The Guthrie daily leader. [volume] (Guthrie, Okla.) 1893-1996, 1910-07-20
|CUTHR|E' s
STREETS
UNMARKED
IMPORTANT DETAIL NEG
LEcTED IN CITY's RAPID
DEVELOPMENT
~-----~-
FRIENDLY GUIDE POSTS
MISSING AT CORNERS
10y.
Cost Or Putting Up'Signs Would
Not CsN'NioI RAnyConsldsr43
ah|sH0uHsyasaia
...--..-..ll!l
What streets S this?"


The frequency of this question BY
strangers and by residents regularly
calls attention TO an important city
deiail overlooked in tie rapid de-
vclopment OF Guthrie from soft grassy
slopes to a thickly settled, hand-su :
faced city. There are no markers on
the street corners, and the only way
to find the name OF the street Is to
ask other people, the majority OF
whom are never sure Of more than
half the names OF the streets. Thc
voice OF The, city is hoarse with whis-
ties; IL has the air Of imminent ma
tlpity, Il Is twehtyone Yeas old
and has the manner OF the world
But 1t is as innocent of guide posts as
are the hog paths OF the Wichita
mountains.
Comment Is often occasloned by the
lack of street signs. Perhaps the
old timer who has been busy for
twenty-one years building home and
helping the town has never noticed
the lack OF signs, because he was here
before there was any place to put
signs other than the government sur
yeyor's stonepainting. But there aie
new people coming all the time and
there are always visitors. The city
is not big nor complicated but 1t is
large enough to make a visitor hesi-
tate about knocking at the front doors
of good-looking houses simply to as
certain what street he Is on and
where he is going. To tell a strang-
er to walk six blocks from the lone
and turn to the left and walk three
more blocks and then turn east is
too much like village lore for a mod
ern city like Guthrie.
Whatever criticism this situation
may justly occasion must be spread
over a comparatively large period and
among many people. Nobody Is es-
pecially to blame. perhaps, but we OF
the present are liable TO censure and
ridiculc when the twenty-one year old
omission is noticed, as 1t is every few
h0u $.
There are somthing over l25 streets
In this town, including the streets in
additions They are from one BLOCK
TO miles or more IN length; conse-
quently there are more corners than
can cheerfully be figured up on hot
day or cold night. None of these cor
nefs are marked.
Street corner signs are of two gen
eral varieties boards pointing two
ways from the top of pole or from
the corner of a building. and street
names With indicators OF direction
painted or cut in cement sidewalks.
II Is almost too late now to under.
take the marking of sidewalks. al
though that is cheap, convenient
and duA able method. sidewalks have
been built all over town and top Ut
street names on the slopes to the
curling now would require lot Of
carving or reconstruction Of sections
of The walk These sidewalk signs
are generally made when the walks
are built, the contractor being given
an outfit Of letters and told to letter
tho names twice ON each corner II
costs practically nothing and con
traiors will readily do Il. However
the greater part Of Guthries sidewalSs
are built. The old brickSalNs are TO
be replaced, gradually by cement and
no new brick walks are to built, no.
der a recent ordinance OF the city
council, and these is open a ,,3od op.
portunity 20 at least demonstrate IN
ncighborhoods the utility OF designat-
Ing the streets on the sidewalks.
In cities far to the north the side
walk system is used. Thure the
walks may be covered with snow or
ice for from one month 10 four or
five months In the year. Yet nobody
complaints because the signs are there
There a.e often post signs In addi-
ton. Guthrie would have no cause
fer protest on account OF hidden side
walk signs. for only for a little while
each winter are the walks ever cover
ed
Corner signs are somewhat more
expensive Wooden ones cost few
cents each when put all over the city
and they may soon peel Off or rot or
be lambasted out OF business by the
small boy Tin signs Of certain sorts
are good. but most OF them are sub
ject TO rust and twisting BY the fierce
winds. There are many manufactuf.
Ing firms making signs of various
patterns.
Guthrie streets are not complicated
and most 0f them have dignified and
appropriate Names newcomer
would very much app eciate the op-
poFtunits " iearu the names OF The
streets as he has occasion, and 10 be
relieved from the necessity OF learn.
ing BY asking or By studying the dl-