The evening world., 1894-03-31
Two Lights for Each Five 1nhabi-
tants Of the Tax-Ridden
Town by the Sea.
FIGURES FROM CONTRACTORS.
These Are the Men Who Supplied
the 1000 Lamps Now in
Use in FurguesonvilIe.

The inside facts regarding the deal by
which Boss Cornelius Furgueson. OF New
Utrecht, saddled that unfortunate town
with a burden OF debt In order that he
and his friends might be enriched through
the gas scheme may never be known,
but enough has come to light to Illus
trate what Job 1t was.
Each of the 1000 gas lamps that illu-
inmate the fields and pastures OF New
Utrecht, is a standing evidence Of this
robbery of the taxpayers. When Fur
Rueson got control Of the town the tax
was SIS per thousand. Now 1t is $50
The town of New Utrecht. which in
cludes the villages of Fort Hamilton,
Blytheburne, Bensonhurst Bay Ridge and
Bath Beach, has territory of sixteen
square miles and a population of about
10000 BY the grace of Furgueson each
Ave inhabitants have two street lamps.
Furgueson's gas scheme first came to
light in 1887, when bill was introduced
IN the LEGISLATURE to establish Board Of
improvements for the town Of New
Utrecht.
The Kings County Gas and Illumlnat-
ing Company was incorporated Dec. 49,
1889, with a capital stock Of 100000. Its
charter to run 1or nIty years oaiiies ~ ~
o. Sherwood and Charles G. Burnes, OF
New York and Alfred NJ. Hehre, OF
Hollis, L. l., were the trustees for the
Messrs. Burnes and Hehre have been
unknown quantities. but Mr., Sherwood
has been very much In evidence. HIS
once is In the Corbin Building, 1872 Broad
way. and he Is one of Austin Cor6in.s
right-hand men. Ask any one in New
Utrecht who was the financial hacker or
the Gas Company and he will tell you
When Mr.. Corbin built his Manhattan
Beach Railroad Boss Furgueson was one
of his commissioners to condemn prop
erty along the line, and ever since that
M Ss' Fnrgsueson and corbin have been
The New Utrecht Board of Improve
ments was organized soon after the for
nelius Furgueson, Justice John Cowen-
hoven. w. Bennett Wardell, j. L.
Nostrand and William Keegan as mem
of the Board and Justice Cowenhoven
One OF the first acts of the Board of
with the Gas Company. in which Fur
gueson is said to be interested, to furnish
gas to New Utrecht at the rate of SIS per
has been able to see this contract, for II
is safely locked up in Furgueson's pri-
When the town appropriation for 1885,
was made 1t included s126,2oO for gas for
I'll
the people down New Utrecht way dis.
covered that on March 16. 1891, the Board
of Improvements had secretly extended
the contract with the Gas Company hf;
teen years. The members of the Board
present when the extension was granted
were Furgueson, Cowenhoven, Keegar
and Wardell. Nostrand was absent r
Meanwhile the Kings County Gas AND
Illuminating Company fourished; ooo Tht
capital stock was Increased n dSso e
ND In, Va fn IT
january, 1893, the Company filed its re
port as follows:
Capital stock. OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES. $500 o0t
Debts Debts, not ssu to exceed 90 co. S oc
n There was issued last year a directory
X Of gas companies, in which the state
ment Is made that the Kings Count!
works at New Utrecht, supplies 49, o
/ that 1900 lamps are used.
These statistics are remarkable IN vlew
a are supplied for 10000 persons. But thu
gas directory is used by the officers O
other gas companies, and II an exPer
900 gas lamps, it would look queer. Ga.
Btatistics from New Utrecht must. in tn,
gas business at least. harmonic will
d Btatistics from other towns.
ia No one apparently knows who are tn
Owners of the Gas Company, but Their
Us a strong suspicion that 1t belongs t.
1ments. These are Furgueson the BOSS
Z and President of the Board: Corneliu
F'urgueson, 1r.. William Keegan Fur
Se inesrint tss'f Hom neere and Town Ia;
Collector; John Cowenhoven. Score
larry of the Board and JUSTICE OF tn
nnd 3sst noW candidate for Justie
The SsF es.penaiturs e per year
the saPpy Of q Eap
Eas lamps which is altogether a separat
Contracts were made by the Board !. g
improvements for the purchase OF 4,F
imp posts and gaslights. In order to pa:
q issued bonds for s75. 900 to cover the cost
This was on a schedule OF sl7'So Tor eac
|'f Furgueson, Keegan ct al. ADVERTISED
Tor bids. and let the contract Tor the mrs
is coIs posts sa,I "a NJ is2 Broad%aS
g per post. The contract Tor lamps !
q. Miner. Of sss Eagle avenue. Ne,
Lamps and posts were purchased froI
time to time from Drummond and Minel
until now there are 1000 standing In Ne'
DO derived from the sale OF bonds yer
Bsen ,i Fs%a'n'' The average cost ma
There was a level-headed citizen O
New Utrecht who last year prepared
trap for Mr.. Furgueson. He had frien
IN New York who was manager OF tn
Matthew & Willard Manufacturing Com
pany, and he engaged this friend to writ
to both Drummond, the gas post cor
tractor, and Miner, the gas lamp deale
i His purpose of writing to these person
was to. secure a price on. gas lamps.
the amount paid by New Utrect
through the hands OF Boss Furgueson.
A letter was first sent to Jacob {
~ Miner, who had supplied New Utrecf
with gas lamps. Miners lamps No.
had been used in New Utrecht for stree
u corners and his lamp No. for reguis
Y side or gutter lights.
Here Is the letter from the lamp mani
"a facturer:
once OF
JACOB c. MINER,
Patsntss and Manufacturer OF Street. Park. Dep
and Ferry Tampa. q
S2s EaslA Avenue.
- NEW YORK. May 81. 1888.