The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1891-10-17
FIGHqING FOR 4 LINK
That Will Connect the
North With the South.
IT'S THE JUNCTION ROAD.
Pennsylvania Wins the First Trick
From National Docks Rail-
road Company.

There was prolonged discussion be-
fore Judge Knapp this morning over the
old controversy between the Pennsyl-
yania Railroad and the National Docks
Railway. This is the famous case In
which the wooden judges of the Court Of
Errors and Appeals outvoted their legal
brethren.
The National Docks Railroad Company
has for some time been anxious to join
with the New Jersey Junction Railroad.
which connects the Pennsylvania Rail-
road tracks with those of the West Shore
Railroad. This opens up q route
from the South to Saratoga and
the mountains of Northern New York.
Niagara, Canada, and other resorts of the
north. This route during the past few
years has grown exceedingly popular
with the people of Philadelphia. Baiti-
more, Washington and other Southern
cities, and there is large and lucrative
| travel over this route. In addition to
this the freight traffic is equally as rich.
| The Philadelphia and Reading Rail-
| road Company and the Baltimore and
| Ohio Company, which reaches this city
over the tracks of the New Jersey Cen
| tral road, have had their eye on this trav-
| ell for some time, and have been exceed
| ingly anxious to secure a share OF 1t.
| Some time ago they conceived the idea OF
| building a spur from the trestle work OF
| the National Docks railroad company to
the junction roads tracks. which would
finish the desired link between the
\ Baltimore and Ohio and the West
| Shore and other roads leading to
| the North. In order to carry out this idea
it was necessary to go under the Pennsyl-
vania tracks at the Point OF Rocks under
the Pennsylvania's new yard on the site
| OF old Mount Pleasant.
| THE FIRST MOVE.
| The National Docks Company was the
| ostensible mover in the matter, and an
| application for the appointment of COM
missioners to condemn the right OF way
| under the Pennsylvania tracks was made
in the name of that company. When
| the Commissioners undertook to go to
| work the Pennsylvania people took the
| matter into the courts. and fought It
through the various lower branches to
the Court of Errors and Appeals. where
they finally lost by the vote of the wooden
/ judges, as hereinbefore stated.
| The Pennsylvania people endeavored to
| get the case reinstated before the court,
but without avail. Fate or chance, how
| ever, was in their favor and the case Is
| once more in the Court Of Appeals.
Peter Henderson was one of the original
commissioners appointed to condemn the
right of way. and while the case was
| pending In the courts he died When
the matter was finally disposed of it be-
came necessary. before the National
| Docks people could 20 on with their
work, to appoint commissioner in Mr..
| Henderson's place. Accordingly the
National Docks people made application
to the Circuit Court, and Mr.. Richard
| Washburne was appointed to I'LL the
| vacancy.
When the application was made the
Pennsylvania people certioraried the
| proceedings to the Supreme Court, claim
ing that the proceedings were irregular
ana illegal, and they were again de-
Ieated; whereupon they Immediately ap-
| pealed to the Court of Errors and appeals.
FATE OR CHANCE.
Mr.. Washburne, soon after his appoint
| ment, was taken seriously Ill, and for sew
eral days his life was despaired of Un-
der these circumstances it was impossible
for the Commissioners to proceed with
the work of coniemning the right OF
way.
Not long ago Mr.. Washburne recovered.
and the National Docks people gave the
Pennsylvania people notice that they
| would proceed with the condemnation
proceedings. The Pennsylvania people
then applied to Judge Knapp for an order
staying proceedings in the case until the
Court of Errors and Appeals had disposed
of the matter.
This was the matter argued this morn
ing, and after Ex-Governor Bedle and
Charles Corbin had hurled legal decis-
sions at each other and said
some hard things about the
course of each in the case, Judge
Knapp decided that he would grant a
stay until the Judges of the branch
branch of the Supreme Court which had
the certiorari would decide the matter
of a permanent Stay,