The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1890-09-26
Save qHE PARK.
Fighting the Central Rail
ways Grabs at Bay
onne'S Avenues.
BOULEVARD IN DANGER TOO.
Arguments Against a Change Of
Grade Which Would Ruin Two
Great Public Improve
ments.
BOULEVARD IN DANGER TOO.

6pOlORJ lOf u Clty udll tltetU CAlSIo al I'LL y
city in New Jersey distinguishes Bay
onne, and in this miserable place last
night a reporter of THE JERSEY CITY
NEWS sat from eight o'clock to twelve
o'clock listening to lawyers wrangle
over the knotty point whether Mayor
Newman should sign or veto an ordi-
nance The disgruntled reporter, as he
percbed on a stool. saw that he was by
no means alone in his misery, and this
grim satisfaction aided some in making
his very hard stool more comfortable.
The room, which WAS decidedly dirty and
Ill ventilated, was crowded, standing
room only being at q premium. In the
sacred precincts partitioned oft by a rail-
ing sat Mayor John Newman, whose fifty
odd years seemed to rest lightly on him,
almost as lightly as the gold trimmed
spectacles that ornamented his nose. On
either side of him, forming circle, were
Councilmen Henry Meiggs, William G.
Farr, William Sanford, Charles McQuil-
Ian. Elbert Scofleld, Edward O'Farrell
and John A. Cadmus. The jewels that
studded this animated ring and flashed
alton Counsel William d. Edwards. ex-
Judge John A. McGrath, William H..
Corbin, Ediow w. Harrison. Mungo Cur
rie, City Attorney Charles W. Fuller,
City Clerk Hamilton, Reon Barnes,
Emmett Smith, Walter Bird, L. G. Brown
and Henry G. Lembeck.
ITO DE, OR NOT TO BE-"
The ordinance which is ito be or not to
be' that had called forth SO much talent
and talk, is one adopted at the last meet
ing of the Common Council authorizing
the depression of the grade of Avenues
A, B and G, and some side streets. This
ordinance was introduced by the Jersey
City, Newark and Western Railroad Com
pany and the Waverly and New York
Bay Railroad Company. The Lehigh
Valley Company is the father OF the first
Of these two and the Pennsylvania Com
pany is the immediate progenitor of the
Waverly and New York Bay Company.
These railroads want to pass through
Bayonne at rifty-ninth street and they
want TO do it as cheaply as possible.
To simplify matters and to
not have four railroads apparently mixed
up in the scheme, the Pennsylvania Com
pany held a conference some time ago
with the Lehigh Valley people, and after
discussing mutual benefits, it was de-
cided that the Pennsylvania Company
should build the bridge across the New
ark Bay and the Lehigh Valley people
should construct The road across Bay
onne. Thus it happens that the Lehi gh
Valley Company caused the ordinance to
be adopted and asked Mayor Newman to
attach mis- signature to 1t. The Mayor
was at once entreated To not do so
by the Currie estate and The Board
of Freeholders of the county, for
age the Currie estate thousands of dollars
aud would prove very detrimental to the
new county boulevard to be erected.
These opposing factions placed the Mayor
in position of doubt. and it was.to have
that doubt removed that he called pub
lie meeting, to hear further argument in
the matter. His Honor briefly said, as he
ne was doubling Thomas" and invited
some one to enlighten him as to the
course he should pursue.
WHAT SHOULD BE-
Ex-senator Edwards was perfectly
willing to give this advice, and he began
it by saying that he represented the Cur
rie estate and Nthat he protested ag ainst
the Mayors signing the ordinance to
change the grade OF certain streets in
Bayonne because the petition requesting
the change of grade did not meet the re-
,quirements OF the charter: that sigma
lures to the petition had been obtained
by stretching out the grade, and that the
company had not given fair compensation
for the damage it might do.
He then examined the list of names on
the petition which must represent three
fourths of the property on the line of the
road and took exception to the signers.
He said that but two-fifths of the Cad
mus property was represented, for the
signers could not represent all of the es-
tate, and that several other pieces of
land were signed by agents. which he
claimed to be improper.
The ex-senator said that the ordinance
affected 81, IT'S feet of land
along the line and he would
show that over 5000 feet was not legally
represented on the petition. He then
said there were 4.5S3 feet OF land not
signed for the Currie estate and called at
tention to other tracts making in all
6, 467 4-10 feet that had not been properly
put before the Council, and in conse-
quence the ordinance had been adopted
Illegally, for the necessary three-fourths
of the land damaged had not been repre-
sented in the petition, and the company
was Just 600 feet of land short of the
amount required by them to make three
fourths. He claimed further that ad-
mitting that the 600 feet signed for by
the Pennsylvania Railroad Company had
been properly done by the authorization
of the company, this did not give the
necessary title for the company only
owned the easement, the fee to the land
in the Currie estate.
Mr.. Edwards illustrated his remarks
by map of Bayonne that had been pre-
pared by Emmett Smith, the engineer of
that city. and showed that the grade had
been so stretched out that those VINO had
signed the petition had not been damaged
at all, but that the Curries, who mad not
signed, had received great damage.
''BARKIS Is wILLIN."
"The company have offered" said the
Senator, ITO remove the dirt caused by
the excavations to depress the grade free
of cost to the Curries and city. No won
der they are willing, the law. compels
them to do this; they offer to furnish a
suitable sewer; they are compelled to do
this to protect their own property. Self
is the only reason for this
offer. They make sewer of Avenue A and
then say we will mitigate our offence by
draining it, 1t will cost the Currie estate
to grade their property to the depressed
grade S23. 900, and you are asked to put
these people to the expense for the benefit
of a corporation that does not pay one
cent of taxes to Bayonne.
IL the city of Bayonne wants to give
this privilege to the railroad. so be 1t; but
at the same time the company should be
to pay the Currie estate
$23 600 for the damages sustained"
Counsellor John A. McGrath followed
the ex-senator and said he aud Chief En-
gineer Edlow Harrison were present on
behalf of the new County Boulevard at
the request of the Board of Freeholders.
They had no private interests to protect
and were only in the interest of the pub
lie. He asked that the ordinance bs not
signed, for it would greatly interfere
The law had said this road should be
kf TO- nd