The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1894-02-27
THE ERIE'S TRACKS
Prominent Citizens Urge the
Passage of the Eleva-
ton Bill.
ARGUMENT IN TRENTON YESTERDAY
James Mnrphy's Experience Last
Friday Morning-Courtland
Parker's Contentious.
Special to the jersey CITY Nsrs.

TRENTON, Feb. 81, 1S94-Dr. Isaac N.
Quimby, John Clancy, Michael Brennan
and James Murphy, accompanied by Law
yers Dougherty and Willie Speer, braved
the storm yesterday and Travelled down here
TO urge the COMMITTEES on Municipal Cor
porsations to report favorably Mr.. CarrolFs
bill to compel the Erie Railroad Company TO
elevate its tracks through Jersey City. The
committee gave the gentlemen a hearing IN
the room off the Senate Cham Der, and for
over three hours the walls of the small room
were bombarded with those choice gems Ollie
laboratory which have made these two young
legal luminaries so renowned on the hust-
ings. CORTLAND Parker, who appeared for
the company, did not appreciate these
chunks of rare rhetoric, and even went SO
far as to say hat the young men made HIM
tired.
The first speaker was Lawyer Dougherty
and the way he went Ill and depicted the
horrible slaughter on the Erie tracks made
even Max Salinger feel faint. He was fol-
lowed by Willie Speer, who told of the ter
rible depreciation in the value OF property
north of the tracks, and also strewed some
mangled legs and arms around promls-
cuously and spattered the tracks with the
brains and blood OF the babes land stockings
that were daily slaughtered at the various
crossings. While these youngsters were
saving the air Il Grating Mt. Parker
walked restlessly up and down the floor str1y-
ing to restrain his disgust.
Mr.. Clancey next obtained the floor and
spoke for some time. He earnestly and
forcibly presented the great need of the ele-
walton of the Erie tracks. He said that the
road practically cut off from the city all that
portion north of the tracks. He told of the
many casualties which had come under his
personal notice at the grade crossings and
called upon the committee to report the bill
f~avorably.
DIR. oUIMBY's ARGUMENT. S
It is a long time since DR.. Quimby has ap-
peared before a committee of the House,
but he has lost none of his old-tlme v1gor,
and he made a forcible argument for the
elevation of the tracks. Although that was
not the place to ak of the slaughter of
human beings, he said, ne could not help
but refer to sons cases of persons being
manned or killed at the Erie crossings,
which had come under his observation as a
physician. He then spoke OF the great delay
to which all were subjected who wanted to
cross the Erie tracks. They were blocked
up by freight trains almost all the time, and
frequently he had missed important engage
ments by being detained at one of the cross
ings. He also dwelt upon the manner IN
which the dangerous crossings retarded the
growth of the northern part OF the city.
James Murphy, the Ninth street real
estate dealer, said that last Friday morning
he had occasion to go for a doctor very early,
and the occasion was one Tor congratuia-
tions, too. he added, parenthetlcaHy- he
was Obliged to wait at an Erie crossing ten
minutes, and he was sure that II the mem
beers of the committee had suffered the tor
lures which he underwent then while wait
ing to get across those Erie tracks they
would report the bill favorably, and at once,
TOO. He said that he had the renting of
thirty or forty houses in the section north OF
the Erie tracks, and it was almost an I'M
possibility to get tenants to cross the tracks
and take the houses. The dangers at the
crossings were so great that no one cared to
live in that section. He spoke OF the depre-
citation in the value of property IN that
vicinity, and Mr.. Storrs asked him if he
meant that the property had really depre-
ciated in value. or that it had not advanced
in proportion to that of other sections. Mr..
Murphy replied that the value had increased
some, but not at all as that in other sections
had.
Mr.. Parker. who had been fretting under
this arrangement Of his road, now attempted
to speak, when Mr.. Brennan said he would
like to be heard. Mr.. Parker gracefully re-
linauished the floor, and Mr.. Brennan pro-
ceeded. He reiterated the sentiments of the
previous speaker, and at last Mr.. Parker
was allowed to speak. There Is no doubt
Mr.. Parker is getting old and peeyish. He
began by saying that he had suffered that
sort of thing for a long time.
"Not so long as we have from your
tracks spoke out DR.. Quimby.
DEFENDED THE ERIE.
II beg you, gentlemen, that you will not
interrupt me, but allow me to proceed in
peace as | did you"
He then said that he had been counsel to
the Erie road since 1878, and every accident
which occurred on the road came to him
either to be settled, if be thought such q
course right. or to be defended il he thought
otherwise. Therefore, he knew of every &C
cident that happened upon the road. He
ridiculed one OF the arguments OF Willie
Speer to the effect that most OF the people
injured on the road were too poor to begin
an action against the company. There was
an association in New York with agents 10
Jersey City tina made it a busines to fur
nish just such poor people with money TO
bring suit. He knew that what the COM
mittee had heard about the large number OF
men being killed on the Erie tracks
was false. He did not be-
lieve the speakers meant 1t
to be so, but men get wild sometimes and
say things they cannot prove. MI. Parker
then Jumped on the association OF property
ownerswhich the youthful lawyers repre-
sented. and declared that it owned the news
papers. And when he made that assertion
he pounded the table so savagely that one OF
the new reporters jumped from his seat in
alarm. He declared that the stories of the
loss of life at the crossings were greatly ex-
aogerated. He had no doubt that Willie
Speer had oratory in his blood tonly he dld
not know the boys name and designated him
as that. Young man. He told of a list of 276
killed at the Jersey City crossings in six
wears. which had been prepared BY the at
forneys of the association, and which he, by
a species of analytical research Investl-
CATION. had reduced to almost none.
A EcULg CONTENTION.
Mr. Parker next INDUCED in a very pecul-
lar argument for a man OF his standing at
the bar. He said that the citizens had de
clared that the tracks cut off and Isolated
fine northern section of the city, whereas it
was nlainlv demonstrated by the Newark
and New York Road in Newark, that elevat-
inc fine tracks produced that isolation, He
said that he was fond of horses and he drove
q good deal, and he found the most danger
,,nder the elevated railroads in Newark.
The horses were apt to run away when under
them, and dash the carriage to pieces against
the stone abutments, whereas II the tracks
were at grade, the runaway horses could dash
oyervhem and not smash the wagons against
fhe abutment. AT this point Tom Flynn,
one of the committee, announced that IL was
seven O'Clock, and moved that the committee
adjourn.
REPUBLICAN SENATE
Passed a Repeater 10 Oblfge Senator
Daily.
Special to the Jersey CITY Nens.