The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1893-08-30
VAIERLOGGBD.
The Moffett, Hodgkins &
Clarke Co ntTacting Co.
Get Out of Their
Depth.
HARD TIMES THE CAIISE.
HARD TIMES THE CAUSE.
Receiver Appointed in Water
town and Another Sought
For in New Jersey.
Trouble overtakes the Concern
Which Wanted 10 Sell Jersey
City Rockaway Water.

Upon application of John F. Moffstt.
President of the Moffett. Hodgekins q
Clarke Company. Chancellor McGill This
morning granted rule TO show cause
why Receiver should not be appointed
for the company. In his application Mr..
Moffett said that the assets of the COM
pany were 81, COX, 900, and it's obligations
$500, 600. Although the company was
worth S1.00O.0O0 over its obligations.
its assets to great extent con-
sisr of municipal bonds and other
securities upon which it Is
b difficult matter 10 realize just now. The
strlngency of the times and the present
unsettled condition of the money market.
together with the inability OF she COM
pauy to obtain ready money. Is the main
cause given tu the chanceiior Tor the
application. Chancellor McGill made the
rule returnabie September 3. A receiver
has been appointed TO take charge of the
company's affairs IN New York. The
application was made at Wstertowps
wusre the company has a waterworks.
aud son OF Judge O'Brien OF the New
York Supreme Court was made receiver.
Tue Moffett HodGesins and Clarke
Company was Incorporated under the
laws of the State of New Jersey to do
general contracting work. Its specality,
however WAS the erection OF water
works and the construction of ra lroads-
II Il composed OF . number OF capitalists,
amoug whom were the Selfgmans, the
well kuown bankers OF New York. In it's
servics we're several OF the best known
engineers i'll the country, aud some or
The works which it has constructed are
maryels of engineering. ~
the company has erected works In
various parts OF the country by which
over fifty cities are supplied with water.
the lSrgest aud most Important OF which
being the works at Peoria, Ill Sons OF
these works the company sold outright to
the various municipalities. taxing in pay
men5 bonds while in other places it con-
slructed the works and charged the town
or city so much per million gallons for the
wafer it supplied.
sss.-.s.--ss ANFED re SUPPLY THIs el7x.s
The Moffstt, hodgekius & Clarke Com
panv will be remembered in jersey City
as the corporation which came verv near
securing contract for supplying Jersey
City win new water supply. Inc COM
pany owned all tue lant around the
many lakes of Northern New Jersey,
which drain Into the RocKxway River.
and it proposed to bfiug their water
thfough the RocKaway River TO Boonton
and nom there TO the worKs &C Belle
villa by means Of large iron pipes. An
Immense receiving reservoir was to be
intake was to pc located. Tnis location
is niauy feet above the Belleyille Water
works, aud the water was 10 be carried
through the pipes br gravity,
just back OF the village of Rockaway
there was 10 be constructed an Immense
storage reservoir which was to covor sew
erHl hundred acres of land lying In a
hbllow among the picturesque hills of
Ihat section of the State. Green's Pond,
Dsumsrk Lake, Dixon's Pond aud
several other large bodies OF water which
are slowed away among the mountains
of the north part OF the State were TO
have been utilized for storage reservoirs.
The waters OF these ponds, or lakes az
they are called, was almost all pure
spring water. aud 80 clear aud transpar-
ent mat the bottom could be seen ia
almost any depth.
One day last fall the company took the
members of the Street aud Water Board,
the Finance commissioners. q committees
of the Board OF Trade and several citi-
zsns over the water shed Of the Rock away
River. The party left the cars at Boon ton
aud drove in carriages to the various
lakes and sites for the proposed reser-
voirs. Everyone on the trip was favor
ably impressed with the scheme
Tnty tasted the waters OF the
out offensive taste or Odor such rs gen.
orally accompanies that taken from the
Passaic. Il was not until the party drove
through the large towns of Dover and
Boonton that one great objection was
found to the project. 1t Was noticec
that much OF the refuse and sewage OF
both of these towns emptied into the
river, that, in, fact, the stream was tbs
natural outlet for the sewage of to4i
towns and that both places wer constant
~ growing.
Only few engineering difficulties pre-.
septed themselves. and those the vel
known character ef Hhe company's en-
glneers guaranteed would be overcome
The company was in earnest, and as
guarantee of Its Intention ( to undertake
and its ability co complete the, vast un
dertakinR, deposited with the New Jer
sey Title, Guarantee and Trust Company
500, 600.
Tie Board of Street and Wate
Commissioners, however, did not see fl
TO enter into q contract with The
company and the project fell through.
NliIna annaDpA DTn1