The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1889-11-26
FEAST ON THE Hill
The Outgoing Freeholders
Remind Each Other What
Great Men They
Have Been.

1t was with much difficulty and patient
waiting that Director Steger succeeded in
getting together eleven Freeholders TO
make a quorum yesterday. When this
was accomplished, the Board mentally
and individually resolved itself into a
first-class mutual admiration society,
with ex-Judge John A. McGrath as chief
s~teerer. So pleasant and harmonious
was the meeting that a casual observer
would have thought it a love feast. There
were congratulations and Fluctuations
and then farewells.
OUR SALARIES FIRST.
''The ruling passion strong in death"
was never better quoted than now, This
Board Of Freeholders, or rather eleven
members present, voted as a unit to pay
themselves Sal. 95 salary, and Immediately
afterward refused TO order paid the bill
of Druggist Philips for medicine supplied
the inmates at the Asylum, Aims House
and Penetentiary. The amount OF tAe
bill was not One-tourth OF the amount OIL
salaries.
Freebooter Nelson, in a fit of patriot
ism, notified the Board hat he had re-
ceived many enquiries as to why the
bonds for the erection of O new arTnory
have not been issued as the Legislature
directed. He said that want OF time
would now prevent the present Board do
ing it, but offered a resolution that the
attention of Director Bruggeman be
called to the matter. This naturally was
adopted and the new Board will be sad
died with this relic of the present one.
This done and the love feast began IN
earnest.
THEN THE Owe FEAST.
Freebooter Nelson offered q resolution
that expressed thanksto Director Quintus
Cnrtius Steger and regret that his term
of office has expired. The Director was
informed of all his good qualities, and
they are many. Without a dissenting
vote the resolutions We're adopted.
Next Freeholders Tierney, Hennessey
and Kimmerly offered a joint resolution
that proved without doubt that Free
holder Boyle was and ever had been q
good man and faithful office holder
Every one voted for this but Mr.. Boyle,
who perhaps knows himself better than
his friends.
The third and most lively scene in the
love feast was opened by Freeholder Hen
Messy, who offered u resolution that WAS
unanimously adopted, after Counsellor
! McGrath had handled it in a most elo-
quent manner 1t was to the effect that
ali of the other outgoing members, viz,
NIFTY, AuInSA, OA!i1h,
Smith, Nelson, Rollston, Kelly, Cullen,
Bruning and Was were great and good
men, who had faithfully performed their
duties. Before a vote was taken on this
Mr.. Mc(irath informed the Board that he
desired to say something on the subject
and he was given the necessary permits
sion.
MR.. M'GRATH BEARS TESTIMONY.
"For more than two and one-half years"
said he; IT lave been associated with
these gentlemen as an officer OF the Board
and from that day to the present | have
always found them courteous and up
right"
After a few more remarks of a like
nature, the counsellor said they had fol-
lowed his instructions as the legal adviser
of the Board, and added
stThey may not have come up to the ex-
~pectations of their constituents or your
expectations, but they are entitled to our
thanks for what they did. When Director
Steger's term of office expires the county
loses a good man and a faithful officer.
This Board has been criticized by tax
payers and newspapers, but SO far as ! am
concerned, | nave no fault to find with
them"
RIGHT YoU ARE?
''This Board he said afterwards with
a burst OF ~eloquence, LEAVES behind it a
financial record not surpassed by any
other outgoing Board"
A smile passed around the ROOM, and
Billy Cook and Jake Christman
laughed audibly.
Nj. McGrath her gave a history in a
brief manner Of the county institutions
for ten years back, and declared that to-
day they are run more cheaply than
then.
'The Board may have erred here, and
there, but to err is human"
He believed they had left o record they
could be proud of.
This closed the counsellor's eulogy, and
the Board adjourned to meet Friday,
when it will adjourn sine die.