The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1895-07-13
BY PURLING BROOKS
East Jersey Company's
Watershed Inspected BY
Jersey City Officials.
MEET RURAL HOSPITALITY
Arrive at Lake Hopatcong and
Other Sources-Merry War
All About a Bolt.

BOONTON July 1S, 1S95.-When the
watershed inspecting officials of Jersey
City returned to their hotel Thursday
evening, after their forty miles drive
among the lakes from which the Jersey
City Company propose to take its supply,
they were met by William H. Corbin,
counsel; Clemens Herschel, engineer, and
Mr.. Gardiner of the East Jersey Water
Company. These gentlemen took charge
of the party and bright and early yes
terday morning the second days inspee-
tion was undertaken.
AS the East Jersey Company proposes
to take the water from the same lakes
as the Jersey City does, the officers of
the company did not think it was nee
essary to visit them again, the engineer
dryly remarking that he guessed they
were about the same then as they were
the day before. They, therefore, devoted
the day to demonstrating their claim
that under the early grants to the Nor
ris Canal Company, that ditch was en-
titled to the waters of the Rockaway
River and so to all brooks, ponds and
lakes which empty into it. They claim
that any company which cannot control
the Canal cannot furnish the water from
the watersheds in this section of the
State. claim which does not give the
other competing companies any appar-
ent great alarm.
POWERSVILLE VISITED.
Just before starting out the party
was joined by Superintendent Powers.
who has charge of the Morris Canal
between Jersey City and Lake Hopat-
cong. Under his guidance the visitors
went over to the gorge opposite the
hotel, where the rolling mills are. and
were shown the system by which these
mills use the waters of the Rockaway
and then return it to the river. The car
riages were taken. and after a short
drive Powersville was reached Just
above the paper mills at this point is a
large lock where the waters of the Rock
away are locked into the Canal This
was inspected and explained by Engi-
neer Herschel. and then the drive was
resumed.
The next stop was made at Beever
Brook, short distance from Denville.
Here was a small dam which checked
the waters of the turbulent brook and
turned them into a feeder for the Canal
When s4ie party reached the spot they
found a typical Jersey agriculturist
standing on the dam in a heated discus
SIGN with some laborers. He was stout
countenance and rather aggressive man
a ner A broad -brimmed old straw hat
shaded his eyes. and his butternut
trousers, secured by the inevitable calico
gallusses," as suspenders are called in
this country, We're stuck into the ups
of his cowhide boots. He was a farmer
named Kitchel. who owns the land in
that section and with whom the Canal
Company is continually having trouble
over The dam.
MUCH ADO ABOUT NOTHING.
In 1885 the Canal Company had trouble
with one of Farmer Kftchel's predeces-
sors over the. right to the waters OF
the, brook, and they went into chancery
with 1t. The Chancellor ordered bolt
sunk into d rock and decreed that the
Canal was entitled to three inches above
which gave them the required three
inches, but from that day to this the
owners of the land which the brook
drains maintain that the dam is an inch
and half higher than it ought to be-
while the Canal people just as strenuouly
declare. that the bolt has been tampe1-
ed with. and so the war goes merrily
on.
Farmer Kitchel was at the dam yester-
pie did not raise it higher than it ought
to be when the Jersey City people drove
COUNTRY HOSPITALITY.
some OF his land is in the Beach 9Elen,
which both the Jersey City City Com
propose @ take for as resev9r Ssgsey GW2hmpaPy Whapn b
learned who the members Of the 1ar-tv
were ne turned his attention to them
he didn't believe Jersey CITY wanted any
water at all for they had been monkey
in order to show that he had no dhard
feelins agin Jersey City" he invited
everybody, even the much-hated Canal
people up the hill to, his home, where
he had plenty Of fresh. milk, delightful
spring water and certain cordials made
from from the apple, the cherry and the
DlacDerrV. His invitation was accented
and it was with difficulty that the party
was persuaded to leave the plain spoken
but hospitable farmer. Before they went
up to Farmer kitchels house the visi-
tors walked along the feeder and saw
walk Messrs. Simpson and Detwiller got
into heated discussion with the Canal
people over the latter,s claims to every
thing, and they could not see how the
Cenal Company could claim the right to
the waters of the brook after they had
gotten the three inches over the bolt
which the Court of Chancery had award
ed them. This was an indeterminable
if oiseus5on 2na dFew r, IN o,l most @ al an Of Of the
est provocation during the rest of the
day and it was the last thing that was
ARRIVE At LAKE, HoPATcoNG;,
A drive of half hour brought the
party to the Rockaway Station, where
the carriages were dismissed and the
train taken to Mount Arlington station:
There large four-horse bus. was found
awaiting their arrival and after driving
three miles over a magnificent but very
dusty road, the Jersey City people were
put down al the Hotel Bresl;n on the
shore of Lake Hopatcong. Here they
were met by Lawyer Wilcox of Pater-
son. a partner of ex-senator Garret
Hobart, who soon made them feel at
home. After small army of coiored
boys had made each member of the
party give up the large amount of Jer-
sey soil he had unconcealed about his
clothes dinner was served. At the con-
clusion of the meal a large steam
launch was entered and delightful sail
was taken around the lake, the beauties
of which were thoroughly enjoyed.
The launch ran down to the outlet of
the lake. where the waters are locked
into a feeder for the Morris Canal.
There it was explained by the officials
of the company that the Canal has the
rieht to eleven feet of the lake.
Hopatcong is on the west slope of the
State and its waters naturally flow
through the Musconetcong River into
the Delaware. In 1886 the Canal Conn
pany bought up all the mill and other
water rights on the Musconetcong and
now send part of the water it takes
from the lake through the Canal east
ward as well as westward.
IMMENSE SUPPLY HERE.
Hopatcong covers four and one-haff
sauare miles and drains a shed of TWEEN
tv-seven miles which. owing to the
lalle's situation in the hollow of the