The San Francisco call., 1909-11-16
SPANISH NAMES
FOR CITY STREETS
Supervisors ADOPT List of the
Changes Proposed by the
Commission

The SpaniardS have taken san FRAN
cisco. whatever the Dutch did TO Hol-
land"
So said the band of disappointed pro-
testants against the inroads of Cas-
tilian nomenclature in San Franciso's
streets as they withdrew from the
board of. supervisors chambers yester
day after the adoption. IL ayes to 5
noes, OF Murdocks list of changes.
The 49 avenues in Richmond. from
Central avenue to the ocean, are to
perpetuate the memory and ring with
the sonorous titles of Spanish voy-
ageurs, explorers and grandees. The
alphabetic thoroughfares of Sunset,
Richmond and South San Francisco are
to have full names, and San Franciso's
water front, East street, is TO be known
to the ends of the earth as THE EN-
barcadero."
The street remaining commissions
list of changes was far flung battle
line pierced in many places yesterday.
by the scornful, mirthful, contemptu-
Gus or wrathful attack of it's op-
ponents, but Murdock stood by his guns
and the line was not broken up nor
hurled back. In the final volley of
votes Bancroft, Booth, Comte. HoclSs
and McAllister stood by the call of
America for the Americans" but II
supervisors thought the committees
surgery would be a brief pain, but a
lasting benefit. and passed to print the.
bill authorizing the 200 odd innova-
tions.
PUT Up HARD FIGHT
Sunset and Richmond put up a hard
fight. 'Freebooters and cutthroats.
these Spanish fellows" said Charles
w. Polk, protesting for the present or
der Of things. Why should all THESE
Iberian appellatiohs be hurled down on
our district And all these saints.
Why. the people gave unmistakable
evidence two weeks ago they thought
there were too many saints now in San
Francisco
Give us the names which come to
US from the motherland," said he, IF
you. must change"
Which motherland?" asked Connolly
Why, England, the land from which
we sprang, and English names from
the tongue We speak
There is some pain in Richmond
over this surgical operation" said w.
W. Watson to JIurdock's allusion. Il
never knew until L heard Supervisor
Murdock pronounce all those foreign
names that he was a Spanish scholar.
Why, Portola' alone kept everybody at
speak it. and what are we going to do
with ~ foreigners in a bunch2 There
are $4,000 people in Richmond and their
convenience should be consulted"
PRONUNCIATION OF "xAVIER-
How about Xavier street?" was the
question agitating the mind of J. r.
Watson. i learn from one authority
a descendant of the Anzo who estab-
slished the Mission and named the Pre-
sidio, that it is pronounced Zavia'; from
another, 'Shavia'; and the other day /
learned that ii was Shaver What do
we want with Spanish names, anyhow?
Why only the other day they shot
man there for speaking out the truth,
and they have been the most cruel,
tyrannieal race in Europe. Let's go
back 10 Ireland, if we must get some
names imported 'Dinan' and 'Conboy'
viii do better than these outlandish
titles Of forgotten adventurers. This
Spanish business is worse than the
bubonic plague, but well come through
il in time
Supervisor Booth feared he would not
know the way home to his Forty
eighth avenue domicile late at night if
II should be transpoi led to "Ayala ave-
nue." but the tyranny of the majority
left him to whatever fate might be in
store. His suggestion that the alpha
betical streets might be sacrificed, but
that the numbered avenues should be
preserved went down. 8 ayes to noes;
and then the whole proposition was
passed by the affirmative votes of Bal
com, Broderick Connolly, D'Ancona,
Jennings, Johnston, McLeran, Murdock,
Murphy, Payot, Pollok and Sanderson.