National opinion. [volume] (Bradford, Vt.) 1865-1874, 1872-05-10
briggs, Pike and Dixie.

What n trio they have become for th
reclamation of the salt marshes OF New
Jersey. What success they have mad
of hitherto accounted impossibility ca
be almost stated in the fact that out O
the private speculation alone of Drigg
and Pike in the buying up OF marsl
meadows previous to their Improvement
they have realized the snsg sum in til,
increased value of the land of over $50,
600, 900, saying nothing of the increase Il
others.
After passing tho tunnel of Bergen Hill
one sees stretching away north and soutl
as far Ms the eye can reach, n long, wid'
sweep of bottom land covered with coars,
sea grass, subject to foundations of tn,
tide, aud utterly fit for nothing but tC
breed mosquitoes, horse-ilies, chills, fcyers
and all other pests and pestilence to Jer
segment and an oifcnsc to everyone VIII,
passes through them or near them on The
trains. Land which lying so near tn,
greatest city on the continent, should be
worth five thousand dollars per acre
would scarce bring fifty as it has been.
II has been claimed by the people OF
the State, that the land could not be
diked at anything less tnan an enormous
cost, but briggs said it could, and confded
his plans to 5. n. Pike, of Opera House
notoricty. Pike, (who, while he has not
made as much noise as the late Fisk has
always proven as successful in speculation,
told briggs to 90 ahead, and he would
back him in the grand scheme, and they
quietly bought up 1900 acres, or over
"a +-aiv ,,tla, -
acres, and much to the JOY of the state
and people who still hold the land. but to
the confusion of those who sold, they
have diggcd and diked, and drained and
reclaimed it to the highest state of cult
vation, until the land is now worth s., 900
per acre.
All previous attempts at diking had
failed, and musk-rats had proved the
greatest bar to the improvements, for
no sooner was dixie thrown up, than
the musk-rats would honey comb it, and
let the water in. Iron and stone were
found too expensive, and so all attempts
at improvement were abandoned, until
the practical Drigi drove hemlock plank
down below low water mark. by screw
power, nd iOinted so closely that ii was
imperyious TO water These are covered
with earth from the receiving ditch, which
is twenty five feet broad, at the base six
feet, with a sodded slope on the river side.
The rats are beat at their own game, and
have all emgrated, not one is to be found,
while the mosquitoes, taking umbrage at
the insult and injury to them and their
neighbors, the rats, have also migrated,
n y MI lora t1a ,t-nnl hipn tWipatI y
A complete drainage of the land is eff
fectcd by water gates placed at intervals
of five hundred feet, through which all
water runs off at low tide.
To the praise of briggs, be it said he
has not stopped at the improvementof his
own lands, but has charters from the
states of New York and New Jersey, and
he proposes to reclaim about fifteen miles
of waterfront in the latter state under
which state supervision, the work is to be
done and paid for by m assessment on
the property owners. Mr.. briggs simply
acting as contractor.
Now it seems that the city Of Newark
has raised very foolish municipal row,
because 4,500 acres OF the land to be
reclaimed belongs to that city, and they
feel indignant that TIE state has given to
briggs the work which they thought I'M
possible to accomplish. Regardless of the
fact that it will be OF untold value to the
city; they have held Indignation meet
ings, passed resolutions, and now culi-
mated their wrath by the introduction of
the famous briggs repeater bill' into the
Legislature.
Whatever may be the result of this bill
and opposition, the good work has begun,
and soon these unsightly meadows will
cease to be land marks of Rip Van Win
L Sn,