The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1872-02-22
RIPARIAN CONTROVERSY IN NewBUsG,

Prospective Fight with the Erie Railways
Company-First Guu from Northumberland
Ramsdel Makes q speech-He Ii Routed
with a Resolution.
NEwBURG, N. Y, Feb q, 1872.
For years past the people Of this hily little city
have labored under an intermittent excitement reA
garding their right to the foot Tor feetC OF all the
streets leading to the Hudson River ana
great has been the outcry, now and them,
against the so-called 'squatters," who have been
de Jacto, II not de Jre possessors OF said foot, or
feet. The Courts and the Legislature have been ap-
pealed to, commissioners have sat and listened ana
delberated, prolonged attempts IN short, have
been made by the city to GUST the squatters and
possess itself or its alleged rights. The latest at<
tempt Of this kind has had for Its object the asser
ton OF the cys right to the foot OF Western ave@
nue., street eight RODS in width and running from
near the river TO the westerly bounds Of
the ground RECLAIMED from the river IL occu1
pied by the Erie Railway Company, and Is covered
lures and tracks. petition was few months ago
presented 10 The Common Council asking that West@
the Ere
quently a hearing was nad when the CONE
% Of s. W sSa
the company mad been In possession OF the
land. claiming under title for more than twenty
years, that they had purchased from Q previous
owner-One John W. Wells-and mad held the props
erty adversely to everybody else: therefore there
was legal bar to the proceedings proposed to be-
taken. At the meeting oftne Council held on Tues
day evening OF this week Homer Ramsdell, one Of
the directors OF the Erie Company ap-
peared and demonstrated against the granting
Of the petition. He urged that It be-
set aside, on account not only OF the
engineering difficulties attending the opening Of q
foot IN Iour but also Of the detriment the pro-
Ject would work to the Eric Company. He said
also that the Hudson River West Shore Railroad
would probably be soon built, and II this street.
were graded, as proposed IL would also be an OBJ
stacle the line OF that road. he recited bened
had Quilt two roaus from this city TO the Inferior
the Newburg Branch and the road known az the
''ShOrt Gut" expendlng 81, 200, 900 IN those two
enterprises. He intlmated that this was rathen
shabby treatmenC which the Erie was receiving M
return ana hoped 'Tnat the Common Council Of
step that looked like hostility corporation tnsN
had expended so much for and conferred sucn last
Ing benefits upon NewDurg."
The Council, however, by vote OF to !, granted
the petitl0n for the opening or the street and ap-
pointed attorneys to take the matter In hand al
grading or the street. but Is only one OF the prem-
Mares tneretO-the actual grading may be put on
for q considerable tlme whether the city
Will back down when the Erie begins To
show It's teeth remains to be seen. The company
will, 1t is said he seriously accommodated IN eir
Is carried through and will not readily relinqusm
claim TO the land at the foot OF Western avenue
pr0tracted light in the courts will probably result
from the action taken on Tuesday evening. At the
same meeting the Council adopted resolutions pr01
testing against the passage OF bill lately intro
tracing the width OF South street, In this city, at
the river.