The Washington times., 1903-12-09
OBJECTS TO CHANGING
NAME OF BROOELAND
c. C. Groomes Takes Issue With The
Times and Recites the Difficulties
of the Situation.

c. c. Groomes, chairman of the press
committee Of the BrOokland Citizens
Association. yesterds- discussed with a
reporter for The Times the proposed
change of name for hat suburb Re
ferring TO the editorial in Sundays IS
sue on the subject, he said:
This editorial would have been fault
less had it been based upon correct
premises But, as it seems to have been
called forth by a misconception of the
facts Of which 1t treats, it conveys an
impression unwarranted by the deus
sion which took place in the meeting Of
the Brookland Citizens Association.
THE Times news report Of that dis
cussion and the editorial to which
refer, would max it appear the people
Of this suburb, rore particularly those
who composed its citizens association.
IRE tired Of the name of BrOokland,
q I'd wish it charged to something else
Nothing could be further from the fact
And there was nothing In that discus
sion TO warrant such an inference. The
truth is, the appropriateness Of the
name, per Sc, was by no means the
question at issue. The matter came be-
fore the meeting upoo a suggestion
whether this place could not escape the
confusion. the delays, and various an
noyances growing out OF the fact that
the suburb Iabors under the disadvan-
tage Of having two names.
The Baltimore and Ohio Railroad
| Station is known as University while
/ the postal name is 'BrUokland Station.
! Express parcels (and sometimes freight
/ shipments) are frequently addressed TO
/ 'Brookland,' a name unknown to the
1 express guides, and such parcels are
20 - vFrI
main. sometimes a whole day some
times longer. then are transferred to
the local express company, which reach
es this place, and the consignee fire.
quently is required TO pay expressage
/ from the city 10 this station equal to
/ what IL cost 70 bring II from, say. New
York TO Westinghouse say nothing Of
1 the delay which is often a matter Of
/ serious Importance.
The citizens association. recognizing
/ these unsatisfactory conditions, was
| simply considering the possibility #
| hitting upon some plan by which this
| duplex nomenclature could be done
away with. We fully recognize the
value Of a good name 10 either an in
dividual or a community. but we are
| just as cognizant Of the endorsements
| Occasioned by too much name. and the
latter condition is the only one to which
we object. The railroad station was
given the name University because
Of the fact that the land upon which II
| is located was donated TO the Baltimore
AID Ohio Railroad Company by the
Catholic University Of America upon
condition that this station should forever
thereafter be known by that name. There
can, therefore. be no hope Of change
Of name there, for the reason that such
a change Of name would cause said
land, together with the costly stone sta
ton building erected upon il. 10 revert
az once TO the donor. Hence, If this
suburb is ever 10 be known by "A single
name, IL must change its own name TO
conform 10 that Of the railroad station
or else throw of, entirely, its local nom
enclature and advertise itself as a part
% Washington Gas II. Of course. Isl just
as Mount Pleasant. and other sections
are known.
Whether. i'm case a change were de-
termined upon, the old name would
forever stick 10 us, as your editorial,
iu its closing paragraph. assumes, time
alone can tell. II that were invariably
true In all cases. then the big town on
Manhattan Island would still be DOpu-
Iarly known as New Amsterdam, the
State Of Tennessee would still be the
State Of Franklin. and SO on. II Is
not the quality. but the quantity Of our
local name TO which We object