The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1889-05-29
THE ARMORY Site.
Lieutenant Colonel Aber-
nethy Prefers the Summit
Avenue Location.
THERE'S A QUESTION OF PRICE.
Many Members Of the Regiment
Favor the Montgomery Street
Site.

Site.
The question of the new armory, and
of its location, divides the attention now
of the soldiers of the Fourth Regiment
with the preparations for the approaching
State Camp.
1t is settled that the city is to have q
new armory.
1t is to be erected under the auspices of
the State Military Board.
The site is to be purchased by the
county. Its price may go as high as $685.
Co., Ii the county is without the money
to buy it, then the county must take
bonds unto itself for the amount.
When the site has been purchased the
State is to contribute S75, 900 for the build
ing that is to go up on it. If the State is
without the wherewithal, she, too, must
put herself under bonds to secure it,
Ii the site can be secured for less than
1000 the saving may be used by the
militia for 'betterments"-for fitting up
the lockers and furnishing the officers
rooms and identifying and decorating the
building.
The work is to be done-the purchase of
the site and the erection of the building
by the State Military Board. This con-
sists of Governor Green, General Stryker,
Major Generals Plume and SeWel and
Brfgadier General Dudley S. Steele
These have selected Lieutenant Colonel
Hugh Abernethy committee of one to
hunt up a site and advise the Board in
that direction.
THE CHOICE OF SITES.
Lieutenant Colonel Abernethy said yes-
s1ar,k kl1..Al L.
view. The Rudderow site, a site on
Baldwin avenue opposite the hospital,
the Wheelhan property on Montgomery
street, and site on Summit and Gardner
avenues.
He seemed to be most favorably inn
pressed with the Summit avenue site, and
was even then on his way to consulta-
tion with the owners. He hoped to hag-
gle them down to a price he is willing to
pay for it. He would not say what the
price is, nor will it be known, he says,
which Of the sites is determined upon till
the State Military Board makes it public.
Meanwhile the members of the National
Guard ase permitted to entertain their
own notions as to where the new armory
should be. But they are not making
them public.
PERSONAL PREFERENCES.
As, for instance, Adjutant General
John A. Parker, when he said, in reply to
my question last night:-"As an officer of
the National Guard, it would be out Of
place for me to express an opinion which
might run counter to that of the Board
Colonel Wanser said this morn
ing, that if the Whelihan. estate
could have been secured. the
the owners wished to retain strip
twenty-five feet in width, which would
would make it useless for an armory. II
that had not been done, the land would
now be the property of the county.
First Lieutenant John G. Berrian, Jr.,
of Co. F, when spoken to on the subject
said" My choice is the Montgomery
street plot. There ar quite number of
reasons why prefer 1t, the principal one
being, that by a very little excavating, a
good rifle range could be secured, thing
much needed. By adding little to the
cost of the armory, one of the greatest
helps to us would he secured. The location
is good. and can easily be reached from all
quarters of the city,
Second Lieutenant John J. Keim, of the
same company said:-'1 prefer the Mont
gomery street site to any other. 1t is
much more convenient than the one on
Bergen avenue, for the location is such
that it can be reached from any quarter
of the city easily Then the site is COM
manding, overlooking the whole CITY,"
First Sergeant johnson, of the same
company, said:-"For my own part
but if it is to be built on the Hill, would
say build on the Montgomery site In
preference to any other. 1t is close to the
cars If it is built ON the Hill we will lose
some men, but | think that what we lose
will be more than made up by the class of
young men that we can draw from that
section. Companies A and d are already
on the Hill, and as the members nearly
all live there, they will be satisfied. Com
panies C, E and are located here; but q
number Of the men live on the Hill"
Captain J. H. Brensinger, of Company
F, said:-"The Montgomery street site is
the best of all. 1t is the easiest of access,
and is well suited for an armory in every
way That is my choice"
In talking with several of the priyates.
the chief idea expressed was "a new
armory," and as long as they get it the
rank and file do not seem to care SO much,
provided they do not have too far to walk
and that they get good drill room.