New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1896-03-16
NEW STREET SIGNS NEEDED.
THE rRIBUNEs SUGGESTIONS APPROVED
EVERYWHERE

s,oRE INSTANCES OF THE DEPLoRABLE LACK OF
PROPER DIRECTIONS IN VARIOUS PARTS OF
THE cITY--A TRUCKMAN's LONG HUNT
FOR UNION CoURT-THE ENDLESS
PUZZLE IN GRAMERCY PARK
An apparent desire 10 say Amen" was shown by
a large number of NEWCOMERS who read in The
Tribune of yesterday that there Is much need for
reform in the signs at the street corners. Express
e,ons Of approval were given at the clubs and In
hotel Hobbies by some men who not much In the
habit OF saying amen on Sundays; and many
people in the streets spoke in praise of The Trb
unes timely reminder that more and better signs
IN direct strangers and wayfarers ought to be pro-
vded Many said that they really had not noticed
how dsreputable looking the old signs at the street
corners had become until their attention called
to the fact.
at Is astonishing to me. that | notice it,"
said a at the Aston House. chow unsightly the
old and unused gas-lamp post in Broadway is.
There Is that old post at Vesey-st., bent out of
plumb. furnished and rusty without any glass on
II and with the wires so badly twisted that Vesey
ct. on the tin sign seems to be pointing up into the
air Such a thing is a disgrace to the city. All
OF those old posts should be removed and plain
signs should be placed on the walls Of every corner
building to tell people who don't know exactly
where they are.
Several hotel men said yesterday that palmer
sirns at the street corners would greatly lessen the
mental strain to which the hotel clerks have been
subjected account Of the requests made by guests
FOR careful directions how to get TO certain streets
At a distance from the hotels. There might be less
demand also for the services of the hotel detectives
In plotting guests sightseeing trips through dis
tricts Of darkest New-York. Many guests at city
hotels have complained frequently about the diff
nculty in finding their way In some parts Of the
city owing to the absence of legibe street signs
AID TO THE CAB-DRIvERs.
There were men at the clubs yesterday who de-
clared that better signs at the would
be of great aid to the cab-drivers who took club
members to their homes at late hours Il have
frequently noticed" remarked one of the men, that
the later the hour is the more difficulty a cahInan
has in finding the way to clubmans home Ihere
were number of suggestions offered as to the best
manner Of reforming the street signs and one man
offered the following: "They do one very good thing
IN BOSTON Boston is a town which is not entirely
devoid Of sense in spite of the Incorporate habits
OF the Inhabitants with respect to Browning ana
Ibsen. In Boston they have way OF putting on
each lamppost the number of the house IN 'front.'
Of which it stands. The figures are large. so that
they can easily be read from a passing car, and II
IA no end of a convenience to a stranger who Is
looking for particular number and Is always
anxious to know how near he Is getting 10 H.
Such a system this comes like balm to trouoieo
shirt the more blessed because 1t Is unexpected
F,verybody who has ever had 10 find numbers IN
New-York In the evening knows how dreadfu IL H.
Only ahout half the houses have legibe numbers on
them at ALL and two-thirds Of these are closed ana
dark so that the numbers cannot be seen. Ohe
may often go half long block without hndihs
visible number to count from what heip II
would be to have every electric light pole bear the
nu,,her of the nearest door in plain igures Per-
san. this suggestion is Utopan. but with regular
and constant street signs, good and true, anu the
numbers Of houses. as our rarer monsters a'e'
ma ed upon a pole life in New-York wouio become
almost worth living
Tna neone who ride In streetcars are among
those who suffer worst from the inadequacy OF
street signs OF course that means all people
The conductor is supposed 10 tell you when you
ret TO your street by request. In prac.'ce !"
nroves that conductors are only humah anu s'''o
Of them scarcely that and they often iorse' W
COW ANYTHING about it when the street Is passed
STs is soroefimes sign one OF the lour CUT
ners Of two streets, that by walking AROUND LOT
q time a person foot can ma out "heie .e To-
mt the messenger In car VINO KNOWS ehous" "o'
"a trust the conductor altogether Is IN oau wa!
As the car PUSHES past the corner ne mas ~ w
out "a see which of the four corners has 'he s's"
80 ,her ne has to try TO read It, Before ne mas
800 q and got his eye 1t. the car Is so lar past
.h.t u ia impossible TO read IT, lheh '"e'e 10
ro,b,ne TO do but TO try again al the next 0o''''
nrobably with the same result, ana II 'he pa''."e
can find out where ne Is once III io"'
doing remarkably we'll
BUT AT NIGHT
4. nod enough by daylight. but at night there Is
.o,her complication. In the old days OF sas.s''
.,.re we're glass signs on the street lamps "e'
electricity came to be used 'he .a"ps soroa ~
~ I'D the frames that used to hold them-soihe Vi
S.u,-were fitted with tin signs. NOW, "he" ''o
49, 4. done and the darkness falls from the wins,
- ,,gbt etc these tin signs have no hgh's oe'''''
chem as the glass ones used TO- 10 see mem ~ ,,
A.. weary traveller has to depend on hs"' 1'o'''
elsewhere to wit, from the eiec'rc ns"'
.trset And by the natural pervers.ty OF ihan,i.e
S.ao,s the sign Is always in dense shadow VIZ"
49,. a. can still be read by the 1901 pdsseNse'' ~
not by the streetcar passenger Inc s'e"'
- =. . sign is of no use; the passenger ca'''o.
-. chance to read It, the conductor forge,s 10 can
the street. and the passenger Is cail,eu .,., IN.
Tha suggestion made In these cou''inS mo -
80. Irederation II 1t wished TO take up sohie
800 for the benefit OF local riders OF the ""ee
,r,ght nav some attention 10 the s"ee'
..u.ad acme comment among "hee'ihe"
aav The lack OF street signs Is anhoy'ns ~ va" :,
men II possible more than 10 =. t. on
sa..r,ans do not know where they are " 10 OH
peoe' o. ,bem TO ask some one a question
oas, c,,st Il IL different He Is on MS "heei'
,r ,he centre of the street. and II ne "'S"e' "
. question he must dismouh'' , h.
pe.,dents of this city by necessity nov -
come accustomed to the INADEQUATE 80 rron
.sngements and In many instances ioo~ w. ~
.h.t defect as residents In the ONO van" '.,u.ns
,,,or their drinking water The pa'iiou' 49,
C....,nau only laugh at the stranger "ie" "
a.. ,au,t with the water. and have pee" N'o
"a say: why Ohio River water 10 n.y. Co.on
GOOD as any, but better You can only a,an na spuk
ws..r for instance but we can both eat ana u,~
cno water" But the stranger Will not s"Ds "..o.
TO that view. and insists 'ha' ne w. ~Us stranger
nsse INC -, xs ahout the same experience with
IN s,rsst signs. II he comes from one OF the
booming western towns he misses the md
blue street signs as soon as he reaches .ne Gnu
Of his tourney. and unless he has oeen IL Ne ".
York before or wishes to rely upo" a.,on. A,