The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1895-09-30
The FOUL PASSAIC.
Plaintive but TardY Pro.
test Against It's
Pollution.
ONCE A BEAUTIFUL STREAM
In Olden Days 1t Was Nayigated
by Shippers Proud of
Thtir Vessels.

There is no lack of information about
\ the vents of what writers are pleased
to call the fin de steele. 1t is a boast
full era with us moderns, and the an
cestors are not cutting much of a fig
ure just now. This end-of-the-century
crow is not without reasons for its ut
terances. either. and we all Join in 1t
with more or less vigor. AS long a, the
newspaper is printed this latter end
Of the century will not suffer neglect.
But there are two ends to a century,
Ike most other things, and since Rus
fins 'old paper is not yet issued. we
must depend upon history and the an
tiquary for something relating to the
other end.
A glance at some of the old-time nav
igators and their vessels, especially those
that sailed from Newark and ports far
Their up the Passaic River, will, no
doubt, interest the few surviving sailor
men in our town, and may have a gen
eral interest Just at the present time,
when We have all of us taken to the
water, as it were, in a sort OF nautical
fever. ;,4-s So
ships that pass in the night are laden
or lightened of cargoes much the same
d. tAOSC ~ 0oys oNh SHSJ
nesses. 1t is of the gallant barks that
passed in broad daylight along the Pas
sale, commanded by Shippers who loved
their craft next to their wives, and
manned by genuine sailors long ago.
The pfows OF these vessels cut clear wa
ter churned up a white foam when
fsthe wind was brisk. Our old residents
were proud of the stream, and even
iandsmen were wont to say, or to think,
parapairasing the Scriptural Phenphar
and Abena, .sIs not the Passaic River
of New Jersey better than all the rivers
of the country"
BUT NOW! WHAT "a DIFFERENCE.
But now! Well, the stream today COM
-pareswitls that of old as the fostering
sore does to the pure sound flesh. A sort
OF purblmd indifference and a moral in
kertia on the part of our people for the
sspast score of years have made his
work of pollution possible by the filth
bumpers from h factory OWNER to the
apcpulous town whose refuse is hourly
added to sthe thick and fetid waters. Is
1t vain to ask now whether 1t is yet TOO
late to redeem the old Passaic? Battles
Htnave been made against sewage poliN-
Elton and lost, because h people dozed
over the subject and left its settlement
to their Representatives. Even mannu
facturers, who helped, in 4 mild way, to
.contaminate the stream, have been
Obliged to abandon the river site because
sof the wholesale and abominable pollu-
ton caused by the sewage OF towns.
During the summer season now,
physicians regard it much as they do the
veritable sewer, unfit to be stirred up
by the boatsman's oar, and its ex-
system; and If archaeological inyestiga-
lions were directed towards this quar-
ter and its myriad germs OF disease
ing in disguise by awakening, even at
this late day. our residents to the fact
that there are broader and more fatal
needing the immediate process of dis
injecting for the safety of the city. At
ruption. and the stronghold that sewer
mouths have obtained on it, nothing
short of loathsome epidemic disease. ira
ably. ever arouse Newarkers to vigor-
GUS and concerted action. and suggest
some heroic measures for the redemption
THE BIZ Of MODERN PROGRESS.
me tide of modern progress with its
motive power of the almighty dollar Is.
OF course, irresistible under most circum-
stances; and even the tide of a once pure
and beautiful water course may be chok-
progress Of mans ambitions. But, to
presenting this subject which might have
cPPCoiCo ~ A44lA IL II DCCA SOOilC1
presented. 'It might nave BEEN are
always sad words, and never helpful
a way of. escaping Similar dangers in
But could the old Passaic, as our early
navigators knew and admired it, nave
been preserved in its purity by succeed
ing generations till today, we should
have had a pure, constant and never
Newark that is not far distant, and q
million INHABITANTS might have enjoyed
this natural blessing and even shsrsd it
saved its millions of dollars and con-
frolled absolutely its own source of
water supply. In this CONNECTION the
er. changing the names of the country,
E are as applicable to us as to those
h heaaae of G aaso i%n snsa ron oi aassin n aai ID:
'You might AYE the rivers Of Eng
land as pure as the crystal of the rock;
pools; SO fun Of fish that you might
take them out with your hands lnstefd
Say nets Or s yowm mar f;Tn 40 es aaway5 river as yo of
England into a common sewer, SO that
you can not SO much as baptize an Eng Eng
its face out in the rain, and even that
LIgE THE ApGEAN STABLES.
But Newark, with its new water sup
ply, assumed to- be secure and of good
quality. seemed to have dropped the
@ spasss Th ifa hnI 1t f 81 Tesola aG fee9 ity
aealth Board surveillaflce and its river
patrol to prevent p6Hutioln. 1t did
seem~a good deal like cleaning the foul
Augean stables and to need more than
one Hercules for its performance, be-
cause the peopleswere apathetic and in
different: and the old river is rele-
gated to the sole purpose. so far as
pleasure is concerned, of furnishing a
course foFbtrials of rowing speed.
But Belleville. quite recently. entered
another vigorous protest against the
dumping of sewage into its waters by
: Passaic and Paterson people. It is TIE
fellow uD streaun that must be enjoined
always from sending down to us on the
tide his denominations, while we dump
GUS into the stream to go down to our
lower neighbor. 1t may be that time
will remedv this evil, and that continual
increase of pollution will reach a dam
gerous climax that will work out the
final solution of the hrroble old stream.
Meanwhile let us glance backward at
happier times, when wind and tide
meant something to the former navdga-
tors OF the stream.
But, after all. the old river has not
changed more in its quality and uses
than has navigation since the opening
of the present century. Since steam
raised its first white Duff above the decks
on or waters. sails nave been gradually
furled and Withdrawn from the unequal
contest in commerce. The snowy canvas
is still spread to the wind, but it will
yachsmen. IN this way. If in no other,
will be preserved amidst the smoke fun
Al o11 coraooh;n0 Whicf1na on n11r wa