The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1892-12-21
TOO RAPID TRANSIT.
Much Talk But Little Prac-
tical Fact at GreenviI1e's
Mass Meeting.

The meeting held last evening at Bam-
ber Hall, Greenvil,e, for the purpose of
booming the rapid transit scheme was
attended by large number of prominent
| business men and citizens, among them
being Tax Commissioner Michael
Schultz. Jr., Henry Lembeck. Assembly
| man-elect Henry H. Holmes, Appeals
Commissioner Reuben Simpson, Library
Trustee S. L. Harvey. James Dodds, Her.
bert Gedney, Linn Bruce and City Sur
veyor G. Vreeland of Bayonne. Mr..
Harvey called the meeting to order.
Herbert Gedney was elected Secretary.
Mr.. Harvey. in opening the meeting,
said that the Sixth District Citizens As
sociation had come to the conclusion
that rapid transit was needed badly, and
a committee had been appointed by it to
agitate the matter.
"fhis COMMITTEE" said Mr.. Harvey,
was appointed but week ago, and, of
| course, no one could expect us to have
the stock all ready to be placed on the
| market tonight For this reason, no
| doubt, some of you will be disappointed
this evening. 10 those would say, Oide
your time, and in less than year and q
| rapid transit.'
Mr.. Harvey then called for the report
OF the committee. Mr.. Henry Lembeck,
| VINO is Chairman. res ponded.
| "All that the committee can report to-
night" said he, sis progress. l have
communicated with several capitalists
in New York and we can get all the finan-
clal aid that we may need. l can assure
you that We will succeed in our under
taxing, and we are now discussing
| whether we shall build an elevated or a
surface road. The question OF ferry
| Will not cause us any anxiety. That has
already been practically settled and we
see our way Clear"
| READY TO SUBSCRIBE.
| Mr.. simpson said that he had visited
number OF property owners in the Bergen
section, and that each one had promised
| to subscribe for stock. He also said that
| Mr.. j. j. Detwiller had agreed to SUBJ
scribe for II large part OF the stock as
| soon as the matter was put in shape.
President Harvey then resigned the
chair to Mr.. Cogan and took the floor.
| Gentlemen" he began, 81 am positive
| that this scheme can be carried through,
| There are four citizens right here in this
| town VINO will subscribe the requisite
| $lOO,0OO, as soon as we give the word. I
| am in position to say that we can
secure $3.50, 900 if we want it. We waut
rapid transit, and the property owners Of
NieonfiIio aAe solus W SeI ID cos6 WnaG IL
may. 1t is burning shame that
our city with nearly 100000 in
habitants should be so far behind
| every other city of equal size
! in the United States. But we are to have
| rapid transit at last. We are moving
slowly but surely. The committee has
| had but one week to work in and of
| course cannot give conclusive report
The report will be made at the next meet
| ing OF the Citizens Association, and as
| sure that when 1t is made it will startle
| you and cause some of our slumbering
citizens to rub their eyes and wonder
| what has happened. The tradesmen of
| lower Jersey City are interested as much
| in this matter as the citizens of Green
| vile are. They realize that the women
folk in this section and Bayonne, rather
than spend forty minutes or more in a
horse car. would take train for New
| York and do all their shopping there.
One well known tradesman, who
has a large store in lower
| Jersey City, told me that he would do all
| he could to aid the enterprise aud,
when the papers were ready, to come to
| him as he wanted to subscribe for stock.
| do not wish to mention any names as |
| believe that the committee can do better
| work If the matter is kept quiet. The
| franchise is already being looked after
and assure you that there will be no
| trouble on that score"
STILL HUNT.
Mr.. Lembeck wanted Mr.. Harvey to
| request the persons present who would
subscribe for stock to announce them
selves. Mr.. Harvey objected to this. He
said that nothing further should be done
| in the matter until the preliminary papers
were prepared.
In accordance with motion which was
| passed the following citizens were added
to the committees Herbert Gedney,
| Michael Schultz, Jr., Linn Bruce, G.
Vreeland of Bayonne and J. J. Detwiller.
The other members are Henry Lembeck,
Chairman; Reuben Simpson, Thomas
| Cogan, +. r. Baldwin and William
Dawes.
Matters began TO take more business
| like look when Mr.. Lembeck requested
| the embers of the committee to wait at
| the hall after the meeting adjourned
The other members and the reporters
| were then requested to leave the
| hall, and a secret session that
lasted over half an hour was held At
the close of the session the members of
the com mittee absolutely refused to give
any points" to the reporters. saying that
they thought 1t best to keep num-"
One member, however, went SO far as to
say that the committee had been divided
| into subcommittee. One of these com
| mittees was instructed to apply for a
franchise at once. Another is to select
route. and still another is to organize the
company.
That the citizens mean business is evi-
dent. and they fear that if they make the
matter public some other corporation will
jump in ahead of them.
Mr.. Harvey, when interviewed by a
reporter of THE JERSEY CITY NEWS. said
that he would take $4,000 worth of
stock.