The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1891-02-24
MORE TRAP ROCK TALK.
No Evidence Adduced AS to
Whether Washington Ever
Dealt in the Article.


witness for the plaintiff examined yester-
day before Supreme Court Commissioner
Cassidy in the matter Of the Mayor, Al
dermen and Commonalty Of Jersey City
VS.. rbe Board OF Chosen Freeholders of
Hudson county.
Mr.. Nevin is one Of the largest con-
tractors In the State. He is the owner of
quarry In Orange and works quarries In
Dover and Summit. He mas at present no
interest In any quarries in Hudson coun-
ty. He was familiar with some, though,
and cited one on the Hudson, opposite
Forty-second street, New York. conven-
lent to the river, and 81 900 an acre was
asked for 1t. He said the demand for
trap rock was increasing, and especially
Tor crushed stone, but the demand for
trap rock blocks in this vicinity was de-
creasing lately. He said the demand
for trap rock and granite was about
the same. The latter was used
very much in building railroads.
Trap rock, he said, was the most used for
street purposes. and generally speaking
trap rock was the more durable.
Asked whether be had ever visited
Snake Hill witness said that about twelve
years ago, he thought. he did. He went
there with the idea of purchasing some
Quarries, but became convinced it
not give the ground careful examiua-
tion, merely looked from the railroad de-
pot for the few minutes the train was
waiting. The second time he visited It
was last summer--in August-in company
with Messrs. Bako and Record. They
talked about forming company to oper-
ate quarries at Snake Hill and wanted
him 70 invest, but upon investigation de-
cided not to. He said he had all the quar-
ries he wanted. At this time he ex-
amined the ground from the gas house
south to the little white house under the
hill. He didn't think the quarry could
be worked very well. He said that from
ten to twelve cents per yard was consid-
cred good price to pay for trap rock In its
natural state. He said ne paid 81 $50 per
acre for his quarry in Orange.
Asked as To what the value of trap rock
in the Snake Hill quarry was worth, wit
ness said he would rather pay 25 cents
per yard for his Orange quarry than take
the Snake Hill quarry for nothing This
comparison he said WAS due to the fact
that more labor was required to work the
trap rock on Snake Hill He described it
as mixture of granite and trap rock,
very hard, like a knot in a tree. The
cost of labor would be more he said and
the wear and tear Of machinery would be
double what it would be In Orange. All
items of expense would be greater. In
fact, he said he could take out yard of
rock in Orange to a quarter OF yard at
Snake Hill In describing the difficulty
OF breaking the stone, witness said that
with the Snake Hill trap rock a share
sledge would have to be used aud the
stone literally cut, but with the Orange
trap rock he said, "You just hit 1t a lick
with the back of sledge and 1t breaks in
two or three pieces"
He said it cost him 81 per yard and a
half at Orange to get stone 10 the cars.
He did not deliver stone at the New York
market from Orange, as cost was toe
other places. He said he could deliver
stone at Hoboken from Dover cheaper
than they could from Snake HILL
In answer to questions by Mr.. Nc
Grath, witness saiu he had never operated
quarry at Snake Hill or did any blast
ing there. Saw Brennan working his
quarry from the railroad depot.
Examined by Mr.. Edwards, witness
said that Brennan got all the loose stone
there was there and then gave up Bren-
nan worked the quarry for about two
years.
County Collector Dugan was then
called for the plaintiff and examined by
Mr.. Edwards TO show the total city tax
for several years pas and the proportion
paid by Jersey City.
He said the following were the amounts
received by the county from the sale of
crushed stone:-1SS5. S515 20; 1886, 81 2S3. 10;
1887, 81, ,72l 40: 1888, 81, ,669 Sc; 1882 81 6S3 so
1890, 81, 1874 50.
1t was admitted by the defendant at
this point that John Kenney, one of the
parties to the case, was resident, Iree-
holder and taxpayer in Jersey City.
AT this point there was offered in evil
dence all action OF the Board OF Freehold
ers relative to the purchase of the land
and also resolutions passed at seVera
meetings relative to the hospitals for con
tagious diseases: also everything in ref
erence to John Shannol'5 dealings with
the Board.
Engineer Frank Earle was recalled and
cross-examined fy Mr.. Edwards, testi-
fied:-That the tracks of the Montclair
and Greenwood Lake Railway Company
were unused and some torn up. The
bridge over the Hackensack was also un-
used Referring TO the burying ground
ut Snake Hill, MIR. Earle said tt would be
good policy to get IL away from buildings,
and didn't think the present place did
any injury, but not TO get any nearer to
buildings.
He said he did not think the plateau on
top OF Snake Hill for a new lunatlc asy-
lum would be exposed TO The wind. He
rather thought the wind would prove
beneficial. He said the hauling of coal
and other material necessary in the
building of the lunatic asylum up 10 the
the rock could be procured on the ground
would counterbalance the extra expense
of hauling. He said from his knowledge,
the present lunatic asylum was over
crowded, and further that it was not
built upon the plans of the present DAY.
Referring to the lawn in front of aims
house, witness said it was used for recre-
alive purposes. He said ali portions of
the upland of Snake Hill was easily
dralued. The slopes are very wet and
difficult TO drain. He said he thought it
could be drained very easily. To con-
struct roadways would not cost any more
than in other parts of Hudson county.
10 construct the asylum 1T Secauc US
would cost more. when the necessity of
water, railroad facilities and other things
were considered.
Witness said that the plateau is worth
more to the county for the erection of
buildings than 1t is for the trap rock ii
contains. Thinks it would be detrimen n
tai TO blast it away. lt would pay TO do
so, but he thinks all the property Is need
ed for county purposes. He said for i'm
mediate use they might probably get
along without the Smith tract, but If the
Smith tract was bought by parties who
would blast it away then It woulu prov g
dangerous TO other county property. At
ali events, ne said, the county would need
all tine property in a short time.
Witness said ne heard the testimony or
Mr.. Neviu, and 1t strengthened his opin-
| ion that rock in Snake HUI was worth
| five cents per yard
Witness said that land along the
water front south of Snake Hill. testified