The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1891-01-07
SNAKE HILL LANDS.
Freeholder Pfingsten Rec
commendS Their Pur-
chase for the Coun-
ty : Valuable
QuarrieS.


Owners Of property in the vicinity Of
the Paterson Plank Road and Congress
street requested the Board OF Freeholders
last night to build covered drain at that
point. The present open drain, 1t was
claimed was dangerous TO pedestrians
and caused the ground to be wet. The
Board was also requested TO build side
walk at this place. The matter was re-
ferred to the Committee on Roads. The
"Hill" Committee reported that the two
boilers at ne Almshouse were in first
class order and that the average cost for
the month of December for the 1856 pris-
oners at the Penitentiary was si702 2-s
for each prisoner; the average cost Of
maintaining the $50 inmates at the
Asylum was S9.72 1-3. and the average
cost to care fer the 303 inmates of the
Asylum was Sl4. A requisition for fur
niture for The institutions. not to cost
more than S492 50. was granted and a
committee was appointed to ascertain
what repairs are necessary to the Avenue
ID bridge over the Morris Canal
Freeholder Pfingsten informed the
Board that. as chairman of the special
owners of the portion of Snake Hill not
possessed by the county, and the cost to
the county to purchase it and the desIra-
bility OF owning it, he was prepared to
make a report.
THE OWNERS OF SNAKE HILL
The document would fill two columns Of
The NEWS. It's salient features were as
follows:-
The portion OF land comprising Snake
Hill not now owned by the county con-
sists of twenty-five 50 100 acres and is
divided as follows:-One plot containing
four and 10-100 acres belonging to Horace
K. Thurber, OF New York, another plot
containing five 18-100 acres belonging to
the same person; third plot containing
thirteen 44-100 acres belonging to the
estate of Abel l. Smith deceased, and a
fourth plot containing two and 90-100
acres belonging 10 said estate.
In the year 1915 the lands of the Smith
tract were condemned for the county and
an award Of $40, ,440 10 was made and at
the same time s26.975 was awarded II. K
Thurber. Mr.. Pfingsten's report sets
forth the reason why this prop
erty is more valuable to-day
than then, and concludes by rec
ommendIng that the property be pur-
chased and ~ per cent twenty-year
bonds to the amount Of sos, 900 be Issued
to pay for it.
The price wanted by Mr.. Thurber for
his tract If purchased within thirty days
is $40, 900. The Smith estate wants S65, 900
Tor their land If purchased within TWEEN
ty days.
THE REPORT DEBATED.
Mr.. Pfingsten, after he finished reading
the report, moved that it be received and
accepted. This acceptance did not by any
means indicate that the recommenda-
tions would be adopted by the Board, but
that the committee had done its work
properly. This fact was not understood
by all the members and long debate
followed. Mr.. Ptingsten explained that
the law of 1875 gave the county the right
to make the purchase and said that il
would be justified in so doing. A
new asylum is to be built, and
il not erected at Snake Hill
the site alone for it would cost from $50
900 to 100000. II that amount of money
was paid out for site the county would
not own any more of Snake Hill than it
now does He referred to the fact that
until the lano is purchased Snake Hill
must always be thOroughfare for the
quarries worked by private individuals.
he said the purchase Of the land would
give an additional water front of 500 feet
on the Hackensack and that the quarries
would furnish all the stone needed TO
build the new county road. The stone in
Snake Hill, he said, had been valued at
$4,000.
Freeholder Nelson found no objection
to the report ii the counsel to the Board
said it was legal
Counsellor McGrath decided that the
Freeholders could buy the land If the act
was constitutional. He was not prepared
TO answer this question without research.
Freehoider German was not in favor of
purchasing the land for he believed 1t
could be condemned cheaper. Free
holders Ellis, Norman and Coyle believed
3 he oha oil 1f
Hill
The report was accepted by this vote,
Hennessy, PfnRsten, Nelson, Kimmerly,
Ellis, COyle, Noonan and Director
Bruggemann, yeas; German. Perry and
'Fierney, nays.
By resolution the Board appointed the
following official papers for the year.
nal. Ho0oken EUentEg NeiDs. daily
papers. at a salary of $3.50 per year, and
the New Jersey Stdats Zeitulg, Bayonne
Herald. kearny Record and W est Hobo
ken Reporter, weekly papers, at salary
of 500 per year. The vote was unani-
nous.
A CONTRACT CANCELLED.
The Freeholders cancelled the contract
with Jacob Woerz to furnish shoes, he
having requested it and being willing TO
pay $4S, the difference between his and
the next lowest bidder, who was Gus
taVe MetZlef.
The disputed Kearny election claims
were referred TO counsel for correction,
and Freeholder Coyle offered resolution
that all unpaid claims prior TO December
81 be placed OF file. He said many claims
had been contracted prior 10 1889. and by
fling them the claimants could sue on
them and collect If they were Just claims.
The resolution wss adopted
A resolution offered by Freebooter Cor
man to the effect that Jacob Du Bois'
claim of s.. .s94 20 against Contractor
John A. Brown for work done on the
Hall OF Records be not paid by the Board
unless so directed by the court, was
Freeholder Tierney said the Committee
On the Hall of Records would at the next
meeting make final report on the ac-
ceptance of the building, and phe board
adinnrnad