Evening star., 1949-06-03
This and That
Bu Charles E. TrdceUell

Why is there no street here?
Friends of that real American bird. the
blue jay. will lament the lack. although ad-
mitting that 1t is too late now to do much
about it.
OF all our birds, there is none which better
represents, perhaps, the genius of our great
country. with all its good and bad points.
Most people think was left out of the
street name list because. when written. it
Is too easily confused with I.
But 2 Is often confused with @. when writ
ten; T is confused with I. and A with O..
Also. why were X. Y and z left out. when
1t came to using the alphabet as street names
for the City of Washington?
***
, The late Justice Alexander B. Hagner, in
paper read May 8, 1897 before the Colum-
bia Historical Society, said on this subject:
LAS all are aware 1t was the hand of the
incompatible Washington that directed the
organization of the city. In its establish
ment he took constant interest; and his
last official act as President. on the Sd of
March, 1897, was a communication to the
Commissioners on several important mat
ters connected with the public buildings and
streets.
up to as late a period as 1871 he had
suppressed his own name in speaking OF
what he had always called the Federal City.
before agreed upon a more appropriate ap-
pellation. In September of that year. Messrs.
johnson, Stuart and Carroll the first Dis
trict Commissioners of the new District, ad
dressed the following letter to Maj. Len
FAINT"
The letter, as quoted by Justice Hagner.
read:
Sir: We have agreed that the Federal
District shall be called The Territory OF
Columbia and the Federal City. The City Of
Washington" the title of the map will there
fore be "A Map Of the City Of Washington
in the Territory Of Columbia
I'VE have also agreed that the streets
shall be named alphabetically one way, and
numerically the other the former divided
into North and South letters. the latter into
East and West numbers. from the Capitol.
Makor Elicott. with proper assistance. will
Immediately take and soon furnish you with
soundings of the Eastern branch. to be in
serted in the map. We expect he will also
furnish you with the direction of the pro-
posed poSt-road which We wish to have
noticed in the map"
Justice Hagner continued:
In accordance with this order the streets
were laid out; except that street was
omitted from the lettered streets, doubtless
to prevent confusion from the resemblance
of and when written. The EXTREMIST
lettered streets. both north and south. was
named w. The farthest Of the numbered
streets to be the east was 3Ist: the farthest
to the west 2Sth."
He pointed out that 1t was evident that
the plan for naming the streets. 50 far as
the numbers were concerned, was adopted
from the city of Philadelphia. which was
then the seat of Government. From that
city also were derived our building regula-
tions, at least fundamentally
Philadelphia was then. by far, Justice
Hagner declared. the most important city In
the United States, "excelling New York In
population, wealth and refinement and the
regularity of its plan was almost unique for
that time"
Since those early days. typewriting has
taken the place of handwriting. at least to
a large extent, and the difficulties OF y
and II" no longer seem relevant.
We submit that Washington ought to
have O street, which, no doubt, would be
written Jay street. mostly.
Jay is q distinguished name. one which.
from every standpoint. both human and
bird, should be represented here.
Many distinguished men have had the
name. both as surname and given name.
Above all, the jay is mighty fine birdi
A real American. II there ever was one.
bouncing fellow with plenty OF noise and
bluff in his make up.
When we have subsequent street namings,
especially in the suburbs. let US have jay
street. by all means: along with . Robin
street, q Cardinal avenue. and Chickadee
lane.