The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1893-05-13
DHSHCRA7BD.
Old Linden City of the
Dead" IS Used as a Dump
ing Ground.

The old Linden Avanue M. E. Church
Cemetery in Greenville. OF which fire.
quent mention has been made in the
JERSEY CRY NEWS is again the subject
of much comment. The cemetery has
been desecrated to such an ex tent that
it has become an eyesore n b res I.
dents of Greenville are denOuuctng the
trustees of the church for allowing this
sacred place TO go to ruin. The Gem tery
is n of the Oldest bnrying grounds in
this city. The property was given to the
church fifty years g by George Vree-
land. Over one hundred bodies are
buried there, among them being many OF
Greenvilles most iilustrious dead.
A DEsoLATE SPOT
When. I visited the place yesterday
afternoon / found 1T a most difficult
matter to locate the graves, many OF
which have not seen the band OF a
gardener for years. Were It not for the
~neadstones one would never believe that
the place Is a cemetery. Such a scene of
desolatiop / never before set eye upon.
All over the entire cemetery l foun d
rubbish of MI descriptions. Ashes, old
tin cans and discarded wash boilers, old
rags and waste paper were only q few OF
the things / found there. In some places
the weeds were SO high that one could
easily hide Ia them. Scores of tomb
SbOAG1 NAAGA - 1N
apart from want OF care were lying
about, an everlasting disgrace to the
trustees of the church. Iron rods which
once served as fences, could be found.
lying in heaps, all over the place.
BOYS PLAYGROUND.
As stood surveying the scene of desc
lation a crowd of young boys clambered
over the fence and began to amuse them
selves by playing duck on the rock
with pieces of the broken headstones. At
the conclusion. of the game they started in
to wreak still further damage to the
place. They trampled over the graves
threw bricks and other missiles at what
few headstones are still standing. When
l left the place they Were trying to tear
one OF the graves. Almost every day n
gang of boys visit the place n cause
more or less damage.
CULPABLE TRUSTEES.
When I Called upon Pastor McGowan,
of the Linden avenue NJ. E. Church, he
said that he had nothing to do with the
cemetery.
aThe trustees.n said be. shave charge
of the mauter aud-they only can have the
cemetery put in d ~presentable condition.
I do not know why they have not at
tended to 1t before this, but 1 suppose it is
because they wish to az first clear off the
debt on the church. We have a few debts
which must be paid, and the trustees
probably have overlooked the cemetery
matter in their eagerness to wipe out the
debts. have no power whatever in the
matter except In case the trustees desire
to sell the property, when l have the
privilege of deciding whether or not it
should be sold.n
WHOSE THE DuTYf
When asked why the sexton does not
look after the place, he said:-
sTne sexton cannot be expected to look
after it. He receives no Compensation
for such work except when a grave is
opened. Then he received whatever sum
the party managing the funeral may give
him."
The residents of Greenville, neverthe-
less, blame the trustees for the Disgrace
full condition of the burying ground.
They say that in its present condition it
is detrimental TO health, and II not placed
In ~presentaDle shape should be sold aud
converted into building lots.
A HEALTH MENACE.
One well known property owner who
does not wish to have his nam men
toned on account of being a member of
the church, when interviewed said
IF the trustees do not attend to this
matter, the residents of Greenville should
complain to the Board of Health. AS it
stands today 1t is nothing short OF a
uulSduCo 0iA a u1SkhaSS w. uu0 EuQGCu.
Would it not be far better to sell it and
nave buildings erected there than to
allow nearby residents to make d pu bile
dumping ground OF II?
AN EYES0RE, Toe.
"Now it Is an eyesore. and as a member
OF the church / am ashamed to tell any
one that It is our cemetery. The trustees
should wake up aud either fix 1t up or
sell it. The trustees are all aware of the
fact ~ it is in an unsiQhtly condition.
but they manifest no interest whatever
in the matter. They never speak about
the cemetery at the meetings, and when
they are asked about 1t they treat it with
indifference. The members of the church
should agitate the matter and demand
that the trustees decide TO sell or to inn
prove it."