New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1893-06-04

after a moment of reflection, he nervcd himself sufi
ciently 10 say: ave have TO work there csh' h'urS
every day-raln and shine" The hours seemed r'h
sonoh,e enough but like a scorpion. the STING was IN
the tail" rain or shine" "lowever, SAID h'' Win
an air OF resignation, "thcrc Is hoth'hs o'a p"'
what II nigh. be worse. There Ism many 'o"h"'
about here and there isn't many rows H'n'r """''
in a while there Is miXshed ale party pu' IL 'o'''
out all right and we haven't very mum 10 no.
mo ,ruth * that the employment OF these bridge
heepers ot such ridculously large salaries is JOB
pure and simple 49, T.,
uwbat have these policemen TO do'' was asked
Of John Morton, OF the finn of John MORTON SUM-
whose place of business, in connection VII" o"''i7
materials Is at Carrollst. Mr. Morton Is one ol 'h'
o,aas, and most respected residents of the CIV oi
Churcho. in which he has lived during the last "r'y
five wears lie has handsome nome III ""sn'i-''"
Park and has retired from business ""I'H u "o"
carried on by his two sons.
"Thcv really have little TO do except what you
have soon s,d he. There fifteen OF them'
think employed and they have no opening OF Sn"'
TING IN do on holidays and sundays for the bridges
are closed against vessels on those DAYS. ln'r' -
quite a numerous Italian colony III thc h''-'o'''
=, ro,rthavc and Ncvlns-st, but they seldom make
any trouble. and even if they do policemen o'hcf
than those at the bridges will look ai''r 'h''l'
81 do not agree with the talk about the uhhe'i'h'
fitness of the canal or its being III any Ger"
nuisance On the contrary, ! should fancy that 'he
coa, far and other combustiblcs which mnsle WIN
the water and float along. sivin. IL lh"se P'ou'''
shades OF color which looK sometimes Ike great Hi@
90 onxx while offensive to the smell, act IN rrall'S
as GOOD disinfcctants. ! never h"ri oi "''oV'S
having the malaria there or OF any u'''H VI
sickness which could be traced directly to Inc QUITS
which arise
AN ATTEMPT TO CLOSE THE CANAL
Notwithstanding what Mr. Morton had SAID an
attempt was made last year by properly -o"ii,.9 ="
close the canal, and Delegation "'I'l i" "'""s'
headed BY counsel. TO try TO secure F-l'i''o" ''"
ing to this end. The promoters OIL tAa s''''N' '"
for spokesman Mr.. Birdscye OF Brdseye' 'i"Nd "
pnv,,s while those who own the water front am
warehouses on the canal had their Interests lo'h''
after by j. {. Bergen, Of Bergen " pNh'n""' '"
busted the floor with Them said Mr. pIhi"'i "'''
speaking about the matter last week, ana 'l' pro
posed legislation. Of the most absurd s'H'"''
imaginable. was knocked higher than Gdero;'s KITE
The facts which follow supplied by Mr. Der
gen in an interview had with him In bis ONCE III tAe
Real Estate Exchange, in Moniaeuesi.
THE STORY OF GowANrs CREEK.
The canal originated under Chapter ~ OF th'
laws Of 1549, which provided that 1t might ~ iH"i'
for the Mayor and Common Council oil broohlNh "
law out and open Cowanus Canal upon certain lines
Of course These line, followed closely from th" Bay
mn A. far rs where Thirst. crosses the canal IL II
* now constructed. Gowanus Creek Was the Ohtlcl
OF the tidal mllporL known as Denton fohd' go"
AIMS creek al this time was naVigallc. Poop" sun
living in Brooklyn have seen c0latng vessels .OdinS
and unloading al The dam AT Mni0n's Pond, upon
which was IL grist mill, bringing there their careorN
Of grain b. discharged. ana going back into ID"
harbor laden with flour. II VIII BE- seen. Therefore,
that the creek WAS laoin Of the sea ana tAe
canal was simply In some place, widening. III som"
Ilaces a narrowing generally deepening and in all
instances Il Strengthening Of TIE banks. The centre
line Of the old Gowanu> Creek and OF the present
canal are 10 "A large extent The same.
The act OF 1s4J empowered the authorities In the
instruction Of the canal to 20 bnila IT 'ht There
should be- what called cllaclinG flushing gaics ~
lis mouth TO Keep the canal clean ANA h'aIh'n an
which 1t assumed would op RAJ" much IS Il"
the gates of mill pond, The canal hIlng III high Tie
water to be retained until about half cob tide. when
the gates were opened and living current thu ere.
empty Itself The flushing gates were. however.
never built, and no measures ""i" ever adopted by
The city authorities to keep the canal either clean or
Lcalthlul: In fact. they never PAID any attention
II except to use 1t a, an open ,m%rT md'r cn"p,yr
pointed TO deepen the stream to ,eIrn feet al low
waer at The head Of me cana a, po"gLiS,' .n ll
ual depth varying iioii the minimum 10 the MAN.
imum. rhi' work WIS done, dl,rici 81 assessment
WAS fixed and the abutiing property PAD IN" assess
M, mt In large part. since then the properly has
increased largely IN aS.e,sed valuation; M nrr,a,s
II could be- developed and improved by reason of the
canal itself PREVIOUS I" 1h cna 'Toy ,nrSs
was Il low salt marsh, practically useless for any
INCREASE or PROPERTY VALUES
The assessed value Of the property bordering the
cou,l and between 1t and the nearest adjacent |
ireets parallel with 1t In l502 t3.2l0 500. in
1866. before the construction of the canal really
ic,n # was ONLY $ig.. 120 increase in valuation
,n -, wears o, ~ O2O.s8o. This years valuation OF
ANAL D;operi based upon estimates partly at 30
Nor g, mt wLcrc the property j. unimproVcd. ANA
artl, M 20 PER upon the improved portions, or
ar an average Of 90 per cent, ana Ii shows Vaua
lion Of s3.7jOOOO.
Mr. Errg,n asked II IT were not true that the |
uupisi m
rrompnincd Of the dsasrc"abl, odorS occasioncd by
Tho escape Of gases OF various KINGS
" IL t. truc there IL di>nTo'luc 0d0r' said h.. |
Inn, whatever Of II arises from III" canal Is bccaus"
~, c,,v has without compensation To the ajutting
,,rors,iy on ners at whose instance II was built. for
Teors vii hout authority, without permission. ana |
,s;'ho, warrant OF law, u.cd the canal open |
sewer ,.. -, ,,o r.cui,r ,o,,o -, ,ho |
freight which Is landed there
II had occasion 10 collect hgirrs bearing on that
"a, Ne, n' ,,,rgen 10 Offset The proposed legislation
SAM Ml IN ts.emblyman Dictcls bill, and found that
IN ,.,a - In cargOes received last YEAR upon the
- - Tho canal composed largely OF raw material.
auur ,r,. ~ tn The sam OF &2aG03,So6 When We
nd ,r,o wos behind this effort to interfere with
"reat nnbIc trade such as thnt wilcn IL carried on
s I rn were met with the sitement that 1t was
'mp,inent for capitalists TO seek any such iniorna-