The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1891-03-03
NOW FOR THE DECISION.
Testimony all Taken in the
Certiorari Pro-
ceedings.
PRISON LABOR DEPENDED on.
Ii The Preeholders Get the Smith
and 1hurber Tracts at
Snake Hill.

Man@uvring has entered very much
into the certiorarf proceedings OF the
City vs.. the County in the matter Of the
purchase Of the Smith and Thurber tracts
Of land at Snake Hill.
IL was expected that the testimony
would have been all taken and printed
ready for the Supreme Court last
Wednesday, and to finish up, testimony
was taken all day Washfngton's Birth
day. In the evening Senator Edwards
had to leave before all the testimony was
taken and asked for an adjournment To
this Mr. McGrath objected. and Commis-
sioner Cassidy ordered the hearing con-
tinued- Edwards left and McGrath ex-
amined quarryman and also Director
at-LarRe Bruggeman.
McGrath was determined to appear be
fore the court at the appointed time
Wednesday, but Tuesday evening Nc
Grath and Edwards arranged to take tes-
timony Wednesday evening and 10 COM
piete the case, In order 70 argue it ct
Trenton Thursday.
At the appointed time McGrath was
present. but Mr.. Edwards was not. Nc
Grath told those present no testimony
would be taken and all left. A few min
utes late Mr.. Edwards came up, accom-
panied by John A Bowker, Of the Bow
ker Construction Company. Stenographer
-1lghtf0ot was sent for aud Senator Ed
wards proceeded TO examine Mr.. Bowker,
the burden OF whose testimony was in
favor of the city.
In the meantime Mr.. McGrath had
made arrangements with the Jersey City
Printing Company to work all night
W eunes lay that the testimony might be
printed and ready for presentation the
next morning to the Supreme Court
Inc stenographer worked TIL two
O'Clock on the testimony Thursday morn
ing, but did not write out Bowker,s be-
cause MeGrath told him It was not
necessary 10 do SO. Edwards found out
this fact and sent a note 70 the printers
notifying them that the city would not
pay Its part Of the printing unless all the
testimony was in The result was that
next morning when Mr.. McGrsth got down
town, smiling and happy at MS man
9uyring, he was surprised to ind his
orders hsd not been carried out and thar
the testimony was not bound.
Thursday they all went TO Trenton and
argued before the Court Gilbert Collins
and McGrath for the County, and Mr.
Edwards for the city. 1t was a battle
royal, but Edwards gained his point he
court ordered that Bowker's testimony be
admitted, and an opportunity given Nc
GraIh 10 cross-exanline him, and also an
opportunity given Edwards to cross-ex-
anime Bruggeman.
The hearing was TO have taken place at
one O'Clock Senator Edwards was present,
but Mr.. McGrath was not. At two o'clock
all parties were present, and the cross -ex-
animation Of Director Bruggeman WAS
continued by Mr. Edwards.
He said that he had no arrangements
or talk with Tissot, agent of Smith, reia-
tive 10 the price. nor knew OF any talk BY
rfh haF h.arz L. L
Mr.. Smith after the offer had been made,
and talked 20 him Of the offer, saying
that he thought the price exorbitant, but
after Smith explained that he had been
offered good price for the land for other
purposes he came 70 the conclusion that
the price asked was reasonable
For lunaric asylum Mr.. Bruggeman
thought twenty acres was necessary II
built upon the pavilion system He
thought little Snake Hill would be good
place for the pest house If a road were
built TO it. He said his opinion thar
tract was 5000. was based on the
fact that Smith had made a lease
which would net him in three years over
S, 500 per 1-3 acres
AS to the reason why witness consid-
cred the Smith tract worth the price
asked, he said that many things were
taken into consideration At the time
the Paterson Plank Road was being fixed
up he thought il would be cheaper 10 buy
crushed stone from outside persons than 10
bring it from Snake Hill, but he soon
found out that he could bring it cheaper
from Snake Hill. As the new boule-
ward was soon to be built. and
some 250,0O0 TO 800, 600 wards OF crushed
stone were 10 be used; he thought il would
be good policy and a saving Of money to
buy the Smith and Thurber tracts at
Snake Hill For quarry purposes he
thought Land the worth what WAS asked,
and as TO its value for county purposes,
he thought no one could estimate Its
real MARKET value, outside OF quarry and
county purposes, he could not estimate
He mentioned the Harrison estate, for
which over 81. 900 per acre was asked.
and said il could be used for quarry pur-
poses, but he said its value was due to ITS
situation in the city. on a prominen5
street, ETC., and not on its value as quarry
purposes.
Witness testified further to value *
land in different parts of the city Refer
ring TO the use that would be made Of the
stone for county purposes, witness again
referred TO the county road He spoke OF
the New Jersey Trap Rock Company. and
said that person, whom be thought by
his talk was interested in the company,
had spoken to him about IL and had InEl-
mated that be iBruggeman) ought to 20
into il. He would not say who the per
ooA 0At uAG say AD do y n4c41SG ~
the Board of Chosen Freeholders-
He said the County Road would be four
teen miles long and from forty to sixty
feet wide, but that the law would not al
low the county to bulId it, so it wonld
have TO be done by contract, but in the
specifications the matter of macadaID-
izing could be so arranged as to be done
by the county, and considering prison
labor IL would be done much cheaper than
by contract.
The witness was pointedly asked il be
was in favor of prison labor. bat he hest
tated for a while and then answered ne
favored doing the maeadamizing bT
prison labor. He afterwards said he was
not an advocate Of prison labor.
John A B0wker, who was examined Tor
the plaintiffs by Mr.. Edwards last
"Wednesday evening. WAS called 10 enable
Mr.. McGratn 10 cross examine him. Mr..
Bowker substantiated his testimony OF
the direct examination. which went %
show that the cost OF rowage per load
from Suake Hill to New YORK aud return
was upwards of $50 When his attention
was called to the fact by Mr.. Mc6rata,
that a company on the Haekensack woulu
do towage Tor $40 per Trip, witness said
the company could not be relied upon-
Referring 10 prison tabor. witness said ne
had hal some exps nee with It near
Philadelphia. and he thought such labor
was not at all profitab He said 10
macadamizs the new Coanfy h0aa IL. 70V
yards of stone would be necessary
This closed The taking OF testimony,
and the decision by the Supreme CourI
will be anxi0usly awaited.