Evening star., 1896-12-23
NAMES FOR THE STREETS
Suggestions Is to the Appropriate Designa-
tions.
The "NOrths and "south" syst~m-
HOnerfne the Presidents and
DistinG uished Citiscns,

streets running east and west, will be
adopted. / venture to suggest. however,
that the names proposed in the plan are not
In all cases the most appropriate
Several years ago you published COM
munication in which / urged the propr.ety
of such change. II J could lay my hands
on it. would request you to repuhlish It,
but l will endeavor to recall its sugges-
tfons. / then submitted that a further ad-
vantage would be gained IL two different
sets Of names should be selected for the
two systems of streets in the sections OF
the city divided by Pennsylvania avenue;
instead of repeating the same names with
the addition of north or south" So
that instead of having an Adams street
south" and Adams street north" the pres
ent north street would be called Adams
street; and south A street would receive the
name of Arthur street. 1t was also s1g-
gested that the names of all the Presidents
should be first used, wherever II was pos
sible to do so; next those of the Vice Presi-
dents, and then those of distinguished clti-
zens who have held high government
offices, until the supply was exhausted, and
then any deficiency might be temporarily
supplied from the names of other eminent
persons in military life, and from the more
conspicuous citizens of Washington in the
past including our earliest mayors. When
in the future President may be selected
whose name would be appropriate TO one of
the present vacancies il might then be
adopted, and the temporary name retired.
1 inclose list, which is large enough to
give names to all the double set of streets
except X street and street. for the last
of which one name is shown.
The propriety of using the names of the
Presidents and Vice Presidents as far as
practicable, in preference to any others is
apparent. in view of the position of this
city the national capital; for instance
with the names of Presidents Polk and
Pierce at hand ii would seem inappropriate
to apply any other name to p street as
was suggested in Mr.. DalZelrs plan.
The first name under each letter in the
annexed list (after those of the Presidents
and Vice Presidents) is the oldest histori-
cally and should be applied to the appro-
pirate street In the northern and most set
tied part of the city, where there are no
names of Presidents or Vice Presidents
available, and the next names to the cor
responding street in the southern half.
1t seems unfortunate for the proposed
change that 1 street was not omitted from
the list of streets instead of street. There
is some difficulty In supplying a name COM
mencing with l from officials of eminence.
while there have been three Presidents
whose names commenced with Jefferson,
Jackson and Johnson; and the name of the
great Chief Justice Jay would seem
to be particularly appropriate designation
for j street. To make this change now
would be attended with very slight tenn
porary Inconvenience, as has been the ex-
q
of the streets in Georgetown.
If the names suggested are found suitable
and the order Is approved, the result, when
practically applied. would be that, reckon
ing north from Pennsylvania avenue. the
streets would be known as Adams Bu-
cbanan. Cleveland. Dallas. Ellsworth Fill
more, Grant, Harrison. Iredell, King Lin
coin. Madison, Niles. Otis Polk Quincy
Randolph. Story, Tyler, Upshur, Van Bu
rem, Washington, Young and Zollikeffer
while south OF that avenue We should apply
such of the other names in the list as
might be selected, but always giving the
preference to the name of a President or a
Vice President; and If the name of neither
OF these officials is found beginning with
,he particular letter, then making the Sc
lection at pleasure from one of the Others
in that group. ''
Thus, South street would be known as
Pierce street: South street as Clinton
street; while South street would be called
seward, or Scott, or Sheridan, Seaton.
Some of these names may have been AL
ready applied without any lawful authority
to small streets laid out by private parties
through their lands. In one instance an
alley opening from 14th street and running
west of varying width, is known in one
part, as public alley" in another as Sam
son street, and finally as Madison street
In such case the authorities should be re-
quired TO give a new name to the whole
street to avoid such confusion. i have Of
ten thought we We're fortunate that Gui-
teau did not take the notion to buy wide
lot and open a street through it, to COM
memorate his name. 1t is high time such
liberties with the nomenclature of the
streets. of the first city of the country
should be forbidden.
Those whose attention has not been called
to it, have no idea of the constant misun-
derStanding Of witnesses and at the tele-
phone, resulting from the similarity of
sound in the names of the lettered street
as in the letter 3, c, ID, E, G. p, T, and "
To those who have been bothered i'm this
way the proposed change will be great
satisfaction, while more consistent with
the dignity of the city, and paying a de-
served tribute to the illustrious personages
whose names will adorn our streets.
A. B. II.
The names suggested by the writer given
in their alphabetical order. are follows:
Presidents-Adams. Arthur. Buchanan,
Cleveland, Fillmore, Grant, Garfield. Har
rison, Hayes, Jefferson, Jackson. Johnson,
Lincoln, Madison. Monroe, Polk Pierce,
Tyler, Taylor, Van Buren, Washington.
Vice Presidents-Clinton, Calhoun, Col
fax, Dallas. Hamfn, King, w. R., and Nor
ton.
Distinguished public men-BelI, Tennes-
see. Speaker: Banks, Massachusetts,.
Speaker: Blaine, Maine. Speaker; Dexter,
Secretary Of War; Dix, Secretary of War:
Davis, Speaker; Ellsworth. chief justice:
Everett, Secretary Of State Eustis, Secre-
tary Of War: Ewing. Secretary of the
Treasury; Fayette, Secretary of State; For
syth. Secretary Of State; Frelinghuysen.
Secretary of State; Iredell. Supreme Court
of the United States; Ingham Secretary of
the Treasury; IngersoIl, minister to Eng
land: Irving, minister to Spain; Jay, chief
Justice; Knox, Secretary of War: Kendall
Postmaster General; Kerr. Speaker: Ken
nedy, Secretary of Navy; Livingston, min
lister to France; La Fayette; Logan, gen.
eral; Meade, general: Miles. Postmaster
General; Nicholson, Maryland. Congress:
Nelson, minister to Spain; Otis (James)
patriot; Osgood, Postmaster General: Og-
den, New Jersey, governor; Pennington,
Speaker; Quincy. patriot and orator; Quit
man, general; Randolph (Peyton), presi-
dent first Congress; Rush. Secretary of the
Treasury; Reynolds, general Story, Su-
preme Court of the United States; Seward
Secretary of State; Sheridan. commander
in-chief; Scott lieutenant general; Seaton,
mayor of Washington; Cpshur Secretary
of the Navy; Underwood, Senator Ken
lucky; Van Ness. early proprietor; Wal
colt. Secretary Of War; Writ, Attorney
General; Webster, Secretary of State:
young tMotley), early proprietor; Yates,
Senator: ZOllikeffer, general.