West-Jersey pioneer., 1866-12-07
BRIDGETON.

Probably but few places in all New
Jersey possess more inviting facilities for
permanent residence than our city,
In the general our population is moral
and the element of public religion enters
into the habits of the community more
largely than. in most cities which have a
large manufacturing population. The
statistics of church membership as given
by the different denominations reveal an
unusually large proportion in actual COM
munion with the churches, while the
people who are largely Influenced by the
churches comprise a full share of the pop
ulation. The city possesses that desidera-
tum for healthy residence, billy and
rolling site, with tidal water to. drain off
its impurities. Te sna
The people to an extent, we have
never known in any other place, own the
residences they occupy. Many of these
persons are workmen in the mills and
glass-houses, and their homes represent
the thrift and savings of their years Of
toll and labor. One would scarcely believe
to look at some of the handsome and cost
ly buildings in the city, that they were
owned by people whose sole dependence
81
was their daily labor yet, so it is and no
population is so valuable to place as the
people who have earned their own dwell
ings by work and saving, and afterward
occupy them. Once rent free the amount
formerly paid for this object is devoted
to higher education for their children,
and it is no uncommon thing to hear the
sounds of music proceeding from their
dwellings, performed in a manner which
would be no discredit to the more favored
children of abundance. Our capitalists
however appear, with but few exceptions
to be strangely Indifferent to the extern
sion and consequent success of the city.
Many of the people are unableto build
houses for themselves, especially those
whose stay is expected to be a transient
one, and must rent where ever they can
find house or else leave the place alto
gether. This last spring considerable
number of families left the place solely
because it was an utter impossibility to
obtain place in which to live. Many
others would like to live here, but cannot
find house for rent. The value of the
property belonging to the capitalists of
the place depends largely upon how many
people live in it. Let the people go
away and their property sinks at once to
its farming value, so that the putting up
of houses to accommodate these people
advances the value of the property they
hold. Besides this there is no invest
ment which pays better in the long run
than the erection Of judiciously planned
tenement houses. They need not be ex-
pensive, they need anlu he n1afortAhl~-
D---l-1----1~ expect to obtain bathrooms
or conservatories, or the many Injuries
which make homes so comfortable, but
only a tolerable place in which to live
until they can do better, and they are
willing to pay rental which amounts to
a fair percentage upon the investment.-
In Glassboro' the other day, we noticed
a large row Of houses constructing upon
the principle Of cheapness Of cost, with
facilities for all common comforts, and
they will be occupied as soon as complet-
ed. That too is being done in town
whose natural and business advantages
are far inferior to ours. The upper part
of our city is unsurpassed in natural
advantages. The whole of it ought to be
covered with dwellings, by such Of our
citizens as possess the means to put them
there. The ground is high and healthy,
the water is unsurpassed for coolness and
purity, and the land is of a quality that
would make a garden for each house,
most desirable thing. One hundred
houses there to day, could find occupants
at reasonable rents. Let our capitalists
study this. If ready money is not just
now attainable, still the property they
have will command the cash from people |
who desire to loan it, and the funds
could soon be realized. If such public |
spirit in this matter, as has already been
shown by some of our citizens, should be
initiated by our monied men, the future |
of Bridgeton is assured. But if the
golden opportunity be lost, it will not be
likely to speedily return, and the other
places which absorb these people will
benefit by our neglect and take the i'm
portant rank which just now is offered to
us. r aaiqa