Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1940-08-20
Montgomery Street Remaining
Is 7ouqh One-Mon Problem
Rockville Resident
WrestIes With
Seven Named Maple
By BEN H, PEARSE.

Charles NJ Jones, in charge OF
remapping the Metropolitan Area for
the Observation-Disclosures Capital Park
and Planning Commission, has not
had a nervous breakdown yet, but
if he does it will be the direct re-
suit of wrestling with the problem
of street names for the last six
months.
After surviving the remaining of
more than 100 streets, lanes, drives
and boulevards in Silver Spring he
has started on the Bethesda Chevy
Chase area. If he survives the
latter he hopes to carry out a re-
numbering campaign that eventual
ly should change the home ad-
dresses of half the residents OF
lower Montgomery County, perhaps
more.
Rockville, where the 67-year- old
Mr.. Jones maintains bachelor quar-
tiers at 40l West Montgomery ave-
nue., is beyond the zone being re-
shuff1ed. and. moreover. that COM
munity has no duplication of street
names, and its numbering system is
satisfactory.
Held Job Under Both Parties.
In addition to having an unusual
job. Mr.. Jones has an unusual rec
ord in Montgomery County. De-
spite the fact that the county is
a political hotbed In which the rival
parties rarely show each other quar-
ter, Mr.. Jones-a Republican-haS
held jobs under both administra-
tions. At present he is working
under a Democratic controlled COM
mission. He once served as a
justice of the peace, then became
a real estate operator and later was
Rockville's postmaster.
When Harry w. Nice became Gov
ernor of Maryland in 1885 Mr..
Jones was made secretary-tr treasurer
of the NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS. Capital
Park and Planning Commission,
succeeding Thomas Hampton, father
of Thomas Earle Hampton, presi-
dent of the Board of Montgomery
County Commissioners.
In April, 1887. though, the Demo-
cratic controlled State Legislature
put through "a bill which took pat
ronage on the commission out of
the hands of the Republican Gov
ernor and gave it to the Planning
Commission itself.
The bill was not aimed at Mr.
Jones but at other officials and en-
ployes, although he was removed as
secretary-tre and Mr.. Hamp-
ton resumed his old post.
Retained for Task.
In making the change the plan
ming body retained Mr.. Jones to
carry out the street name and house
number task, provided for in law
passed at the same session.
The man who has to think up
new names for Pullman cars has
nothing on Mr.. Jones. After all,
the name of the Pullman car mat
tiers little, providing the number,
berth and train are right. But
when the Fire Department has to
choose between seven Maple streets
complications are likely to follow
and often have.
After lying awake nights for sew
eral weeks trying to conjure up new
names for streets in Silver Spring,
Mr.. Jones finally hit upon the
scheme of picking names from a
list of counties throughout the
United States. In some cases his
suggestions met with objection, as
In the case Of the man on Apple
street who insisted that Apple"
was a prettier name than Cook"
Mr.. Jones lost that battle, but
mostly he won. and he hopes to
have as good luck with Chevy Chase.
The street REMEMBERING is chang
ing all Mr.. Jones previously con-
ceived ideas Of arithmetic. In one
block of Bonifant street in Silver
Spring the numbers start with 801
and run to 821 in proper sequence,
then start all over again with 803.
I'VE can't have that" Mr.. Jones
explained, land some sections are
worse. I am beginning to wonder
whether I know how to count"