The Sunday morning news. [volume] (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1886-1891, 1890-02-16
new PARK Sites
Much Talk at the Meeting
OF the Commissioners.
OVER A MILLION TO SPEND.
The Smith Tract viii Probably
Be Selected.---Perha the
Harrison Estate.

In the room at the Court House where
Judge Lippincott presides at the Court OF
Sessions, a meeting of the Park Commits
sioners was neld yesterday. All of the
Commissioners, except Colonel Stevens,
were present. aud listened with at
tention to what the few speakers in the
audience of a score of interested land
owners had to say concerning park Sites
1t was the last meeting but one that will
be held to discuss the locations now in
question.
President Thurston remarked that
Commissioner Lembeck was the heavy
weight in the Board, and appointed him
secretary pro tenn because he could bring
heavy pressure to bear on his pen
The genial brewer accepted the
duties gracefully, and then Director
of Education Reid opened the argument.
lie said that Jersey City, under the pro-
gramme as heretofore published. was not
getting its share Of the good things and
he was decidedly in favor of almost any
locations except the Clifford estate. He
declared that inasmuch as Jersey City
furnishes from sixtg-five TO seventy pre-
cent. OF the expenses of running the
county itshould have at least one park
Mr.. G. p Howell, for many years d
prominent real estate dealer. said he re-
membered the condition of Jersey City
twenty-five years ago, and also the people
who nave left 1t since then. He did not
| think there was vast Improvement in
the condition of the city since then. but
| did believe many people had left 1t to live
st Monclair, or any other place where
| there were parks, or bOulevards. or
both. He believed that parks
would have made tbs county
one OF the most beautiful in the State
| and he was decidedly in favor OF having
one large park Il was the only thing in
his opinion that would satisfy the people.
Mr. Samuel Harvey agreed with Mr.
Howell in this matter and strongly advo-
Gated park in Jersey City. particularly
the Smith site.
Peter. K. Campbell objected to the pro-
posed site of the Harrison estate bounded
| by Newark and Paiisade avenues on the
meadows. He was quite sure il was too
hiliy, aud that none but strong man
could endure The smoke that came from
the locomotives that passed the property.
For this reason he dio not III ink il good
place TO recuperate ia. be did
think Jersey City should have a
PARK somewhere, but at the same
time Was willing TO allow Ihe north and
south ends OF The county to be treated
| likewise. He believed it better to widen
the proposed boulevard twenty-five feet
than to have parks.
| ANYTHING FOR HEALTH.
Ex-Judge Beach declared himself to be
/ III favor Of parks OF all kinds if they ten
dered TO give health and recrea-
/ ton TO the people He decided
! ly favored the Harrison estate
| for park, and dwelt at length on its adj
vantages. He would be pleased 70 see
even four or five small parks in this city
/ nov he.
beneficial than Central Park was to New
York city. Parks increase the value OF
| property, and the more small parks there
are the more property is benefited
The trouble with Jersey City is, said
| ex-Judge Beach, than in public i'm
proyement il has always tried to do too
much, and in consequence failed He
advised small parks in preference to one
/ large one.
| w G. Doubleday said that the King
| estate had been taken out of the market
| for park purposes, and that a number OF
lots had been sold. The forty-one acres
| had been laid out for building lots The
owners OF the estate would not have
| taken this course had not the Park Com
| nlssioners delayed so long in selecting
| the site. This. of course, really makes
but little difference, for the Commission
ers have power to condemn the land if
| they see it,
President Thurston informed those
present that the property had been
offered to the county for $3.50, GOO, and
that two years ago it was bought by the
| present owners for $4,000 and that the
| assessed value was but $40, GOO
Mr.. Thurston said further that the
commissioners did not want to pay the
amount demanded, and he thought
committee might place a proper valua-
ton on the land.
FROM de FoRT'' DISTRICT
DR. Uriah Allen halls from the Fourth
district, and like every other man in that
territory wants the district to have very
large slice of all that goes on. He in
sisted that the only thing necessary to
make Jersey City thriving was to have a
park located between Palfsade and Og-
den avenues, the brow Of the hill and
Griffith and Bowers streets He assured
the Commissioners that no better site for
q small park could be found
Mr.. Reid here objected to small parks.
He admitted that ne had personal in
terests in wanting large one. and said
he had property adjacent to the Smith
tract, but he ciaimed that this site was
only advocated by him because it WAS the
best that had been offered
Commissioners that they had been
selected to serve the majority
of the people in the county.
The parks were county affairs and he did
not want to have the location designated
as Jersey City, Hoboken. etc. etc. He
was very certain that at no other time the
county would be able to purchase the
property wanted at the prices now de-
manded. The construction OF the
elevated railroad and the electric light
plants would force valuations mp.
He wanted the commissioners
to buying the Smith tract
at Greenville, which is central and large
enough to accommodate alfin the county.
Mr. Dear also favored the Harrison estate
as a site if two parks should he purchased.
but he much preferred to have one large
one.
81, 100, 900 TO SPEND
When asked how much money the
Park Commissioners had for park
purposes. Mr.. Thurston replied
81, 100000, but that it was not
necessary to expend it all at one time.
Some must be reserved for the parks
after they are purchased Dr. Allen
thought If the Commissioners would ex-
pend all the money for sites il would be Q
good plan, and he said he thought there
would be no difficulty TO raise the amount
needed TO improve them.
James Lynch suggested that the
land surrounded by Palisade ave
me, Moth street, Central ave-
nue., Grace and Division Streets
and the brow of the east side of the hill
would be delightful, but his idea did not
seem TO be approved. MIR. Thurston
asked for what price it could be pur-
oiiouaa INIT f}lf frf1rtflenfnr sva1 rssrafIa IL.