The herald., 1897-03-16
CHAOTIC COUNTRY ROADS
A Scheme of Naming Them and
Numbering Houses
THE TEN BLOCK SYSTEM
Questions Considered by the Merchants
and Manufacturers
The Advantages Of Good Boulevard Between
Los Angeles AMI Passdena- -r1embers
Are photographer
THE TEN BLOCK SYSTEM

evening at their rooms In the Wilcox
block, about thirty members were pres
ent P. NJ. Daniel presiding.
Messrs. E. T. Haggin ana Cluff, repre-
senting the conductors Of Southern Cal
ifornia. presented the first question to
the meeting by asking for ways and
means to raise funds for entertaining
the convention Of Railway Conductors
that is to be held here in May. Several
members spoke to the question. and it
was settled by the appointment of a
committee of three to act In the matter
and report to the association.
The next business was introduced, by
Mr. w. B. Wiltshire. who presented a
statement concerning the feasibility OF
having country roads named and houses
numbered for the convenience of the
travelling public. The secretary, Mr.. w.
H. Knight read the statement. which
was in the form of request. that 1t was
suggested should be placed before the
supervisors, and was in brief:
That the roads In Los Angeles county
are in a choatic state. the location of
houses Is undefinable and the rapidly
increasing population made 1t important
to put this phase of rural life in the best
shape possible by placing the county on
an equality with the city in this particu-
lar. 1t had been proven desirable in
other places. and that at merely NOM
inal expense, stones or monuments
could be placed at definite points, and
guide posts erected at crossroads and
functions. The Merchants and Manu-
| facturers' association was formally de-
sired to appoint a committee of citizens
| that should undertake the preliminary
| work Of listing the roads in the county
and suggesting names for them, and to
report upon the advisability of continu-
| ing further with the work. The request
was also made to name. such committee
and invest 1t with power to elect its
own chairman. to arrange the roads Of
| the entire county in most practical
| lengths, make systematic description
and numbered list OF them. select aprpo-
| pirate names for each and report to the
board to take final action.
| Further, 1t was suggested that the
committee report on the advisability Of
| adopting the n-block- system in num-
bering county houses. measuring roads
ami setting stones and guide posts; also
to attend to the preparation OF a per-
manent road map All county and ex-
county offlcials. likewise the citizens and
the press were requested to cooperate
with this committee, and the statement
closed with last request that the coun-
| ty clerk be authorized and directed to
furnish said committee with clerical
and financial assistance.
! Mr.. A. l.. Bancroft of Contra Costa
county presented a paper, In continu-
ance of the subject, setting forth the best
| methods of accomplishing the result
desired. as they had been proven by
successful operation in his own county.
An extract follows:
I'm Contra Costa county about five
years ago there was inaugurated sys-
tenn which entirely removes the difficult
ties of uncertain movements throughout
country sections. 1t Is known as the ten
block system of numbering country
houses. The system, In few words. is
this: 1t is county affair and the roads
OF the entire county are embraced in 1t.
In the place Of having numerous short
roads. they are arranged in as long
lengths as practicable. and are given
short, pleasing and appropriate-or, at
least, not inappropriate-names They
are next measured, not as land is meas
ured. but along the surface and follow
ing the curves and undulations OF the
roads, thus giving the distance travelled,
| and each mile Is divided into ten equal
parts, or blocks having imaginary 'front.'
age only This makes the length of each
block 52S feet, 176 yards. 80 rods, or 8
| chains, all without fractions. Each step
| is systematically taken, in order to make
consistent and pleasing whole. The
| measurement of the roads should COM
mence at the county seat-the seat OF
| county affairs-or at the end nearest to
| It, Each block has a frontage on each
| side of the road. A number Is assigned
| to each frontage, making ten blocks and
| twenty numbers to each mile, the odd
numbers being on the left and the even
ones on the right. Any house having an
entrance in a block Is given the number
| Of that block. The numbers of all but
the first house in block are followed
| by distinguishing letters-42S, ASA, 42Sb,
etc. From these numbers distances can
be accurately and very easily calculated.
/ AS there are two numbers to each block,
the even numbers complete the block,
and the calculations should be made
from them. Divide the even numbers by
two and point of one decimal, and the
result Is the distance in miles and tenths
| from the commencement OF the road to
the completion Of the block indicated by
| the number. Thus, No. 428 would be 21.4
miles from the starting point. With
block stones and guide boards at suit
able points along the roads, and with his
| entrance number and name of his coun-
try place at his gateway, the country
| man Will Oe dt IkO uiSdutdhtebSs oS ~S'.A
pared with his city cousin In definitely
fixing his location"
At the conclusion of Mr.. Bancroft 8
paper Mr.. r. w. Burnham announced
that he considered the subject too big
to be acted upon hastily, and moved the
| appointment OF a committee OF three,
outside the directorate, with w. B. Will
| shire as chairman, to investigate the
| subject and present the result OF the
| meeting next month. Carried.
The chair read a communication from
F. W. King of Hawley. King & Co.. sug-
| gesting that the money subscribed for
| the relief of the unemployed be used for
constructing a road between Los An
| rcles and Pasadena, instead OF in park
| improvements, the former being more
Important to the advantage of the pub
| lie.
The discussion that followed seemed
emphatically to point that the sense OF
| the association was against having the
| fund for the unemployed diverted from
1 park Improvement, and the question
was finally settled by the following from
| the minutes Of the association, offered
| in the form OF a motion by r. w. Burn
! ham, and carried:
"A resolution was adopted heartily
| fayorine the construction of grand
boulevard between the cities Of Los An
eeles and Pasadena and the president OF
the meeting was requested to appoint
q COMMITTEES to take the matter under
| advisement and suggest plans and
routes and obtain such data bearing
,,Dov, fha ma tier az convenient and re-