The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1879-01-31
OLD BRAINS'S GREAT FIGHT.
a CONTEST THAT JERSEYMEN WILL
WdTCH WITH INTEREST

that " 10 Claimed Might triure Jersey Nity.
TRENTON, Jan. 3O-Mondny next has boon
fixed for the opening OF the postponed discus
sion on the Central Railroads Bridge hill be-
fore the Committee on Municipal Corporations.
As pledges Of votes for this bridge were made
the shib5olcth Of fitness in thoir election lcgis-
lators look forward to this occason with much
interest Of one kind or other The newcomers
ratio it ns a question tina, should bo got out of
tho way before the next election The old set
tiers get in II n glimpse of rcminis cnrc OF
tho good old days before the ncw-fanglcd con
stitulional amendments when Cen Cook dis
pcnsed the Inequalities OF Camden aud Amboy
In No. 10 81 Peters. when slowed tcrrapin was
as common as tho frost fish Of the Hartan and
before Ihe flush lobby had taken the road to re-
sumption OF Monmouth applciack.
Judge iathrop. the Old BrHins OF tho Central
IL In to win. That ia settled. A scrap OF his
lory will show that he has an antagonist to face
who will back his hand for all that it is worth
Matthice.cn 4 Wcchers. sugar rcnncrs bought
the old glass house property from solomon
Alo,scn in 1862 II occupied the shore front
facng Staten Island. and the fires Of tho glass
house had not gono out from 1925 until that
time. Before buying, they consulted tho best
legal authority TO assure themselves that their
water communication with river and bay could
From the ycnr 1859 tho Morris Canal Com
pnuy had been engrossing nm cNtcnsiv" watcr
privilege on tho southerly front OF Jersey City
Tie state had not yet settled its policy OF ripI-
ran own .rshin. and the Canal Company WIS
merely sluatt"r. II had madr large bnsin.
nnd de .iNpd considerable revenue from nArhur-
ing The w. rg"s Of tho Erie Canal beside III own.
In lSi3 css Than year uitrr Mathicsscn
Ni"chers had huit their refinery on the hay
shore. tho Central Railroad appeared on the
scene. Il had previously us,l tde New Jers"y
Raj rond's terminus bot now cnwn o. seek ono
Of It's OWL. 1t had secured the right Of way to
Commur paw. and conteup plated tho building
OF i9ng va ~ Theme % =" INT on inc my
parallel with Jersey Clty's frontage on the HUI
son RIVER. Tho proposed v'uduH would run
along the shoals several hundred yards south Il
the SUGAR house, leaving II room 10 reach tit"
water Tut the Morris Canal Company. whose
basin intcryened, felt disposed To- light tho in
terlopcr. They started q crib work TOO feet long
diagouav across the path ~ the vaduct. thus
shutting out the sugar horsc altogether from
water communication with the river. Alatthics-
zen Ni"'hers went promptly to work with IN
enormous steam derrick. and ripped up IN
a few hours the criD work that it had taken
weeks to establish. In the lawsuit that fol-
lowed they took the ground TIM, the state
owned the lrnd under. water. ans that the Cen
squaticis and without right. The Court sus-
tuned this view. and thus originated what has
since boon rerognizod ns the New Jersey doc
trine 81 riparian owuetshir. \ Riparian Com
mission wis e-ahl shed ia lSt9 under which
sales and rentals oi riparian lands have been
mnde 60 the Vuiu" oi millions.
In the settlement Of the suit with Matthcsson
Micgh"r~ IN 1888, the Norris Canal & mIany
agreed g. maintain a pass9g way l2D feet w.lo
through their basin tOthc Hudson River. THIS
couteutrl Mntthicsscn x Micchcrs, and under
1t they enlarged their operations until there
WIS only one refinery Of equal capacity In the
Unitci Sintrs. that Of Havemcycr Broihors.
In tho moan time the Central Railroad had
been nakiug extensive improvements on the
thSir cnr.rnct win the street cnntrnctor Of Now
YORK wis to swell their cncronchmcnt by n SIM
81" vadu't 10 acres upon acres % sole ground
The ill -sme!ing dump WIS q cause OF continual
went on until the Morris Canal basin. instead
OF ocruI> ~ me actual shore front. WIS lrlt
FAR inland. Tho late COMMISSIONS Blunt mad"
q fight against en"roa. hments upnn the harbor.
which w.s strenuous, but nriei; me manalg1,rS
most good in councils. state and nntiOnal. and
bucrr"l.! IN maintaining ia position.
