The Waxahachie daily light. [volume] (Waxahachie, Tex.) 1894-current, 1909-10-09
CITY STREET SIGNS.
Tho Enamcled Sign Seems to BE
Most Popular for Marking


streets.
what kind Of signs 10 employ to
designate the names of its streets is
question which many towns and
cities are cndeavoring 20 solve, one
of these recently requested its street
superintendent to offer advice. and
he in turn called upon the American
Society of Municipal improvements,
of which he is member, for infor-
nation on the subject. This society,
one of the functions of which is the
rendering of just such service, col
lected data from about one hundred
and fifty cities, and tabulated the
same,
Much of the information obtained
was summarized in its report. which
summary was as follows:
Street signs. by which are meant
signs designating the names of
streets, are an important and almost
an essential item of the street fur
nishings of every city or large town.
in the large city even the residents
are generally familiar with those
streets only which are in the imme-
diate vicinity Of their homes or
which they frequent daily; while in
even the small city signs are desir-
able for the direction of visitors and
newcomers AS, in order to afford
the greatest convenience, street
signs should be placed on all four
corners of each street intersection,
it follows that their number is con-
siderable and that the selection or
the best, most durable, most effec-
tive, and most economical sign is
worth some time and thought. The
method or place of affiXing such
signs also should be seriously con-
sidered
AS is natural, the street depart
ment, or the official in charge Of
the same, whether he be called
street commissioner, street superin-
tendent, city engineer, etc. is usual
ly given control of this work. Ex-
ceptions to this are found in Pueblo,
Colo, where no designated anthori-
ty has charge of this work; Macon,
Ga, where it is placed in the hands
of a special committee; Springfield,
Mass, whore it is in charge of the
city forester; East Orange, n. J..
where it is attended to by the pub
lie service corporation (Which fur
nishes the gas street lighting):
Binghampton. y. Y. and Salt Lake
City, Utah, where the common coun-
ell has it in direct charge Charlotte,
! N. c., where a special provision is
( made when necessary; Columbia, S.
c.. and Green Bay, Wis, where it is
in the hands of a street committee;
and a number of cities where it is
said to be in charge of the board OF
public affairs or public service, in
which case ii may or may not be in
the hands of the official who has di-
rect charge of streets and highways.
The ordinary location is on corner
buildings or posts; lamp posts being
used to a large extent where gas
lamps still exist as a means of street
lighting Trees are used in many ci-
ties where they are conveniently To-
Gated also the corners of wooden
fences. In number of cities build
ings are given the preference, posts
being used only where buildings are
not available or consent is not given
Snn,nruil1p
the old lamp posts which have not
been removed. Butte, Mont, uses
telegraph poles where possible, and
Lincoln, Neb.. telephone or trolley
names in East Orange, n. j.. are
placed on lamp posts red letters on
glass piHtes being used. Rutherford,
n. j., uses electric light poles, as
does Grand Forks, n. D. A number
OF other cities, possibly most of
them, use posts OF whatever kind
may be available at the street cor
ners, whether there be gas light,
electric light, telephone, trolley or
other.
In the style of sign employed there
is considerable variety, but the
enameled sign seems to be the most
popular, being used in seventythree
cities. In the majority of cases the
colors used are blue and white, the
letters being generally white and
the background blue, Other signs in
more or less common use are ordin-
airy wood strips with the name paint
ed on them; painted tin fastened to
a board or nailed directly to build
ing or fence; open work cast iron
signs in which the lines only of the
letters are reproduced in metal;
cast-iron plates in which the names
appear in raised letters; and alum
mum plate with raised letters, and
3-inch aluminium letter on black