New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1895-09-01
NEW YORK'S FEW SIGNBOAR DS
NEIGHBORING STATES ARE ALL AHEAD
OF HER
UNDER THE POTTER LAW. HOWEVER. IT Is EASY
FOR A TOWN OR COUNTY TO EQUIP ITSELF
ppnnERIY- NECESSARY STEP.

UNDER THE POTTER LAW. HOWEVER. IT Is EASY
FOR A TOWN OR COUNTY TO EQUIP ITSELF
PRoPERLY-THE NECESSARY STEP.
If any towns or counties in this State have taken
advantage of the provisions Of the Potter Guide
board law public attention has not been directed
TO the fact Yet under this act, wheelmen ana
others who wish their localities equipped
with proper system Of signboards can have 1t
done with slight effort. The Tribune not long ago
reprinted the full text Of this law. but so important
is the question TO wheemen that the act IS given
again. 1t is follows:
Commissioners Of Highways may cause mile
boards or stones 10 be erected upon the highways
in their towns they think proper; they shall also
wees, to be erected at the intersectings Of such
which shall be kept in repair at the expense of the
town by the overseers of the highways OF the as
trcts in which they are respectively located. Upon
The written application OF five resident taxpayers
of any town, or twenty resident taxpayers OIL any
county in which the town Is located, 10 the CON-
missoners Of Highways. REQUESTING the erection OK
guideboards AT the intersections 81 high-
ways In such town. the COMMISSIONERS OIL HlshWays
shall cause 20 be erected at the intersections men
toned in such application such guideboards indi-
eating the direction, distances ana names OF ioWhs'
villages o. cites through which such inter
nate he highway intersections at which such guide
boards are requested to be erected, ana may con-
TO be placed upon such boards Inc cost or the
erection and maintenance OF sucn boards snail he
a Town charge If the Commissioners OF highways
refuses on neelects. for period Of sixty days after
receiving written application to comply win me
for slch neglect or refusal forfeit the the
sum of s25 to b. recovered by the Supervisor IN
the name of the town. and the amount so recovered
shall be anart for the erection OF such guide
boards.
Every wheelrlan who has been tours In this
State can ties fly to the general absence Of sign
DO rds and the trouble caused thereby. out on
Long Island this evil is not so great as in most
Other parts of the State. But even there some OF
the boards are 30 weatherbeaten as to be nlegiDle
except a. the closest range. while at many inter-
sections where a wheeman might be in doubt as 10
which way to turn there are no posts at all.
MASSACHUSETTS AT THE TOP.
A veteran tourist who has been through all the
New England States and others in the Middle A.
antic group on his wheel declares that Nfw-i ork is
far behind these others In the matter Of sgnboar
long the Albany Post Road or Broadway MOI u:
'ni city Sfo Se D S ecna par of h
ricn as that country is, signboards are almost as
chusets has the best equipment that have seen in
ms country GonneccHi is not so rsr
be SAID Of New Hampshire. Maine ana knoge Isl
ma T Lam am not familiar WIN nnSn o. aiboue5
some are old and hard to deciPher, PENNSYLVANIA
and Virginia could both give New-York a lesson
In England the system is most complete.
THE DISTANCES MUST BE GIVEN.
League of American Wheelmen signs have been
put up in parts Of Connecticut. bearing only the
direction and names Of towns. The Potter law
provides that eudeboards shall indicate the direc
ton. distances and names OF villages cities To or
through which the roads run. The word distances
is important 1t is little additional trouble 10 give
the number OF miles and this Is often a valuable
feature. To be complete signboard should convey
The l.. a; w. road maps by no means take the
place OF guideposts. There are many intersections
map when Is The right road It is usually bother
TO ask information. and often there is no farm
house nearby. Pdssersoy may be few, so the Only
thing TO do Is TO trust to luck and make choice.
After you have travelled mile or two you may
meet native or zee a farmhouse. and thus learn
whether you must rotrace your steps Anyway. YOU.
VIII come home nrm believer In the utility OF
guide boards
These words .re addressed more particularly 10
wheeimen but all the community is intereste1 IN
the subject. Considerations OF local pride and cf
humanity urge the establishment OF proper marx
ngs along the highways. Agitation Is all that -
needed 10 bring II about and thus 10 wipe out what
Is really a reproach TO New-York State