The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1890-01-09
LANE LOTS.
They Were Cut Whenit Grew
to Noble Street, and Own
ers are Kicking.

WhIle the reported threats OF tne rev
property owners along Noble street, on
Factory lane as it is still called by manS
in Greenville, whose fences were recently
taken down by Street Superintendent
Tumulty. in pursuance of instructions
from the Street and Water Commits
sioners to widen that thoroughfnre ten
feet, in some respects may be compared
to Il tempest in Il teapot. It's not alto
gether improbable that the matter VIII
find its way into the courts.
SO far as | could CLEAN information
from the interested property owners last
evening there seem TO be but three gem
tlemen, representing four or five pieces OF
property who feel that they. have
not been properly compensated for the
loss of their ground.
One of these means business and in
tends to fight the matter to the md.
Another is willing to abide by the action
of the Commissioners and has dropped all
spirited opposition, and the other is an
old gentleman who, report says, taxes
asout the same view as the latter. me
first one alluded to. however, is most
largely affected.
HISTORY OF THE CASE.
From inquiry / learned that Noble
street was formerly a twenty-foot lane
opened some sixty years ago to enable a
Mr.. Alderman to reach his farm from the
old Bergen Road, The property was
jointly donated by William Anderson
aud Van Horn. Four years ago u petition
signed by William Zimmerman, Charles
Perrin, Mr.. Van Reiper M others. was
sent to the Board of Works asking that
the lane be widened ten feet. Mr.. Shultz.
who owns a valuable property at the
Greenville end of the lane, got
up q remonstrance, which, report says,
although signed By a majority OF the in
terested property owners, was not pre-
sented. A number of the property owners,
however, called at the Board OF Works
office to see how the awards for damages
and benefits were made. and found to
their surprise that Mr.. Schultz had been
awarded 81, 300, William Zimmermann,
81, 200 and Mr.. Perrin $3.50. If my
informant was not sadly mistaken,
Messrs. Zimmerman and Perrin erected
houses which projected beyond the pro-
signed a petition for the widening OF the
lane. Others, whose property backs on
the lane, although having five feet OF
their lots, from fifty to one hundred and
fifty feet wide, Clipped off, are to be as
sessed for the improvement o greater
amount than the compensation awarded
them for the loss of their property.
These men We're recently told that
nothing should be done in the matter till
they had a hearing. The Sixth District
Property Owners Association three
months ago presented a petition to the
Board of Street and Water Commission
ers asking that the proposed widening OF
the street be speedily carried out. Street
superintendent Tumulty shortly after
moved The fences. When asked by what
authority, said my informant, he re-
moved them, he did not give a satisfac-
tory explanation.
WHAT THEY ALL SAY.
i called upon Mr.. James p. Thatcher,
who, / had been told, was n of the ag-
grieyed property owners. His words puz-
zled me somewhat.
81 have no grievance whatever" he
said, with an imperial wave of his right
hand. IF the city wants my property
they have the right to take it. | am done
with the matter. | am perfectly satisfied
with anything the city authorities may
see fit to do"
"Were Won fully compensated for the
loss of your property?'
Eyes. So the authorities say"
eDoes the amount at which you are
assessed for the improvement exceed
what you were awarded as compensa-
tion?"
no sir.n
'sWhat amount were you awarded"
II Don't know. I haven't been down
to see. When the authorities notified me
to set back my fence | merely went to
work and put up another On the line
designated; so when the outer fence was
removed the Commissioners found their
orders had been carried out. II they had
the right to cut off five feet of land they
had the right to take the fence along
with IL"
4"Wil You join in any concerted action
to sue the authorities"
mo, sir. | tell you | have no griev'
ance."
"Who else has made any complaint tc
the effect that they were not properly
COMPENSATED"
t'No one that / know of, except those
you talked to before you called upon me
and Mr.. -,' who lived two doors away,
and he takes little stock in the matter
The gentleman referred to was abed when
/ called.
Superintendent of Streets Tumulty
told me that In removing the fences he
was merely carrying out orders to widen
the streets and had consulted the Corpor-
alton Counsel before proceeding arbitrari
ly. The question, he said, was one Of
amount OF compensation.