The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1889-03-29
Weehawken's Progress as
One Of Her Prominent
Citizens Sees 1t.
THE NEW SEWERAGE SYSTEM.
Hoboken Land and Improvement
Company's Schemes Balked---
The Need of a New School.

The little borough of Weehawken is
rapidly growing into prominence. The
desire of its citizens to increase the num-
ber of Town Fathers from three to five,
called my attention to it, and with the in
tention of evolving something of interest,
had pleasant chat yesterday with one
of the towns most energetic business
men.
''The financial status of our town, said
he, sis excellent. Our town officials are
efficient and conscientious. Our tax rate.
1867, is comparatively small and even
that, if our intended tax levy on the rail
road could be collected year by year, could
be easily reduced. Our only bonded debt
is in sewer bonds which do not exceed
$780, 600 This we are paying off at the rate
Of 81 900 yearly.
''In regard to our sewerage, there is now
bill which will be shortly presented to
the Legislature, granting us the neces-
sary privileges for obtaining better drain
age in our town. Our present sewer-the
old Bulls Ferry sewer, as it is called-has
its outlet in the northern part of the
town, and, though all our citizens were
and are assessed for it, but very few reap
any material advantage from it. Not
many weeks ago mass meeting of citi-
zens was held and two plans and two diff
ferent rates were debated.
SThe first plan is that of the Hoboken
Land and Improvement Company, pre-
sented by Surveyor Brush. The main
pipe was to have been laid from the cattle
sheds through Park avenue, connecting
with the different lateral sewers and ter
minating in a pumping station just north
of the Pennsylvania Railroad.
THE H. L. & l. WOULD BENEFIT.
ssNot to speak of the incidental advant-
age which the Land and improvement
Company would derive from the proposed
route of this sewer, the pumping sys tenn
alone is enough to condemn it. Had this
system been adopted an assessment t of SO
year, it has been estimated, would have
been necessary to maintain it, exclusive
! of the original ass essment for its const1ue-
tion.
Another plan was presented. upon
which the taxpayers seem inclined to
look more favorably. The route of this
through Herman street to the Hackensack
plankroad, thence through Eighteenth
street to Park avenue, to its outlet in the
channel about a hundred feet south of
the Pennsylvania Railroad coal dock. The
tidal system will be used in this sewer,
and the needless assessment for the pump
ing station will be done away with.
'Another reason,o said my informant,
'for our objecting to the plan the Town
Committee requested Mr.. Brush to draw,
is the rumor that the Land and Improve
ment Company had intended to avail it
self of the proposed sewer and pumping
plant by connecting it with lateral sewers
from their swampy meadow land, in
North Hoboken. The tidal system sewer
has been adopted.
It's estimated cost will be $4,000. In
the matter of sewerage improvements,
mnch credit is due to Messrs. Frederick
J. Branz, Conrad Schneider and Henry
Brands, through whose efforts the neces-
sity for new sewer was successfully pre-
sented to the people.
THE NEED OF A NEW SCHOOL.
"The school question: he continued,
''has been almost settled. There is hardly
any doubt that the three lots of the Ho-
boken Land and Improvement Company,
running from the Boulevard to Park
avenue, will be chosen as the site for the
new schoolhouse. The price, I believe,
will be S., $50 1t will be two story brick
structure, with a frontage of sixty-five
feet, divided into eight rooms, each of
which must comfortably seat sixty-eight
children.
"The partitions between the class rooms
on the first floor can be withdrawn when
assembly room. The building will be
heated by steam, and air shafts will sup
ply the necessary ventilation.
'sThere is now nearly three hundred chill
dren in the old school house, and every
day that they go there takes nobody
knows how many off their lives. A more
CHASTITY death trap could not be found in
the State of New Jersey"
By the way, the School Board met last
evening, and declined to take on itself the
responsibility of selecting q plan for the
new school building, for which S25, 900 has
been appropriated without having a con-
sultation with the Town Attorney.
NOT ENOUGH HOUSES.
Then the conversation passed from the
school question to general topics.
yes said my citizen, with smile,
"Weehawlzen is great little town, vigor-
Gus and free of gripes. There is one
trouble. We have not houses enough.
There is hardly house vacant in Wee
hawken. Every day real estate agents,
with interests in our town, have to send
applicants away. A hotel at moderate
rates would coin money. The Land and
Improvement Company people," said he,
in response to my query, find it more to
their advantage to hold their property in
the town for the market that must come
than to sell it at a reasonable price to en-
terprising spectators.
sFWeehawken has future before her;
she is one of the wealthiest towns for her
area in the United States, but her people
refuse to support home trade. Business
is almost stagnant. 1t was only day or
so ago that met a friend ON the street
car on his way to buy some goods in New
York city, which he could have obtained
at less expense within ten yards of his
own door, When the citizens of Wee
kawken learn to pay less attention to
political schemes-the division of the
county, for example-and more to the
new era of prosperity win be opened for
Hudson county's modest little township" :"
Sixth District Labor Men.