The Washington times. (Washington [D.C.]) 1901-1902, 1901-08-28
ON STREET NOMENCLATURE
Judge Bundy's Views Upon the
Names of ThOrOughfares.
He Approves the Plan Proposed by
the Engineer Departmcnt-Ans,v
to RemOBstrants Against the
Scheme - Some Facts Presented.

the Engineer Departmcnt-Ansvv
to RemOBstrants Against the
scheme Some Facts Presented.
Judge c. S. Bundy member of the Co
lumbia Heights Citizens Association.
writes from Buffalo, n. Y, long COM
municatiOn addressed to the District Com
missioners. in which he defends the no.
menclature of suburban streets recently
proposed by the Engineer Department He
reviews and comments upon the objec-
tons to the scheme voiced by remon-
strants who have submitted their opinions
to the Commissioners.
Some of the objections made to the
names suggested for the suburban
streets" says Mr.. Bundy. las we'll as to
the general plan of nomenclature, seem
to me to be so unsubstantial as to war
rant suspicion regarding the perfect SIN
certify of the several remonstrants. For
example, one gentleman speaking for
Roanoke Street by his remonstrance, sue
ceeds in proving that he never had read
the plan and knew nothing about it Here
after when he has taken time to read it
he may find out that. after all, he ap-
proves the general idea of the plan. ana
only objects to the particular name 'Bry-
ant and that he will then suggest more
acceptable name.
Two other gentlemen. one speaking for
a street on the east side and the other
for a street on the west side OF Four
teenth Street, object to the names pro-
posed for two short intermediate streets
upon the ground that the word place to
be substituted for the word street Will
give rise to vexatious confusion. For eX-
ample that Fourteenth Place and -Four
teenth Street, having the same numbers,
will be mistaken one for the other. ana
the same of Thirteenth Place and 'Thir-
teenth Street My answer to this obJec-
ton is that the word street and the word
place are so dissimilar both in sound and
to sight that such fears appear to be
groundIess. But if l should be mistaken
In that. l would take the liberty to sug-
gest to the remonstrant on the east side
of Fourteenth Street that 'Holmead
Place so nearly fulfills all the conditions
of the plan that if he were to recommend
il the Commissioners themselves may
POSSIBLY be found to prefer that name to
the one suggested. OF course. similar
means of relief could be readily suggest
ed for the gentleman who speaks for
School Street and opposes Fourteenth
Place
But the most elaborate remonstrance
comes from the gentleman who champions
Yale Street as against the proposed
change to Charming. He starts out by
a law suit in case the Com
missioners should persist In their pur-
pose to heap an outrage upon our citi-
zens.' Let me remind the Commissioners
in this crisis that the so-called Highway
Extension Act has stood out against a
very heavy bombardment both in and out
of court and has not yet been shaken
| hope its friends Will not quail now. But
this remonstrant springs a new point lie
says, The streets in Columbia Heights
are not vested in the United States or in
the District of Columbia, but are in the
abutting property owners. This language
is perfectly understood by lawyers, and
it means that what is known as the re-
version still remains in the original pro-
prietors or their grantees, the abutting
lot owners, and is liable TO take effect
in possession whenever such streets are
disused for highway purposes.
Now, what any possible reversionary
interest In the fee title to the streets re-
in the abutting lot owners can
possibly have to do with the question of
the power of the District government, I'M
der Congress, TO name those streets. while
they are still occupied and used as streets,
will only be known when that threatened
lawsuit has been tried in the courts.
both the remonstrant and my
self are privileged to form and express
opinions as to the probable result of that
suit: and awaiting myself of this privilege.
l desire to go on the record as believ-
ing that when these streets shall have
reverted to the abutting lot owners and
have become farm lands once more. the
new names will be as good for the crops
as the old would have been, II there had
been no change: and hence the case
would fail easily into the category of
damnum absque injuria, and no remedy
would be required.
But the remonstrant proceeds to his
third point. Now he grows facetious.
and exclaims Who is Claiming. and
what has he done to deserve such per-
petuation of his name? Then ne adds.
Who is Bryant? Is he the poet or the
insane man by that name who died at
Goodhope Hill year or so ago? And
he closes with the serio-comic assevera-
ton that To name streets that are
supposed to stand for eternity after any
man is absolutely wrong. / presume
there are thousands of persons in the
District who do not know who Charming
is. just as there are thousands who do
not know their right hand from their
left 1t must have been OF such happy
Where ignorance is bliss
IT'S folly to be wise.
but surely this remonstrat does not
belong to that class OF innocents.
II might follow his example and shout
back to him: Who is Yale? Who is
Harvard? Who is Kenyon? or who is
Dartmouth The fact that these names
were first given the colleges does not III
the least diminish the value OF the per-
sonal tribute implied by the choice Of
their names at a later period for city
streets, and surely any Partially that
this remonstrant may feel for these
names does not tend to prove the SINGER
ity of his declaration that it is abso-
lutely wrong to name a street after any
man
Again, | am curious to enquire II
streets are supposed to be named for
eternity? How soon thereafter are the
same streets likely to revert, and what
duty. If any. the anticipation of such
an event would devolye upon the present
generation? For myself. speaking as
one having an interest both in kenesaw
Avenue and Bismarck Street "a continue
ton of Yale), i am heartily in favor or
the general plan. The subject is by no
Columbia Heights Citizens Association,
of which / have long been a member.
las early as April g. 1896, our associa-
ton had gone so far as to prepare an
elaborate report covering the whole sub
ject of street nomenclature, which was
presented to the chairmen of the Dis
trict committees of both houses OF Con-
gress. and. based upon that report, identi-
cal bills were introduced in both the
Senate and House.
Since that day the proper committee
of the association having that subject In
charge has never ceased to use all proper
means to accomplish the desired refor
nation in the nomenclature of the streets