New-York tribune., 1899-07-19
MISPLACED STREET SIGNS.
COMMISSIONER KEARNY's FREAK PLAN
A SOURCE OF CONFUSION.

eTRANGERs WHO FOLLOW TAMmANiS A"i'D
DESIGNATIONS ARE LosT-wIpE COMPLAINT
AGAINST THIS sENsELEss INNOVATION
us a wise man who knows where he is at
In New-York nowadays IL he shapes his course
by the street signs on the corner lamps once
upon a time. after The Tribune had shown In
a series Of articles that New-York was oaoig
provided with street signs. and that Stranger
had no way of knowing the names OF suee's
except by asking questions. arrangements "e'e
made by the city authorities Tor ne" suee'
Siens and the plan which Included the piacihe
of a square lantern over the street lamps OH
which the names Of the streets appeared III
plain dark letters on white background re-
ceived the hearty approval Of the citizens OF
the metropolis
But Tammany was not satisfied. The names
and numbers were entirely too plain. and job
was awarded for putting up new and less con-
spicuous street sign. Before this Job was halt
completed Tammany again reconsidered ana
ordered a halt The new signs would have In
sdicated to the pedestrian and to the passenger
in a surface car the name OF the street IN which
he was walking or riding. and also the names
OF the intersectng streets. True, TO gam the III
formation desired, one would have to strain MS
eyes more than II the signs proposed py the
Strong administration had been continued III
use but little exertion counts for little "hen
one is looking for a doctor or fastening TO meet
an engagement; the new signs were better thah
none.
THE PEOPLE KNEW TOO MUCH.
But Tammany was not satisfied If the signs
remained as they were. people would kno" 'oo
much and In order that there might oe Ho
doubt as to the intention the order was issueu
bv Henry s. Kearny. the Tammany Commis-
oh
piles to twist the signs about so that they wouio
designate the numbered streets as avenues anu
the avenues as the numbered streets The
change has been made in nearly every part OF
The city and the Commissioner says he VIII
complete the Job, although the people are IN
dtsnant on account of what is generally termed
senseess change
In the lower part Of the city the Pohceiie"
have already had their share of trouble on ac
count Of the change People come OH the 1erl!
boats and following instructions whlch they
received at home walk up the ferry street to"-
ard Broadway. II the person is not wei ao-
ouaintcd and wishes to be downright sure as
IN the matter. he naturally seeks information
from the street sign. "Dey-st." he reads That's
ALI right and he walks in what he thinks is
Dey-st but seems to get no nearer to Broad
,vav and when he looks at the sign again ne
finds that he is in Warren-st.. ana then he LOOKS
for a policeman and asks: Am l IN Dey-st. vi
in Warren-st?" The officer of the law. VINO
has become accustomed TO questions OF THIS
sort answers. This is Greenwich-st.
KEEPS POLICEMEN BUSY.
Then the policeman has to explain that the
corner where the stranger saw the nrst sign
was Dey-st but the sign would make any one
except people who are familiar with hearny
UNIQUE scheme believe that II was Greenwlch-
CT "The sure way" says the policeman, is to
.ba Sipr nd a
as II he'd not give you the wrong steer
on the we'll known streets and avenues the
signs at right angles with the streets which
they are intended 10 designate do not cause so
much mischief as in the district where there are
no numbered streets. because the average per-
son when he sees the signs thinks that they
have been inadvertently misplaced by the Tam
many lamp cleaner. who was prooaply unaole
TO read them and stuck them In al ranuoih,
but TO the people who ride in the surface cars
these misplaced signs are source OF great an
noyance. When the signs are placed as they
which they designate, one can see the number
as the car approaches, but the sign placed
parallel with the avenue can be seen only when
the passenger is in front Of the lamp.
In the former days of Tammany misrule, when
there were few and poor street signs, and when
the people had no hope that change for the
better would take place many house owners
had small stone street signs put up on their
houses which were placed in keeping with the
universal rule. If the Tammany idea of twist
ing the signs around is maintained. these signs
will have to be changed or be the source OF
more confusion.
FRUITFUL OF CONFUSION
When streets are laid out in the regular way
the new system is fruitful Of much confusion,
but in the many cases in which streets run to
point the system is sure TO cause a hopeless
mess
One Of the worst features of the system Is that
the men who clean the lamps and whose busi-
ness IT is to change the street signs around,
change some in keeping with the recent orders
and leave the others in the old, orthodox way.
In such places the situation is doubly confus-
ing. At Dey and West SITS. the signs on the
north lamp show that Dey-st ran parallel with
the river. and at the opposite corner the corre-
spending place was given to the West-st. sign.
A citizen commenting on the situation, said:
The man who put the one sign up in the new
way probably put the other one up as II should
be for fear that some one might go wrong"
COMMENDS THE TRIBUNE'S ATTITUDE.