The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1893-05-01
RAILROAD GRABS.
For and Against
the Consolidated Trac-
ton Company.
PEARL STREET VACATION

At the Street and Water Board meet
ing. this morning, the lobby was crowded
with such old timed improvement seek
ers as DR.. Quimby. Counselor James
Fleming. James E. Banks. Thomas Nc
Even, Counselor Vredenbergh and
Reon Barnes. They and manv
others were present to take part on the
hearing of the petition OF the Con-
solidate Traction Company for franchises
to occupy the main streets OF the
city with an electric motor system.
| All of the gentlemen were opposed TO
| granting a franchise to the petitioners
unless the city was well compensated.
VAN HORNS PROTEST.
Carrot Van Horn, who, it Is under
| stood, is connected with the Jersey City
| Rapid Transit Company, which a consld-
| eraple time ago received from the Street
and Water Board an 70 operate
( an elevated rapid ira nsit railroad from
the Central Railway ferry, was the flrst
"The Rapid Transit Company which I
| speaK for.n said Mr.. Van Horn, "cap now
| by virtue Of its powers begin WORK upon
its road. We desire to keep central OF
the streets at one time given us.
| We nave an ordinance giving us oWe
to run a road from the Central ferry TO
| Central and Summit avenues north u
| south to Jewett avenue, TO Summit ava
nue.. through Crescent avenue TO Com
munipaw, TO jackson, Bramball aud
Bergen avenues, and thence to Green
Vile. The Consolidated Traction Com
pany wants the very streets we nave
privilege to use. y,
s..Giye it to them, it will create healthy
competition, but / must protest against
| such a franchise being given away with
out compensation to the CITY,"
1.-THE Rapid Transit Company has made
an outlay OF nearly 100000, ana it IS
our intention to give 10 the Hill
| residents rapid transit that cannot be dis :
| puted, We also want clean cars n |
| assure you that now one can see the air
| come out of the Greenville cars of the
jersey City and Bergen Railroad in
CHUNKS.
az want 1t understood" interrupted
| the Traction Company's representative,
that we are not the Jersey City and
Bergen Railroad"
mo. but you are the same thing ex-
actiy,' was the reply.
After other speeches, the matter was
referred TO the COMMITTEES or the Whole.
PEARL STREET VACATED.
The next business the Commissioners
took up was the proposed vacation OF
Pearl street between Washington and
Warren streets upon a petition from
III ICbAoylfSdAh y
Counsellor James Fleming objected.
81 think a halt should be called" SAID
he. ABOUT enough streets have been
given away to corporations. Here IS a
| petition to vacate an entire block. That
lana is now taxable, but once given 20
the railroad company it is chopped out OF
the tax levy and our burdens Increased"
Mr.. Hugh Leslie, who was represented
by counsel, said thar until the time the
tracks We're elevated he conducted u
boiler manufacturing business on Pearl
| street. The raising Of the tracks partly
closed Pearl street. His business has
been ruined and he has been virtually
driven out OF business by
the encroachments of the railroad on a
| public street. He argued that at one
time he employed seventy-ive men, but
now did not have business enough
to keep three men busy.
All access to the ferry was cnt off by the
closing of Greene street, and now he
claims that the vacation of Pearl street
means that he will be shut of from the
outer world.
Counsellor Vredenburgh appeared for
the company, and argued that it was en-
titled TO the street. They virtually
owned it, having occupied it for years
Counsellor W. G.. Bumsted asked for
an adjournment, and this course was
pursued. Another hearing will be held
next week.