The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1889-06-24
MILLS Holds 7HE FERRY
Captain Conroy Has Not
Yet Torn Down the
Pier.
CAN A CHAIN FERRY BE UsEDs
Ex-Fire Commissioner Mills Says
He Is There to Earn His Bread
and Butter.

Excise Commissioner Mills Is easy in
his mind and suave in his manner today.
went in his two cent ferryboat over the
Gap this morning and found everything
just as usual, and Mr.. Mills just as
happy.
Good morning, Mr.. Mills,n said /. 81
see that they haven't taken your pier
down YETI
No, and guess they won't this week.
1t wouldn't surprise me if it didn't come
down at all. It may be that the surprise
will all be ON the other side. This is my
bread and butter, this ferry, and this
man must think me big fool If he be-
heves that he can come in here and take
away my business while sit still and
say nothing"
He says that the Board of Works-or
the new Board that has taken its place
will clear away your pier"
The Board of Works will do well to let
1t alone My pier is not on city property
at all. That stops with the bulkhead. nv
pier. goes out thirty feet beyond that, and
the bottom belongs either to the State or
to the Lehigh Valley Railroad Company,
which VIII OF course be protected by the
State. "
AFTER TEN YEARS.
Just how long have you been here, Mr..
Mills?" asked.
I've been here ten years, and propose
to stay. had the permission of the rail
road company to run a ferry here, or I
should never have bought out my prede-
cessor. l have never had to pay any rent
even, and the railroad officials do not ex-
press the slightest dissatisfaction with me
or with the way run my ferry Captain
Conway claims, as his authority for start
ing ferry at this point, that he has that
same permission, and that the railroad
build him slip on this side.
Il don't believe that any such promise
has been made. | don't believe, either.
that Captain Conroy intends to try to run
a chain ferry. / tried that once, and there
is the boat behind you, rotting; and the
rusting machinery 5000 worth Of it's in
that heap over there.
ut Is simply absurd to talk about a
chain ferry. Look across the Gap now
there you see two big canal boats living
across the bulkhead of the street. Where
would his chain be now? And there are
more boats than that, generally. So long
as the sugar house is over there the boats
will be run up to that bulkhead, and If
anything is in the way the boats are big
enough to smash it, / have not heard
that the sugar house people think of NOV
ing, and l guess that it will be some time
before chain ferry is possible" /" and the
exc Commissioner smiled grim smile.
THE LANDING ON THIS SIDE.
Mr. Mills watched one of his rowboats
trying to land on this side of the Gap and
saw how the people had to climb because
the steps were out Of reach behind canal
boat, and the tide was so low that the
landing stage was high above the wateH
That gave him new idea.
ST notice." said he, "sthat Conroy claiIae
to have been promised by the sugar houaas
people that they would fix LANDING
place for him on the other side. TheS
won't do it. They have been begged time
and time again to do something, but they
put it off, put it off, put it of, until Il
makes any man tired If they Keep any
promise they have made to Captain Con-
roy it is more than believe they'll do"
'There's one funny thing about, it ALI
Whenever Captain Conroy crosses the
Gap he has to pay me two cents, SO am
making one thing out of his bluff any
way'
Then paid him two cents and came