The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1895-12-24
BARNES NEW GRAB.
Reon, the Lehigh Valley
Street Gobbler, Wants a
Slice of Lafayette.
GRADE CROSSING OF COURSE.
Communipaw Avenue, This Time
The Plan Outlined by 1The
News" in Realization.

The Street and Water Commissioners
did not meet as promptly as usual yes
terday afternoon. A number of property
owners who had usine to transact
with them waited in the Lobby patiently
for nearly an hour and then Departed.
The cause of the unusual delay was dis
covered in the form of a gentleman who
for hours used to keep the old Cleveland
Street and Water Commissioners in sec
ret conference. The form was h al of
Reon Barnes. of Lehigh Valley Railway
fame. He had a short talk with Com
missioner Hooker. n the remainder OF
his time was given particularly to Com
missioner John Kaiser.
Kaiser is Chairman of the COMMITTEES
on Streets. and those about the office who
know the smooth Mr.. Barnes. began to
wonder what particular part of the city
not already gridironed with railroad
tracks he wanted to grab.
After leaving Mr.. Kaiser, Mr.. Barnes
held a whispered conference with Clerk
Bouton in his private Office for a few
minutes. Then the object of Mr..
Barnes visit came to the surface. He is
after Lafayette this time. He makes the
modest request that his road be per-
mitted to cross C~ommunipaw avenue at
grade.
So satisfied is Mr.. Barnes thai prop
erty owners win sit idly by and permit
the Street and Water Commissioners to
create another grade crossing in that Sec
ton of the city. that a moment after his
application was read. he submitted the
necessary ordinance covering the case.
When Clerk Bouton was asked by a
News" reporter for the ordinance, he
became mysterious as in days gone by.
He said Commissioner Kaiser had it.
Kaiser said he had not.
AFTER a little JuggIing. the document
fused to allow reporters ITO see it.
lit is not public property vet" he ex-
planned. THE public will be looked after.
# is hardy fair to make this ordinance
public before the members of the Board
a seen It."
The whole case is in Mr.. Kaiser's COM
The application for the crossing is
R Raf5eoa BY the G hy 9n e,,vi, aad H dns on
" told of a scheme of the Lehigh Val
ley to secure a right ef way through
terminal and ferry where the ,company's
fFeight piers ere now situated on the
Hudson Rai1road is the connecting and
final link of that scheme.
The Lehigh Valley now has a continu-
Gus line east of Brown place, G~reenville.
In order TO reach its freight piers, how
ever, and freight depot at Pacific ave-
nue. and Grand street, it is still neces-
gary to use q section Of the Central
presented to the Street and Water
Board Yesterday. It Is proposed by the
beginning about Brown place. at such
an elevation as to cross the tracks of
the Central Railroad overhead. Once over
the Central Raiarbad. however, the
grade of the trestle has to be lowered,
and the only feasible plan of reaching
the Pacific avenue and Grand street
freight shed and the freight piers In the
cove is. by crossing C-ommunipaw avenue
at grade.
The crossing under Mr.. Barnes plan
and Suydam avenue. johnson avenue is
already a grade crossing. n with an
other set oftracks in Comrnunipaw ave-
nue., Lafayette will be pretty effectually
fenced in.
Are you in favor of grade crossings? p,
I asked Commissioner Kaiser.
IT I'M not. he replied. 1.-THE people
of Lafayette, however. seem to favor
the granting of such an ordinance as
this to the company. They believe it will
create competition and prove beneficial.
My, actions Will be governed by their
Wishes
The application will be considered in
committee this week. and unless some
opposition is raised by property owners,
it is probable the ordinance creating the
grade crossing fer the benefit of
Barnes Co. will be passed with a unani-
nous vote of the Board.