New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1893-05-19
FOR A NEW RESERVOIR.
JEROME PARK WILL Be TAKEN FOR IT.

Jerome Park, made famous by high-class racing
for nearly a quarter Of a century, together with
such contiguous real estate as may he required
for the purpose, is about 70 become the properly
Of the city of New-iork and will be utihzed
by the Apueduct Commission as the site OF .
reservoir of sufficient capacity tn furnish Croton
water to the rapidly growing part OF the ciW
above the Harlem River. The project oil plac'
ing large distributing reservoir mt TINS poins
has been a favoritc scheme OF engineers lot d any
year. as it has been considered by compe'ens
men of the profession AS best adspteu LOT Wv"
purpose of all the property lyins within the ares
Of tn" Annexed District.
In 1889 shortly after the Inauguration OF Nay"
Grant. Aoucuct Commissioner John }. IGckr
ardontly advocated the purchase OF Jerome rar"
bv the city for the purpose Of a reservoir ITO
urocd upon the Mayor Controller Myers and PUBIC
Works Commissioner GrOy the Importance OF
specdv action i'm the matter. showing that whiie
the land could then 10 bought at re'sonA'''
price. and paid for In the city bonds issue" -
law rate of interest, the natural increase OIL Na's
o,ving 70 tine rapid growth of population above
the Harlem and toward Jerome Park. would pTins
an advance TO the real estate market in that NJ gh'
borhood General Duane, president o. tho COM
mission Acaueduct Comm ssicncr Francis VI sco's
and Aouednct CommissI Ioncr Henry W. Cannon,
commissioner Tucker in advocating the purchase.
The result was that the Aquednct Commission ,p-
uointed Charles Brooks and Hugh y. Camp, two
wcll-;nown oxrerts. thoroughly acquainted with
rho vaue and prospects of real property in the ap'
nor mart of the city, AS special committee 10 mako
IN investigation and report upon the advisabi'lts OF
buyinc Jerome Park The report OF these exc
rcrts was shortly afterward mad" TO the EN.
ecntivc Committee Of the A1uednct Goard, ana
oavc substantial reasons in favor OF immediate
purchase. .
Eut tho matter dragged along to The end OF
Navor Grants administration without fnrfner
definite movement. Objections were rais"', the
most effective being the Indisposlt'oh OF '"o
Mayor and his associates in the muhicipai gov.
crnmcnt TO increase the bonded Indebtedness ot
thc city, delay being advised also on the ground
that the need of reservoir at the tim" hao ho'
| hoor demonstrated After Mayor Gilroy cams
into ofice no declared himself favorable TO mo
rI.p A month ago the eyes OF the Mayor, Coh'
,rcler and other commissioners were opened 70
thc necessity for reservoir in the lwcn'V-'"'"
and Twenty-fourth wards IN AN nneNpcc'eo way,
and tho, .aw that il would not ~ we'll to depend
,orcor unon tbe Bronx water supply for the in'
croas;,c nonulation above the Harlem. 10
was fonnd necessary about the midh'o
Of Arril TO shut down the new Croton Aq"e""'s
70 remove some Instructions when were ih'e''
ferin. with the flow of water, and Tor iour "ass
the oil aouc,luct had 10 he depended upon 'or
rho surnly During this time the Central Park
reservoir fell eleven feet. The circumstance set
tied ,he question of immediate purchase OF
Jerome Park and the building there Of a reservoir
Of a probablc capacity OF l,Jooooo,oco to 2'-
| OoO 900 coo gallons. The price which the city
will nay for the land needed has nof been definitely
| fixed. but 81 .OOo.o0O is about the figure whish
thc Aaueduct Commissioners regard As Id"
rr;c. They do not expect condemnation pro-
, ceedncs will be necessary so FAR as the area VI
the park is concerned. hut it may be different ~
! ., ,h. ,diuininr parcels which will be needed 70
| complctc the reservoir site.
Tho Jerome Park Villa Site and lmprovencne
| Association organized ny Leonard W. Jerome
William r. Traver>. August Belmont anu o'n,'s
inst after the war, for the purpose of buying the
picturesque property in Foriham now known aS
Jerome Park 4 racetracs was not then thougnS
-, Tho object was n great real estate invest
mani Mr. Jerome was wealthy through fortnnat'
| sn,c,,,tions in Wall Street. Mr.. Travers WAS
| ,so ,vo,Ithv and Mr. Belmont was banker OK
,y.r.r.l, large resources In 1867 the Am"ri-
c,p Jockey Club was formed by thesc investors
IN promote higl-class racing. There was 10 a'-
temnt or expectation of making money py ''7
scheme No stock was issued but tne drians
| ncnt was made that the American JOKE. ~" ~,
| should nav all the racing expenses anu '"'' "'
| rho nrotits should be turned oyer 10 the c''n'
many For more than twenty years jerome Ia'~
| was a famous racecourse. The name was rami'ifr
70 turfmcn the world Then reports "esa"
70 circulate that the property was 10 wv ~"
rho city for a reservoir. Its adsptaoi'S ior ."e
| nurnos, was recognized by all engineers idn"s~
! with its topography - .
| Racing there however. was ahandoneu on ao
! count of tne .sta biShmcnt Of Morris farN ny JON"
| Norri, who founded the New-tork Jockey
| Climb Norris Park had more extensive area, i"'
mons, buildnrs and splen,lid facilities Inc A"r'
ris venture broke up the American JOCKEY 'iu"'
| ,,hicr ,vas dissolved. Last year Jerome fafk wae
no, useJ for racing. and now lies idle IL still ~
| ,s to thc Jerome Park Villa Site and Improve
| mcnt Assoc lation. 49,.
! Ico,ord W. Jerome in the last years OF his ire
h.comc embarrassed financially and his interest,"
in the association passed nto ti,e manuS n ~, r"anv
T. Kelly. of the firm of Kelly bIlss, lor a,:a
v,,rs nromincnt in the ranks OF Dookmakeis no,su
! ;or I,rce operatons lie has made conSIderaples
ad,oncrs on Jerome Park stock. william ~
rravers was the largest single owner ol te SION.
and the Travers estate continues the ia'see' '"'s'
| in the association -. ..a,o,.. ,r..
formed 10 buy this property. Ihe allount as
| which the purchase was to he rhecteo was nan-s
at $4,000 or thereanouts. 10 .Storv iat O. srS
| and The sale was not completed. Inc names oI
| Pichard Croker cX-Mayor Grant, Nathah Strans
and other well-known lovers OF horsenesn VIZ
| mnnt;oned in connection with tho purchasing syn
hioa,n h Tut for yarions reasons. which rumor
| attributed mainly to internal diSS"nslons, Shs
! scheme fell though
Jogy n ROrKEFELLERs LATEST GIFT.