The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1893-12-23
A SQUATTER'S RIGHT
Interesting Row in Green
vile Between Thomas
Reid and George
Edinger.
LATTER COMES OUT AHEAD.
He Threatened To Erect a Tene-
ment and Fill 1t With
"Niggers" Having Large
Families.

Mr.. Thomas Reid and George Edinger of
Greenville, although neighbors, are not the
best OF friends. In fact they are bitter enc
mics, and all the trouble has been caused by a
bowling alley which Mr.. Edinger conducts in
connection with bis saloon. Although this
is the main cause of the bad feeling there is
another bone of contention that is now figur-
ing in the courts, and is max ng the breach
between the two well known citizens wider
as the case progresses. This trouble is over
eight inches of property which Mr.. Reid is
now in possession of, and which Mr.. Edin-
ger claims belongs to him. Mr.. Edinger has
had the property surveyed by three different
city surveyors, and each one declared that
Mr.. Reid's fence shut in eight inches Of Mr..
Edinger's plot.
Mr.. ~Edinger's place of business is at No.
81 Linden avenue, and runs through to Dan
forth avenue. He also owns the adjoining
plot on Danforth avenue, on which stands
the old Fifth precinct Station House. This
property is designated on the mar as Nos. 81
and w. No. 81 is a vacant lot. On the lot.
NO. 70, is MIR. Reid's residence, a handsome
large frame structure. Mr.. Reid's lot, like
Edlnger's, also runs through to Linden ave-
nue.. AT the rear of his residence, Mr.. Reid
has a barn which he claims has stood there
over twenty years.
A sQUATTER'S RIGHT.
Part of this barn stands on the disnuted
eight inches of land, and Mr.. Reid claims
that as his barn has stood on the property
for over twenty years those eight inches are
his by virtue of the squatters' right law.
but MT. Edinger says that he will knock this
argument into SmithereenS by proving that
the barn has not stood on the disputed land
for the time Mr.. Reid claims it has.
Ihls, however, is not the most interesting
incident OF the Reid-Edinger squabble. For
years Edinger intended to build a bowling
alley at the rear of his Linden avenue estab-
lishment, but he postponed the breaking of
ground for the alley in the hope that Mr..
Reid would move his barn and surrender the
eight inches OF land, and allow him to use
every inch OF his property for the alley. But
Mr.. Reid resolutely refused to bulge one
inch, and Mr.. Edinger realized that he
would have to drag the matter into the
courts, and he did.
A little over a month ago Edinger's ma
irons requested him to begin the erection of
the proposed bowling alley, and the saloon
keeper, who has a reputation for having an
eye open to business, began to realize that
be was losing money by not having the
alley, and he gave out the contract for its
erection. This news was hailed with delight
by his patrons, but Mr.. Reid, when he heard
that work on the alley was to begin, executed
a war dance in his back parlor.
MR. REID WOULDN'T HAVE IT.
A bowling alley, made hideous bv the
shouts of the bowlers and the banging
of the pins against the side of the alley. and
right alongside of his quiet home? He
wouldn't hear of such a thing, and, what was
more, he wouldn't allow it. Mr.. Reid for
years has been in the custom of retiring
early, and he didn't want to have his slum-
befs interrupted by the aforementioned
shouting of bowlers inc banging of pins: so
ne promptly took steps to nave it reach Mr..
Edinger's ears that, if the alley was erected.
he would complain of the place as a nuisance,
and would apply for an Injunction to pre-
vent its being used.
This news reached Edinger's ears in good
time, aud caused the jovial saloonkeeper to
smile a smile that BODIED defeat for Mr..
Reid's plans.
~ED1NGER's MESSAGE.
"You just tell Mr.. Reid" said he to his in
former, Ito go ahead. i win guarantee that
he will call time before the first round is
finished And he went ahead with the work.
A week later he sent word to MIR. Reid that
if he CMr. Reid dared object to his alley he
would immediately give out a contract for a
large four-story double tenement, and
would erect it on the lot No. 81
Danforth avenue and immediately adjoining
Reid's house. "The rooms in the tenement
will rent to niggers, Italians and Polacs."
was the message he sent to Mr.. Reid, and he
further threatened that he would give
families with the largest number of children
the preference. This had the desired effect
on Mr.. Reid. The talk of "~injunctions" and
''nuisances" were no longer heard, and the
work on the alley went merrily on. 1t was
completed in good time, and now the noisy
hustle which always accompanies bowling
alleys is heard on Linden and Danforth ave-
nues, but Mr.. Reid is as silent as the grave
yard is at the dead of night.
The result of the lawsuit over the eight
inches Of property is anxiously awaited by
the residents of Greenville.