The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1892-09-29

before the Street and Water Comm'ss
ers and made most generous offer 1t
was that the LehigA Valley Railroad
Company should buy the entire strip of
pay $500 for the same. This ST., soc
was To go to the city; but the
generous part of MIR. Barnes offer
was that the company should also place
at the disposal of the Commissioners
81. 500, to be divided amongst certain Char
table institutions" The Commissioners
replied that such q proceeding would be
impossible and illegal. 1t required but
three votes TO pass upon this matter, but
they were not forthcoming.
Brown place was dropped for time
and then up bobbed Mr.. Barnes again
with an idea warranted to make an
light look dim. 1t was that the Street
a useless strip of land. 1t was
then to be turned over to the
City Hall Commissioners, who were TO
offer 1t for sale. Mr. Barnes was again to
oe on hand to purchase it. Accompany
ing this scheme was the amusing offer of
$500 to Charitable Institutions" Once
again Mr.. Barnes was knocked out, but
il he was down he was not to remain
there long.
The roads of the Lehigh Valley Termin-
al and National Docks had Deen COM
pIeted up to brown place. Mr..
Barnes. thinking he had scheme
sure sure, to win, went to Presi-
Company, and suggested that the com
panies join issues and cross Brown place
together. President Sterling, however,
does not like MIR. Barnes methods of pro-
cedure, and he declined to enter into any
such scheme.
President Sterling looked after the in
tsrests of his company in business like
manner and he was finally rewarded by
being granted permission to cross Brown
place on bridge having abutments
twenty feet apart. Mr.. Barnes's indig-
nation knew no bounds, and it is said he
swore vengeance upon every one.
His next step was to submit q proposi-
tion for the Valley Company to cross
Brown place with a fifty foot span. That
proposition was subsequently Withdrawn.
Matters rested in this state until
Messrs. McDermott and Wanser
were opponents for Mayoralty honors.
About this time Henry Lem beck, Reu-
ben Simpson and S. L. Harvey bobbed up.
They have kept the matter stirred up ever
since. They wanted Brown place a
street. Mr.. McDermott suggested to the
Street and Water Commissioners that
Brown place be declared street. His
suggestion was adopted. Election Day
came and went and Wanser was elected.
The late Mayor Cleveland, who is pretty
well understood to have been very
friendly with MIR. Barnes vetoed the
resolution.
ENTER JOHN KEAN, JR,
Again there was luiI in the proceed
lngs. Mayor Wanser took his office and
then John Kean, Jr., the present caudi-
date of the Republican party for Guber-
material honors. stuck his finger in the
pie. Kean held many confer
ences with Mayor Wanser. Several rail-
road men took part in these conferences
The object of the conferences could not
be ascertained, but strange feature of
the whole affair was Mayor Wauser's let
ter of September Is, which advised the
immediate dedication of Brown place as
public street. and suggested that
further railroad encroachmenJ be checked
without delay.
That letter caused Mayor Wanser more
worriment than he anticipated. Presi-
dent Sterling of the National Docks
Company was a caller on Wanser shortly
after it became public. Johnny Kean.
Jr., was present when Mr.. Sterling ar
rived. Wanser and Kean crossed their
hearts with their hands and swore, ''Oh,
we never intended harming you, Mr..
Sterling"
Reon Barnes was happy. Mr.. Sterling
was displeased.
Both gentlemen then decided to stop
further beating about the bush, and the
result was the proposition of the COM
pany to pay the city $500 for the privilege
OF crossing Brown place with twenty
foot spans