in the same line of business and these
firms are not found In the list of fault
finders as there is possibility of in.
creased business instead OF decreased
o. Gus ON House street there are two
concerns which sell typewriers and
they are situated on opposite sides
OF the street. The numbers OF this
street always were peculiar as part of the
odd numbers were foInd on one side of
the street AMI part on the other. In the
change one OF the old typewriter com
panies got the ola number of the other
and po sibly some new business.
Many funny incidents have been noted,
such, for Instance, rs n person going into
n hardware store to buy pair OF gloves
or into "a shoe store TO look at "a sewing
machine; but the lower part of the street,
where most of the business Is done, is no,
very long 80 that mistakes are quit,
easily rectified.