The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1892-12-19
JERSEY AT WASHINGTON
Contemplated Revival of
Shipbuilding in Cape
May County.
Special to The Jersey city Ne,us.

| Cape May county, N. j., made by him IN
compliance with the provisions of the
River aud Harbor act Of July ID, 1891
| Major Raymond is of the opinion that
this creek can be improved at small eX'
pense, and that the trade and the indus
tries of Dennisville demand such improve.
ments. ~As Dennisvllle has but 900 In
habitants, and is known to only very
few people outside of Cape May county,
Major Raymond's report was revelation
to the members of Congress from New
Jersey, but it does appear that Dennis
vile ships and receives about ~ WI
tons of merchandise year, valued at
$165, 900, and that even two ships were
built there during the year. and that at
present sixteen sailing vessels and four
Scovs are owned by the uenizens of Dem
niSville, and that these ships ploW the
muddy waters of Dennis Greek with reg
ularity. and that even some transient
vessels come up to the industrious little
town, which boasts of two Sawmills, two
gristmllls, two shipyards, two blacksmith
shops, two wheelwright shops and four
| stores. Major Raymond further states
that during the last thirty years the Dem
nisville shipyardS turned out more than
sixty sea-aoing vessels of 500 to 1.05O gross
tons capacity. In one season I'VE ships
were built and two In 1881, the larger one
being 145 feet in length, 35 feet breadth Of
beam and II feet depth of hold. These
ships were sold for S65, 600, and the labor
on them alone cost $4,000.
RUINED BY SHOALS.
These vessels require when launched
seven and half Ieet of water to float
them, but now Dennis Creek Is shoaled
and the shipbuildjng interest is ruined.
So relief is asked from Uncle Sam. For
the information Of students OF geography
the Major says that Dennis Creek rises
in the northern part Of Cape May county,
flows in southwesterly direction and
piles into Delaware Bay about twenty
miles north of Cape May.
The improvement desired is the forma-
tion of channel sixty feet wide anu
eight feet deep at high water from the
bridge at Dennisville. about one and
half miles down. This requires the ex-
cayatioa of about $4,000 cubic yards of
mud, Incidentally the Major says that
navigation is now obstructed, owing to
the bursting of dam above The bridge
that had been formed to make a charming G
cranberry bog. A survey OF the creek
will cost but $3.50. and this Dennis
VILE should have to start with, but it will
not get it this year, as no river and har-
bor bill Is contemplated, and so the name
of Dennisville will remain Dennis, and
that's the name of the man who is mostly
interested in the Improvement of the
creek.
MONEY FOR PUBLIC B UILDING EMPLOYEES
Iu recent letter from the Secretary Of
the Treasury TO the House aud referred
to the Committee on Appropriations, an
immediate and additional appropriation
is urged for the pay Of assistant GUS
t0dians and jan1tors of public buildings.
The Secretary wants S1O0, 900 at once, or
be compelled to discharge not less than
farsn l, ka1 F,,-,
cuppying number of new buildings now
approaching completion, among them
that at Heboken. For the information of
members, the Secretary furnishes state
ment of the number of employees in the
200 buildings now owned by the
Government and the amount of
their compensation for 1898. This list
ST, $50; three for Newark at 81, $50. and
four for Trenton az $3.50. The average
salary of the 1,1o5 employees OF this nature
is but 5000.
''sECoR" robson.
Everybody in New Jersey knows
Grants famous Secretary OF the Navy,
George NJ. Robeson, but most readers
name of "Secor Robeson." Mr.. Robeson
allowed some Of the claims of the Secors
of New York for extra work done
during the war on tnumber
of monitors and was roundly abused for
it. But the Secores are by no means
through with the claims business, for
Senator PETER has just made q lengthy
report upon them, accompanied by bill
TO refer the whole matter to- the Court of
Claims for f1nal adjudica ion. This is all
what the Secors. the McGarrahans and
all the other big claimants want, for in
ninety-nine cases out OF every hundred a
judfiment or rather a finding, by this
court will be paid some time or another.
Senator PETER nipped the whole thing in
the bud, however. by saying 1.-THE commit
tee are not satisfied that there is good
and sufficient reason presented by the
claimants why the Court of Claims,
should be called upon to examine the
claims and recommended that the bill be
postponed indefinitely" The Senate has
not yet concurred in the report, but un-
doubtedly will, and that's the last of tn
Sscor claims.
u. S. Fish Commissioner Mcdonald has
informed the House that the expenses for
obtaining shad and eggs of shad during
the last season at Gloucester were $615.42.
Mr.. Archibald Hopkins, the Chief CLERK
of the Court of Claims, has just made
his annual statement of all judgments
rendered by said court for the year end
ing December 8. The statement is of
considerable interest, as 1t contains
a poor letter carrier for pay for work
rendered in excess of the Eight-Hour
law to that of the millionaire shipbuilder.
Am ong the most successful claimants
was the well known Republican politi-
clan, William Muirheid, of jersey
City. He recovered in one case
$4, ,499.64 for fees as Chief Super
visor of Elections and in another
for fees for United States Commissioner
amounting to S1.125.30. Mr. Muirheid's
bills must have been straight enough un-
der the law. for they were only cnt down
about $140.
Congressman Geissenhainer has been
correspondingly happy during the week,
for he succeeded in calling up a private
bill in whicn constituent of bis is inter-
ested. and having 1t passed without even
a single inquiry. The bill simply gives
an American register to the bark Sea-
bird, DOW owned by parties in Perth AM
passed by the Senate 1t is as good rs
law.
HE NEVER SAID IT.
Senator Mcpherson WAS highly indig-
nant on reading iu the New York Sun
that he had himself stated that his APP
pointment as Secretary of the Treasury
under President Cleveland had been de-
cided upon. The senior Senator from
New Jersey is highly indignant, and pro-
nounces the story fake, pure and simple.
Young Thomas O'Connor OF Newark,
the File Clerk of the House Of Represen-
tatives. is making many friends by the
first class way and pleasant manner with
which he discharges the duties of his
office. Ii anybody believes that the File
Clerks office is sinecure, he is very