Luca Pisati's and Arthur Flatau's explanations are interesting.  Thank
you for your replies.  Unfortunately, there still seems to be a
problem.  I notice this not only because one of our tools picked up the
multiple classes but also because I was having a problem with a method. 
The tool is minor.  I have already changed the code so we do not have
this problem any longer.  The method is more worrisome.

The parent class' method is being called rather than the method
specialized on the child.  The child is one of those where several
identically named classes are found via clos:class-direct-subclasses. 
When I investigated further, I discovered that the presumably latest
class, i.e. the class with the address pointer did not show the method
to be registered.  The old, obsolete class did however show the method. 
I have tried redefining the method several times but it never is called
nor does it appear on the method list for the "working" class.  Believe
me, I wish this weren't true.  I have checked everything else, packages,
mispelling, everything I could think of.  I am seeing very odd
information when I describe the classes.  Maybe this is nothing to be
concerned about.   

Obviously, I have a workaround whereby, I make sure everything is in
good shape and reload which is what I will do.  

-- Marilyn
------------------------------------------------------------------
Marilyn Bunzo
127 15th Ave. NW, New Brighton, MN 55112
Tel: 612 636-4486       Fax: (612) 636-4533     Location:  Remote
Email: <eos.arc.nasa.gov at msb>             Company:  Sterling Software