The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1901-05-13
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NEW, 2S6 |
OLD,O423|
A BETTER SYSTEM OF STREETS.
Must Be Inaugurated If the City
Would Have Additional Mail Car
l,ierS.


move on the part of the councils to-
wards a satisfactory system of streets
and house numbering for this city.
The postoiiice employees are not the
only ones Interested in such a measure
the citizens generally recognize the
crying necessity for an intelligent lay
ing out and naming of streets through
out Carbondale and their clamor FOR
such u system has forcefully come t.
the ears OF the councils again and
again.
The Increased interest on the part OF
the postal authorities here Is due to the
circumstance that the fiscal year of the
postal department will close the begin
ming of July. The new year vii! COM
monce during the first week of that
month. the period when the appropria-
lions for the ensuing year are in or
dor. Now it is hoped that appropria-
tions for one or more carriers. or as
many as can be impressed on the
postal department. will be torthcom-
ing. liut these appropriations can
hardly be expected in the face of tn"
conditions that prevail in this city i'll
the manner in which the streets are
laid out. the system that has been fol-
lowed in naming them. or rather the
lack of system and the absence of
house numbers on hundreds of resi-
dcnccs. The authorities at Washing
ton declared that they would not be
justified in placing in this field more
carriers in the absence of a system of
streets and house numbering that
would certainly operate to facilitate
the delivery of mail and to cconomize
in time and labor. Postmaster Thomas
has urged the postal authorities on
numerous occasions. TO increase the
number of carriers. for the lack of help
in this direction is quite patent. but
the answer has come ba *. with eXas-
per;,tins regularity. that nothing will
be done. or can BE- done. until tn"
streets in the outlying portion of the
city are properly designated and the
houses along these thoroughfarcs are
Systematically numbered.
Postal Inspector German. whose
headquarters arc at Scranton, whom
over he las visited Carbondale. has
invariably reported negatively the rc-
quest for more carriers, solely for the
reason that there were so many un-
nan ed streets and the numbering of
residences was so faulty. The inspec-
tor. when he accompanied the subur-
ban carriers over their routes. was
certainly bewldcred by the circuitous
paths the men followed, the cutting
across lots. etc. they were compelled
to resort to in order to distribute their
mail matter within the time allotted
for the deliveries. ON one occasion tn"
Inspector suggested he would remain
at Il certain corner until the carrier
had travcrScd the street along which
they Were then walking. 1t so hap
rcn"d that this portion of the carriers
route WAS the most puzzling and con-
fG~ing of all his territory. and before
the carrier roiOined the Inspector he
had covered many Il city block. though
all the timc he kept within sight of the
Interested and amused government Off
ritl. The Inspector on his return to
Scranton. and in forwarding his report
to Washington. withheld HE recon-
mendationS for additional carriers he
cause. he could not conscicntiously ask
for more help when there already cX
listed such :, handicap tn the delivery
system here, and which could be
readily ana effectively remedied by tho
factory street system. one winch would
comprehend the naming of every un-
cIristcncd street and hy-way in tn,
city, the placing of an adequate num-
bcr of street signs. ana a systematic
numbering of I'll" residences.
one gllring instance of faulty num-
bcrnG is to he round in IA portion of
the West Side. where the name of one
street is made Ia comprehend almost
all or that section of the city. The
numbers in tho order of the houses run
something like this: 8. II, !. !, b. ,.tC.
require "A carrier who would bn f1mil-
lar with the location of every house,
and one can AZ readily appreciate The
plight of Il substitute carrier or one
who might be so unfortunate as 20 10
unacquainted with the houses in the
locality referred to.
The absence of street names in tho
West Side recall IA lauChable incident
that took place some rimc aga IN Tho
court house i'll Scranton. 1t WIS dur
ing the trial of Il criminal ease in
which some West side residents fig
urcd. EX-District Attorney Jones was
the prosecuting officer at the time.
The prosecutor had taken the stand,
when Mr.. Jones began with, where In
Carbonate do you live, my good
Wonlan"'
The witness seemed puzzled tn To-
cate tho street and after some hcsirn-
ton dec Jared there We're no names to
the streets from whence sh" came.
">ou don't mean to say that tho
streets have no names" inquired the
district attorney
well, no sir I don't believe ,hey
have, sir" assured the witness. Some
Of The people name the streets them
selves, ! named the street myself that
live on" continued the woman
proudly. Il named it Vine street" she
ended sn,ilinely.
II is huped that before July the
councils will exercise the privilege of
naming streets that residents have
seemed In enjoy. heretofore, and that
by the time the postal department Is
ready to make the appropriations for
the coming year. Postmaster Thomas
viii be able TO point out 10 the au-
thorities that the city authorities have
established satisfactory street sys,
TEN and that the city Is entitled To the
increased delivery service which the
postmaster has so earnestly, but vainlN,
sought for for so long time, because
of the faults oi the present SYSTEM
The Fire Alarm Box Keys.
The incident of the early morning
hours of few days ago, when resi-
dent had to he aroused from his sleep
in order that the key for the fire alarm
box could be obtained. in order to turn
in an alarm, recalls the suggestion that
has boon made before. namelN. that