The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1889-07-12
CHANGES IN HOBOKEN.
Gigantic Plans of the Land and I'M
p-ovement Company.

.
p-oVement Company.
The first symptoms of the great efforts
which are being made by the Hoboken
Land and Improvement Company to infiu-
ence larger portion of the New York
shipping industry to Hoboken than that
city at present has are beginning to show
themselves. About two months ago THE
JERSEY CITY NEWS interested its readers
with full description of the plans form
ulated in the mind of the great Hoboken
Land Trust.
The grand and picturesque old River
Walk, around which cluster SO many ro-
mantle memories, is to be cut away. The
pick and shovel have deSecrated the mem
orable spot and it is being converted into
a street The banks are being filed in
with rock, over which dirt is thrown, and
the rocky sides of the Stevens estate are
being blown away in order to make room
for the PAYERS.
Besides this, the Elysian Fields, another
spot of fond recollection, is being cut up
for building lots, and in fact the Fields
are unrecognizable to those who knew
them five years ago
STEVENS CASTLE FOR SALE.
On the Stevens estate itself, too, there
are humber OF signs announcing that
the property is for sale and that easy pay
ments will be accepted. So far the prop
erty has not been eagerly sought after.
The position is too elevated for most peo
pie, as in winter the wind rushes over the
castle ground with uninterrupted feroc-
ity, and that, for one reason, has been
hindrance in every case of prospective
purchase.
''What is the company's object?" is a
question often asked, but nobody has
seemed to grasp the solution OF the
enigma
The fact is that one of the greatest land
schemes ever carried out will soon be cast
upon Hoboken. The entire river front
will be given up to the shipping trade,
from the Hamburg docks up to and be-
yond the Fourteenth street ferry. 1t is
bold and clever bid for an Increased num-
ber of shipping companies who at present
load and unload on the New York shore
of the Hudson or the East River.
CHEAP STEAM WHARFS.
One inducement offered is that the rent
and expenses would be less than on the
other shore, and that railroad facilities
would be much improved. From Wee
hawken, if the scheme pans out as it is
expected to, a track will be laid right along
the present River Walk, and connection
thereby obtained with the Erie and West
Shore Railroad.
The object in selling portions of the
Stevens estate is evident. 1t has been
given out by the family that they are anX-
ious to remove to New York, as they find
no suitable society in Hoboken, and there
is an amount of petty jealousy between
the Hoboken society leaders and the
family at the castle.
Then, too, when the projected offices,
warehouses and docks are built, the
IN which forms of the
estate and which is portion of the park
will deteriorate much in value, so that the
Company is trying to make as much as
possible out of the transaction before
their idea is made public.
A RIVER RAILROAD.
The River Walk will be converted into
substantial roadway, which will connect
with the newly opened River street, across
the front of the park between Fourth and
Fifth streets. The long controversy be-
tween the Council and the company dur
ing the past winter over the privilege of
building a roadway across the front OF
the park has been fully published in the
columns of THE JERSEY CITY NEWS. The
affair ended in a victory for the Hoboken
Land and Improvement Company, who
nave now practically the entire control of
the whole water front.
A GREAT SHIPPING CENTRE.
It is not many years before Hoboken
much shipping as she has at the present
time. 1t has been promised, and the ship
owners see their way to saving consider
able money by the proposed change.
The location is superb. The docks
would be situated between two ferries,
the lower and Fourteenth street one, and
if the proposed railroad changes were
carried out connection could be main
tanned by the short branch line with the
Pennsylvania, Erie and West Shore rail-
roads over the Junction Railroad of New
Jersey, and the proposed small loop to
connect the different warehouses and
docks.
Upon enquiry at the Hoboken Land and
Improvement Company's offices this
morning l could learn nothing about the
matter. President Stevens was away
and nobody else had authority to say any
thing about the matter.
1t is expected that millions of dollars
will be spent in preparing Hoboken for
her new career.
To the people who have lived in the up
town section of the city the budding
works of the company are causing much
surprise and indignation, as at first the
property will be much reduced in price
for the purpose of residences, and it will
be some time before it attains any value
as manufacturing or railroad premises.