Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1904-03-29
MADISON OR SAMSON.
Change of Street Name Discussed in
Committee

The subcommittee on streets and ave-
nues of the House District committee
granted a hearing today on the bill which
recently passed the Senate changing the
name of Madison street to Samson street.
The proposed change has aroused the
keenest local interest and the hearing at
the Capitol this morning was one of the
most largely attended of the session In
addition to the men who appeared for or
against the measure there were present
large number of ladies residing on the
thoroughfare and one or two children.
The object OF the bill is to secure uni
formity in the nomenclature of the thor
oughfare which runs from 18th to 18th
streets between p and q streets. 1t was
stated at the hearing this morning that
the four blocks of the street bear no less
than three names. From 18th to 10Th
streets the thoroughfare Is known as Samp-
son street. Between 10Th and 10th me
name is Samson street and between 18th
and 18th the lamp-post designations read:
Madison street"
Mr. Henry w. Samson is sponsor for the
bill and it was at his request that the meas
ure was introduced in the Senate ana
House. 1t is the purpose of the bill, III
addition to securing uniformity, to peIpetu-
ate the memory of the late Dr. george
Whitefield Samson, the first president OF
Columbian University. Mr.. Samson was be-
fore the subcommittee this morning ana
argued in favor of the proposed change.
The property through which portion Oh
the street was opened formerly pc
longed to the university ana .ne
rame Samson given to it in honor of the
late Dr. Samson. Mr.. Samson asserted
that the people living on the thoroug hfare
desire a uniform name, and he argued that
Samson would be more appropriate IMAM
any other He said there are eight
thoroughfares, including alleys, in the DIS.
trct of Columbia, known by the name OF
Madison He therefore argued it would De
no disparagament to the late fresioeIe
Madison to change the name OF the tnor-
oughfare in question. He SAID that among
those interested in and favoring the change
of name are Cardinal Gibbons, Bishop sat
terlee, w. V. Cox, president OF the WASH.
ington Board of Trade; ex-Justice Hagner OF
the District Supreme Court; justice Anoer-
son and Mr.. John b. Larner.
Dr. L. NJ. Gallaudet, president OF the co
lumbia Institution Tor the Deaf and DUMB
at Kendall Green, was present, ana SPOKE
in favor of the change in name. Mr. Will
lam G. Henderson also spoke In favor VI
the bill.
The opposition to the change was repre-
sented by Representative Leonidas +. LlV-
ingston of Georgia, whose washington nome
is on the Madison end of the thoroushlare,
Colonel George A. Woodward, REPRESENTING
the yestry of ST. Thomas Episcopal Church'
and Mr. A. B. Brown, representing the
trustees of the new Foundry M. E. Churcn,
at 10th and Madison streets. IL was con-
tended that the portion of the street known
as Sampson street is infested with aIey
houses and that while the name Samson is
not the same the sound of the word is SINH
lar and the impression would go forth tnat
the entire thoroughfare was of no better
residential quality than the portion referred
to. 1t was claimed the change OF the name
Madison would result H. depreciation ia
the value of property. -,
The committee took no action on the bill
today.