The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1889-05-21

fused to accept 1T. believe now the clty
has no right to it. When the land did
become valuable the city saw fit to accept
it, but by that time the land had been
given to others. l think it useless to
bother with it except where the railroads
encroach on the Streets
Mr. Carr said ne understood the State
had the 81 600, and Mr., Dear replied
Mr.. Mcpherson got a bill through giving
unlimited time to the city to accept
After this the Central Railroad Company
had a general railroad law passed. Then
the company tried to sell the land to
Colgate IL Co., but the lawyers OF this
firm advised it not to purchase, because
the Central could not give a good title, l
have seen a number of opinions on the
question, and they all agreed that the
grant is good one and that the parties
claiming it may be elected.
This was seven or eight years ago, and
since that time the Board OF Aldermen
have accepted the grant, and the Board OF
Finance issued 81 900 bond, which was
paid. The city owns the property, and
the Central Railroad people were robbers
and thieves when they took and filled in
Henderson street and Jersey avenue"
The motion to ascertain the city rights
prevailed Al resolution requesting the
Pennsylvania Railroad Company to not
over the grade at Washington and
Plymouth four feet, as proposed, when the
TOHu Is 0leNdteu, WAS cdrF1eu.
THE PROPOSED PARKS.
DIR. Gordon pointed to a map hanging
on the wall, on which were pinned four
pieces of red paper, showing the location
of the Highland, Clifford, Smith and
Currie estates, which are proposed for
parks, and then the secretary read this
resolution, which was adopted
Resolved That the Board of Trade respectfully
represents to the Commissioners for Location OF
Public Parks that the proportion OF the county
taxes paid by the people OF this city who consti-
tute two-thirds of the population Of this county,
makes 1t matter of simple justice that one OF
the parks should be wholly within the limits or
Jersey City in as central a position as possible
Mr.. Dear said that he knew many per-
sons favored the Currie property and the
King estate, but that was because the peo7
pie did not know that there are other To-
cations available He did not, until he
hunted them up. He described the west
side property, or Gigord estate, and stated
that 1866 acres of it is marsh, and 1873 up
land, and expensive to improve. The
King estate, or Highland property, he ad-
mitted, was beautiful spot and in a
state of cultivation. The price asked Is
81, 200 per acre, and to improve it would
make the total cost $500, 600, or one half OF
the appropriation.
"The Town of Union is densely popu-
lated,n continued Mr.. Dear, /" but still it
uHS DuU 1t,UUb DeOplt. IL lc tttog VI tNCNCco
to the 10000 people in Hoboken and the
i, 600 who live in other sections near by it.
This makes 5000 people who may be ac-
eommodated by this park, and they are
entitled, beyond q doubt, to have one
"For the Currie estate it is proposed to
pay S2, $50 per acre 1t has canal running
through it and will soon have railroads.
About one-quarter of the land is in Jersey
City, the balance being in Bayonne. This
city is beautiful one and is not built up
and densely populated like Jersey City,
and that portion of the county does not
require park as we do, and l think we
are less than loyal to the city if we con.
sent to it,
HE FAvoRs THE SMITH PROPERTY.
s'Now, the Smith property is but two
blocks south of the Newark and New
York Railroad and contains 116 acres. 1t
slopes north and south and has large
level surface at the summit. and there Is
room for lake at the base, and for ball
grounds, etc. A public park is not alone
to drive fast horses in, but is fer the poor
/ admit that the odor from Autenreith's
dead animal place and another place OF q
similar nature is sometimes bad, but that
can be done away with.
Autenreith has been indicted several
times and fined once for this nuisance
Mr. Dear then said that the owners of
the Smith property had agreed to give
and dwelt at length on the beauties of the
place, but admitted it had no water front,
and the only way to reach the river was
by a long tramp through the marsh. He
said park there could give three miles OF
drives and five miles OF walks. He said
that he did not require the Board to make
a decision at once as to a preference for
the Smith property, but wanted to call its
attention to the proposition and also othe
Clifford estate, which he believed to be
preferable to the Currie estate
AN INTERESTED MAN.
John Reed is frank and open talker,
to say the least, and he is much interested
in this subject.
business, " said he, 'and / am no excep-
tion. | admit that / am much interested
in having the Smith property made q
park. | have piece of property fronting
the Smith land, 260 feet long, and | have
ten acres in the rear it. | don't know
why should not be permitted to speak
in favor of this place, as other interested
persons should of the other proposed pro-
perties."
Mr.. Reed then said that the Smith
tract is one-half hour nearer the densely
populated part of Jersey City than Cur
rie's Wood, and that it is accessible by rail
roads. He knew it was beautiful spot
for park He could judge, for he had
and other parks. He said that three
fourths of the trees of the Currie estate
must be cut down to make park, and
that would ruin it. The Smith property,
he added, will not need this, and it is
eighty feet above tide level. From it a
magnificent view of Newark Bay and the
Hackensack River and other places of in
terest, such as Snake Hill, could be OBJ
tanned.
1T WOULD REDUCE TAXES.
Mr.. Reed added that park at this point
would build up strip of land 800 feet
wide and one and half miles long and
develop it, 1t would, as the property was
built UP, increase tax ratables, and that
would not happenif if Currie's Wood should
be chosen. He believed that the Commits
sioners had determined to permit r all
road to pass through Currie's estate,
which would decrease its valua-
tion and that of adjacent prop
erty. He admitted that Currie's
Wood was beautiful place at the bluff,
but said that that was all there was of It,.
There are forty more acres in the Smith
than in the Currie estate. To improve it
the cost would be but $4,000 more than
the Currie estate.
Messrs Detwiller and l.. v. Booraem
declared themselves in favor OF the Smith
estate in brief speeches. and the meeting
adjourned.
Eight More Than Judas Got.
Sneak thieves entered the residence of
Mr.. Kahrs, No. 1888 Garden street, Hobo
ken, Yesterday afternoon and stole thirty
eight pieces of silver. There were three men
implicated in the robbery, and the police
have their dissertations hut nm to the