The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1892-11-26
TO SAMPLE WATER.
Visit of Public Officials
to the Rockaway Water
shed Today.
THE TRIP TO B0ONTON.
What Was Said and Done
On the Way and Who
Went.
\ THROUGH PICTURESQUE SCENES.
: No Danger of Pollution at the
Proposed Intake = Points
Along the Stream.
THE TRIP TO B0ONTON.
THROUGH PICTURESQUE SCENES,
Special to The Jersey City Ne,cs.

pie of "Old Pequannock," as the inhabi'
ttants call themselves on the soldiers
monument which they have erected upon
the bluff overlooking the valley of the
i. Rockaway. or such of them as were al
1.-THE station, were much surprised this
morning when they saw company OF
4 distinguished looking gentlemen step
4 from the 832 train. They were more sur
prised when some one told them that the
distinguished looking gentlemen were
officials from Jersey City, who had jour
neyed up to Boonton for the purpose OF
looking over The valley. tasting the water.
and if they liked it, buying it up and tax
ing it back with them.
'1'lI bet that man can't tell water when
he tastes itr' exclaimed one of the Boon
tonians. pointing to Commissioners Cook.
well. that Dominic over there can, u
emphatically declared another. noddIn e
In the direction OF Humphrey w. Carr.
eli, hi, Chonuy, see CIR over Cleveland"
cried small boy to his companion as
the heaviest man In the party climbed
down from the car with dignity and eau
tion. The distinguished looking gentle
men rapidly entered conyeyances which
were in waiting for them at the station
and were whisked away before the in
habitants had time to comment further
upon their appearance,
A NOTABLE GATHERING.
1t was indeed a distinguished throng
which gathered in the Hoboken station at
half-past seven o'clock this morning.
There were DR.. Leonard j. Gordon. State
Water Commissioner Lebbeus B. Ward,
Mr. Joseph A. Dear and Humphrey w.
Carr of the Board of Trade, Street and
Water Commissioners Cook, Yoe and
Madden, Finance Commissioner Hitler,
Corporation Counsel W. D. Edwards,
Chief Engineer Ruggles, John ]. Toffey.
Banker Isaac W. Sellgnan of New York,
Henry Belden. NJ. wooupury, FRANK
P Earle, Captain William H. White,
Engineer of the Moffet Hodgkins and
Clark Company; Engineer f. H. Burlin-
game, j. w. Clark. Treasurer of the
Mofett and Clark Company. and three or
four other gentlemen. During the hours
ride to Boonton there was considerable
good natured chaff bantered about over
the personal appearance of the party at
that early hour. President Madden de-
clared that Steve Yoe had sat up all
night in order to catch the train, and
Commissioner Cook sorrowfully said
that he had to come away without his
breakfast. Commissioner Madden said
that Eddie Dugan had drunk SO much
ho+ ha -
pure. sweet water of the Rockaway as
unfit to drink if he ever tasted it.
ON THE TRAIN.
When the train left Paterson, it was no
ticed that Commissioner Hitler kept
silent and attentively studied narrow
stream which lazily crept along by the
side Of the railroad tracks.
THAT looks like good water he finally
remarked 10 Commissioner Cook, "and
il the river is like that all the way, Jersey
City will be exceedingly fortunate in OBJ
ttining it SO cheap"
lis that the Rockawayf" asked Com
missioner Cook, increduously.
"Sure," was the laconic answer of the
Financier.
Just then two mules loomed up on a
path which ran along the "Rockaway.
Behind stretched away thin line, which
ended in long narrow boat loaded to the
waters edge with coal and bearing on its
stern, morris Canal. Reg. 767" Mr..
Hitler Immediately became interested
in his newspaper and had no more to
say until Boonton was reached,
On the way up, DR., Gordon spread out
a map of the water shed and involved
Mr. Edwards in dispute about the num-
Der of inhabitants of the region and the
risks of pollution.
LOVELY DRIVE.
After entering the conveyances at the
station the party was driven through the
town of Boonton out into the country
within sight of the river. 1t was a.grand
drive through the cool, bracing air of the
North Jersey hills; the noisy Rockaway,
In the gorge below, tumbling aud rushing
over miniature precipices, and winding
in tiny threads of silver in and out among
huge boulders. while the hills of Morris
and the valleys between spread cut In the
distance like great panorama By and
by, the river became less turbulent and
soon settled down into calm, peaceful
stream, flowing by wooded hills and rus
get tufted meadows. A short drive from
the town brought the party
to a picturesque gorge, where, it
is proposed to erect dam and locate the
intake, from which the water Will start
on its long journey to Jersey City in iron
pipes. Mir. Clarke and Engineers White
aud Burlingame pointed out the natural
resources of the spot. The adaptibility
OF the place for the purpose to which it
is to be put was apparent to all.
NO BooNToN SEWAGE.
1t was also pointed out that the intake
Awould be SO situated relatively to Boom
on that noae OF the sewage of the town
Apptied into the rider above the intake.
Awas not pointed out. however, that
L ten miles above that spot WAS the