The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1912-11-17

and this results from our system OF
building railroads to develop new re.
eions. Wherever . passenger shed
goes up. whether At a barren cross
roads or upon an open prairie. there
appears q name board. and in nine
cases out Of ten the designation which
II bears sticks to the point for life.
city or remains only a jay town. And
il has long been . rule OF the Post
Oifice Department to acopt the rail-
road stations' names II they are prac.
ticable.
Realizing their great responsibility
in this process. certain great railroads.
like the Pennsylvania. submit their
lists Of suggested station names TO
the Post once Department for revis-
ion and approval And Texas has late
ly set her sister States = wise ex-
railways to name their village sta
lions after the nearest post once.
Ban - "Ceatres~ anA "CSrness.S
In the typical instance q trader
moves to a new locality. opens store
and applies for q post-ofnce. The
Post once Department sends him q
blank petition. on which his neighoors
are to state their choice Of a name
for the ONCE. With this blank SO
printed instructions regarding the
choice Of post-onlce names. which
read:
Names submitted for the depart
ments approval should be short ana
should consist Of but one WORD with
out prefixes or additions such rs Ot0.
East Burg Centre CITY, Corners.
Creek Cross Roads and the like
Names not meeting these requirements
may be approved. however. when they
IL.
cality through long usage or through
historical events that have occurred
there.
"A post-o once located At . railroad
station should hear the same name
as the station, II possible.
Delay may frequently be avoided by
submitting several names In the or
der Of preference"
As each petition comes back il is
referred to the chief OF the railway
mail service. who reports on the ad-
visability Of adopting the choice In
.iorsed By the greatest number OF eg-
natures. He employees a clerk. whose
sole duty is to investigate each name
thus suggested and to report whether
it comes within certain class or
names tabooed by the service
FerSsdaes CsnSinssiens.
This taboo applies to any name
which has already been given 10 q
post -osYice in another State whose alb
breviation would be easily confused
with that Of the Commonwealth Tor
which the new ONCE Is proposed.
Thus the other day the department
veto was uttered against "Weirwood
for a post -ofiice in West virginia be-
cause there was already an once OF
that name in Virginia Even where
there is confusing similarity OF
names in these combinations OF state"
the veto is put on. unless tt happen
that the new name appears In the town
charter. or that the citizens have al
ready gone to great expense in print
ing literature under that name. But
even these circumstances would not
prove extenuatins in the case OF names
exactly alike.
Names long in local usage o. OF hts
tcricaI importance arc not disappro>e"
when containing two words. but
everything else being equal the snort
crisp name in one ~orf Is preferTe'.
Never does the department permit
post .onice to adopt the name Of an
other which has been previously soab-
doned, in the same State.
OF Na0e . DesvloeUs.
When the citizens OF any town haze
its name changed by act OF the Legs
laturc. that Of the post ONCE fo.ioss
the new designation. Thus. a '-w
years ago when the pecpl. o. Sac
Sing. " ". had their ctr rsnam-s
Oxsjnsns becsure the former g; ioIs
association with criminals has become
detriu,ert TO thei: community. the
postal authorities aicptec tie new
term.
The jurisdictions of the geographic
, board and Observation-Disclosures: arc
Sharply de1Eed IN these matters. a"s
..-h,,e ,ac one may determine taat q
certain tows or ro,vsSh SaaH &c
krewp on Fcocra. maps vnacr one
~ ne. the othc: a-a- r,is that tee post
once in that same town shal! DC
termca otherwise. Thus I've way -
open TO considerable ecsfrs'cn. AID u
would seem 60 be the duty OF CONGRESS
to give one Of these agencies or the
; o,ns, u.ramoupt jurisdiction wherever