The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1889-07-18
IT'SARAILROAD SCHEME.
The Lehigh Valley Company
Is Supposed to Be After
a New Route.
SIGNIFICANT PURCHASES.
A Plan to Get the Rich Traffic
of the Oranges.

1t was recently announced in The JER-
sEY CITY NEWS that gentleman named
Harvey, of Nyack, had purchased large
tract of land in the western part
OF the city lying between West
Side and Marcy avenues on the
east and west, and Duncan and Belmont
avenues on the north and south at the ter
minus of the proposed elevated railroad
from the Central ferry. 1t was ru
mored that the object of the pur-
chase was to erect on the property
small houses which would be rented at O
moderate sum to clerks and others with
small incomes. The elevated railroad, it
was claimed wouldfurnish a,quick mode of
transit to the city, and every prospect
was fair for building up a large
now. practically uninhabitable owing to
the lack of facilities for reaching it In a
short time.
IT'S A RAILROAD SCHEME.
The scheme looked plausible enough
upon its face but recent developments
strongly indicate that the purchases were
nothing but another large rail
IGs road enterprise. a strip Of land
from the western limit of Mr Haryey's i'
purchase on Marcy avenue to the Hack
ensack River has recently been pur-
chased, and knowing ones aver that
TINS IS but part of the Lehigh
Valley Railroad Company's scheme
for an independent line through Newark
to New York. They point out that the
greater part of The ia foot strip is
meadow land and at present valuable for
no other than railroad purposes.
Moreover, from the western limit of the
Lehigh Valley Company's property in
Lafayette to the recently purchased tract
is direct line through a section of the
hill. which can be easily tunneled, as the
Delaware, Lachawanna and Erie COM
pan1es have done or cut through after the
manner of the Pennsylvania and Newark
and New York roads.
From point opposite the western limit
of the ia foot strip of the Hackensack
River, the Morris Canal, which has re-
Gently been purchased by the Lehigh
Valley Company, strikes westward and
runs in Il diret line across the meadows to
Newark.
1t was stated when the railroad COM
pany first purchased the canal that it pro-
posed to fill in the ditch and use it as g.
roadbed to this city.
But 1t has recently transpired that by
the purchase of the canal the company
has secured the right of way through the
city of Newark which they would have
had considerable difficulty in obtaining in
any other way.
UP INTO THE ORANGES.
1t is said that with the right of way
through Newark to this city, the Lehigh
Valley proposes to build road up the
Oranges, and thus compete for the
rich traffic of that section of the State
which is now practically monopolized by
the Delaware, Lackawanna and Western
Railroad.
Years ago When the Lehigh Valley
road was first projected and was known
as the Packer road,' it was the
Intention of its projectors to run
it through Newark. Property was
bought, route surveyed and work be-
gan. The route, however, was abandoned,
and that between Perth Amboy and
Easton finally adopted.
Although The route was adopted one
section between Summit, on the Della
ware, Lackawanna and Western Railroad,
and Bernardsv1lle, was completed and
afterward for several years under the
name of the West Line Railway.
A few years ago this section passed I'M
der control of the Delaware, Lackawanna
and Western Company, and is now ope-
rated by that road under the name of the
PaSSaic and Delaware Railroad.
Although this section of Packer road
between Summit and Bernardsville was
the only one used in that part of
the, State, large section was
graded west of Newark and
it is said that the Lehigh Valley Com
pany intends to utilize that section in
building its new route up into the
Oranges and the northern portion of the
State.
VARIOUS STRAWS.
1t will easily be seen how all the nance
uvres of the Lehigh Valley Company
made of late point to such scheme
in addition to its intention of obtaining
an indepent line through Newark to this
city. After reaching Newark in the man
ner set forth above, it will be
comparatively easy matter for the com
pany to strike southwest across the
Meadow to Roselle, on the New
Jersey Central railroad, where its
new main line now taps the Central and
proceeds over the latter company's track to
and the South Cove.