The evening times., 1900-03-03
4 CONFUSION OF STREETS
Many Reception Guests HOpelesSly
Lost in the Suburbs.
The Disappointed Hostess Enters "a
Complaint With the District Conn
Problem in Numbering Houses.
The building Inspector PerpIe1ed.

II is not uncommon for strangers to get
lost in Washington, but old residents
think that any wayfaring man or woman
should easily find the way. This is all very
well in the city OF Washington proper
where the alphabetical and numbered
streets run with the points Of the COM
pass. Pass the precincts Of Florida Ave-
nue., however and confusion follows. The
streets follow the cowpaths out there in
the various subdivisions in manner to
discount Boston or even Damascus. That
even Washingtonians get lost in the
county. especially after dark, is made
plain by circumstance recently reported
TO the District Commissioners.
From the complaint it appears that
Miss Cynthia z. Cleveland. residing at
1888 Fifteenth Street northwest. gave
reception a few evenings ago between the
hours OF and :. The guests were TO num-
Der $50 or more. and preparations had
been made on an extensive scale.
The hour came and time dragged slowly,
but few OF those expected came, and these
told Of the difficulty in finding the number.
Al the end Of the chapter only j small
percentage Of the guests invited reached
arrive the following day and excuses were
profuse. all saying the same thing that
they had been lost in the maZes or Bacon
Street, Columbia Avenue, and henesaW
Street.
At the end u the dag Miss Cleveland
was confronted with a pile OF letters OF
imposing proportions. The fact developed
that nearly all her guests had responded
10 the Invitation and after disappointing
h-F r1v- fur1 IN un house
The situation Of which Miss Cleveland
complained in her letter TO the COmmis-
siOncrs has perpleXed John b. Brady, the
Building Inspector, aud his assistants.
Fifteenth Street is practically lost IN the
windiugs Of the cowpaths beyond Florida
Avenue. IL is on the map. but so changed
from its appearance Of regularity in the
city that Washiugtouians on the occasion
referred 10 did not recognize u.
The natural way 20 try and reach the
Cleveland residence is 20 drive out Four
teenth Street. which is cut through beyond
] Florida Avenue and cEOss over at the lSVO
block. This Was evidently the route ira
versed by the majority OF those who never
reached there on the evening OF the recep-
tion. Bacon Street divides the $500 from
! the 1900 block on Fourteenth Street, tut II
has a blind end, having never been cut
through TO Fifteenth Street To reach the
place. therefore one must drive back 10
Binuey Street OF oar 10 Columbia Avenue
and reach Fifteenth Street by that means
But IN so doing confusion viii arise agaln,
/ as the blocks. owing 20 multiplicity Of
! cross streets, DO not correspond
/ The whole trouble originated in the ic-
| dependent development Of the several sub
I divisions in the county. Streets were laid
( out 10 suit the wbims % property owners
! or TO parallel a country turnpike. No a.
/ teution was paid apparently 20 conforming
/ the streets with the city plan. rs a re-
! suit there is a maze OF blocks beyond the
J city boundary. which simply defies all ef-
/ forts at numbering on the system in vogue
/ In the city. and which has been extended
/ by law 10 the streets Of the entire Dis
/ trict.
! Building Inspector Brady and bis assist
/ ants have worked on the problem coutlnU-
/ ousiy since the law went into effect. and
4 they have found II impossible 10 numbel
! houses In the various subdivisions so a.
I 90 avoid the confusion Of which Miss Cleve-
/ land complains Her case is only one o
/ hundreds that have been reported though
] the others were Of less aggravated char
/ acter.
] Experts in the Building Inspectors or
| Zee say that there are only two rauona
| solutions OF this street numbering prob
/ lem-either 20 adopt an independent sys-
! TEN for the county or take up and carr
] through The street extension plan.