The Sunday morning news. [volume] (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1886-1891, 1886-12-19

upon the bottles, they have no objection to
bottles as such--but upon the filthy water
that was in them.
Soon thereafter President O'Rourke's
gavel commanding silence fell on his desk
in the Aldermanic Chamber, and quite as
soon thereafter, sealed envelope was
handed to City Clerk Scott to be opened.
when hs bad unfolded the missive it had
enclosed, he read to the Board the PROPOSE
ton of the North Jersey Water Company to
supply Jersey City with water. The Board
solved the thousand and one knotty pro-
blems suggested by the communication in
single breath, and in less than one hour,
the proposition had been accepted by the
vote of the Democratic members of the
Board.
Another gauntlet was yet to be run.
The concurrence of the Board of Finance
in the acceptance of the proposition was
yet needed. AS matter of fact. no city
Board except the Boards of Works and
finance had any legitimate business with
the proposition. The application to the
Board of Aldermen was as unnecessary and
their consent as Ineffective as would be an
application to, or the consent of, the Police
Board. Why they should have been con-
suited is one of the mysteries of the water
phenomenon. Some think that it was to
care any possible defect by reason of
failure Of the Board of Aldermen to act
upon it. Others suspect that it was design
ed as make weight in securing favorable
action on the part1of the Bo-rd of Finance.
IF this latter was the design it failed of
accomplishment The Board of Finance
heard the proposition, and determined, as
Rip Van Wrinkle said he would if his drown
ing wife should appeal to him to save her,
to just go home and think about that.
They appointed Commissioners Jordan and
Hardenbergh to learn all the facts, and at
their next meeting will sit down so hard on
the proposition that it will never know what
struck it.
reporter of the SUNDAY MORNING News
asked Chief Engineer Ruggles yesterday 20
state the details on which he had based his
calculation that the present water supply
costs Jersey City $22 to $24 per million
gallons. He said he could not find the a.
per on which he made his calculatio g,
though he made an earnest and honest ell
fort to do SO while the reporter stood by.
He could only recall the items of salaries
amounting to 49, 200 per month, equal to
$37, 400 in year, the item of coal, $50, 900,
and other supplies and repairs which he
estimated at 600 per year. These de-
tails show total of $50, 400. He said that
the city pumps seventeen millions of gal
Ions q day on an average, That would be
sixty-two hundred and five millions of gal
Ions in year, an average of but $l2 so per
million gallons-half only of what Mr..
Ruggles' estimates showed President DATE
of the Board of Finance said to the reporter
that STE, 900 per year would cover the cos
to the city of what the Water Company
propose to do for $139. 800 per year, which
makes the cost per million gallons to the
city now bnt q trife over Sill 90 per million
gallons. But it would cost the city more
than $134, 900 if the Water Company had
the contract, because the water used in the
fire hydrants and the public buildings
would be metered. 1t is not metered now
No one 20 whom the reporter addressed
his inquiries yesterday could give him any
| information as to the men who are in the
scheme to supply the CITY. No one knows
whom the North jersey Water Company is
composed of. Tore y is said to be an Ex-
State Senator of Ocean County, of no par
ticular responsibility. Some one men
toned the name of Mr.. Chandler, and of
Mr.. Clarke, but no one seemed to
know anything Of either, unless Chandler
is the man who has been conspicuous
heretofore in water schemes julius III :.
Pratt, the promoter of the scheme. is the
only one who seems to be known to local
fame He distinguished himself by induc-
ing some of the New Jersey towns to bind
themselves to help pay for the Montclair
Railroad, and then in making them pay
the bonds, at the peril of bankruptcy.
| Later he was interested in movement to
force Hudson County to buy the Arlington
| turnpike. He is looked upon as the
sshead devil in this latest public adven-
ture, and the general impression is that he
has no company" at his bac6, but hopes
to get one if he can work this long-suffer-
ing little community into letting him sup
ply it with drinking water.
| 1t is not claimed that the sscompany"
has yet built any reservoirs or put itself ia
position to do anything towards fulfilling
| its contracts, and number of gentlen en-
versed in water matters with whom the re-
porter conversed said, without any reser-
walton, that the company cannot possibly
fulfil. The Peqnannock River, from
which the company announces its deter
| mination to get its water, is tributary to
the Passalc in the upper part of Passaic
County. It drains some of the small
ponds and lakes in the eastern part of the
county, is dry part of the year, and, the
Paterson Press says. could not furnish
water enough to keep even Paterson going.
Another difficulty in the way is the Pater-
son Society for the promotion of Useful
Man ufactures.
"We own the water rights of the Passaic
and its tributaries, said Judge John Hop
per, of Paterson, one of the head monks in
the Paterson Society, ''and no one can dis
turb us"
81 understand" another gentleman
vcuchsafed, 'sthat some one named Clarke
bought little river right from old John
Ryerson up in Passsic for SIS, 900, and then
turned it over to this North Jersey Water
Company for pretentious consideration
of $4e0, 900 or So"
''Do you not think" asked another
water man, "that such a contract as this
should not have been placed open to COM
natiiion2 LIZ the CITY wants To lat har