In 1874 ovcrtures were male To- tho officials OF
Jersey { .ty mud Hudson Couny hv the Central
tolks. the result Il which wns the ratification
by Thorn of u proposition TO build a bridge NJ
the expense - the city and county M tho foot ~
Nashin-ton street ncross the canal basin, To
connect with tho Central Railroad ~ this
wRien had arsady cost tRem " boh p6 enry
klatthi"ss-n X Wiechers and the Morris Canal
Company both rushed ri once TO the courts.
Tho former set up the privilege which hal hcen
GRANTED them by the canal company IN 1867
guaranteeing them channel $50 feet e
not deprive them OF Il without compensnt-
ing them for the injury. Chancellor Runyon
tho canal company made that grant 1t had not
yet hor0me the owner NJ the water front. which
the state granted 10 It in 1869. He granted an
Injunction however. to tho canal company.
whose right was unquestiuncd. Tho sugar
mousse nv n NIiNNlfN from llN I llhnNtiItl = N-
verse ,'ision. On the ground that where one
party soils % an uther tlHt which lac las Mt got.
but nitrrWnrd obtains, tho law always makes
good The title % the purchaser. The cnse If
pow p,udiuE ia the Court of Appeals al which
Judge Lnthrop, thcOld Brains OF the Central, is
Tho bill which Old brains hns launched il a
prcuii ar one. Tho Constitution forbds special
enactmoni- affecting the affairs OF counties and
Towns. tn tin therefore purports 10 be- "a gem
ernl law 90 for the consiru. ton and maintr nance
81 draw bridges whore necessary" Il provides
WlIINtIr / ID
have been given and h0s been acted upon as
4 1t had i"en given" Tor the PURPOSE. or where
there las h.eu mission or lailurO lorany cause
10 acquire the iHLd for j.. It shall be- lawful -
make ~ pli alton % a Justice of the supreme
sioncrs 10 condemn ands, h.. il oeallz : the
erection oi draw BRIDGES IN such supposittiuus
cases. and provides that this expense and that
o. NC cond' IMITATION 81 lands, a.. siul toe
horne by general tax. As m old senator snid
t9-dhY VI pr pm lhu. PROPOSES to heai oil inc
ground NJ % which the relief asked Tor in the
1hn J,r.y Ciiy folks viii mike wry faces
nv"r GA Bruus's sition 10 add together
The damages - the SUGAR hou-" prgpcry and 10
IN Morris Ctna. and the cost ~ this draw
Lri ~ to ruluaro the value oi 'hr Central Rail
rord. and y" 10 upon thor alroady intplcrnble
IuN.iiuu. hc .orlu. to tho showing in Gov.
N C"iuus messag" Jcr4ry Ciy'5 dem il
va, t5jrlGnnn. lf'ti'.. milan oT D"mn,oI,.1-
rN ~ W Il property "ls where. it must now boz
sn. lw.u wortlnscon onc-thirdo f It's value.
''u I'd. hlarhir.7"n ('ns h'ge last week he
IL in lu.try that the bridge proiori may d.iyc
awnv from jersey Cdy. In 1877 they paid
Sluool 4uonlh in wages, and employed about
900 ."uds To- inc refinery alone. Their average
nuWh'r of workmon in the refinery Is 500. As
they ue' tween 1000 md 5000 barrels day.
anI employ many cartmrn, those who get en-
I1ymcat ont- Idle must be- hall as many more,
l-l-t y.tirs business amounted to over S2jOO0 e.
OFH I'm" ini Hatcr tax t. Jersey Of tiooDO
year, aud IRON 100000 % fl2.uJO In Local tax
alton. Ih" city OF Hobokcn. with some 10000
inhn ;aDi- pays Jersey City only $4,000 FOR
It's water ply.
AZ the i,.tof the next street, Warren street.
urr an hp private rights To- hrlnl"riored with.
an! MT "y,q drawhrid so. would be necessary
acres tle Norris Canal. bin was introduced
ar th' lget session by on drains 10 bridge the
canal ~ warren street. whle. failed for some
reason or other hut which mot with no locnl
oppos ton. and could undoubtedly be passed
tbs session. What mysterious reason Old
BraiL- has. ihoreiore, for taxing On hand such
q hsnt ~ tao sugar house men and the Morris
Canal tomutny arc getting ready to give him
II Is hard To- conjecture.
Peace IN THE POLICE BOARD.
Mr.. ErhnTdrs Manifesto Placed on File
Two Captains Assigned.
The Police Board met yesterday shortly