The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1896-04-03
FOR SALE OR TO RENT
Many Schemes Suggested
for Disposing Of the
South Cove Tract.
NO MORE FIGHT EXPECTED
Several Railroads Want the Land
Its Great Value as
an Outlet.
NO MORE FIGHT EXPECTED

dHser, was delighted yeSter-
gay AFTERNOON when he read in .grhe
News that the city had won its great
nght Tor the South Cove grant. The
Mayor was. confident that the city would
pc victorious when such eminent coun-
sci as ex-Mayor Collins and ex-senator
w. d. Edwards had the case in cllaree.
ihe acquisition of so much wealth de-
nghted the members of the Board OF
iFaoe, too, and the various Good Gov
erhineht Clubs. Itsis expected that the
mayor and other officials will be deIuged
"ieh suggestions as to what is 'sthe best.
use the valuable tract can be put to.
inere are many things that tend to
prevent immediate possession being
taken. The Central Railroad has portions
OF rne tract gridironed with tracks ano
has coal trestle On the Henderson
street end. The Lehigh Valley Railroad
is also a trespasser.
Mayor Wanser is of the opinion that
unless the company proposes making
some new line Of legal attack little or
llng possession in the course of a few
weeks The status of the case is sucn
that the Mayor believes the city is now in
d POSITION at least TO collect rent for& the
land, The tract has always been a source
or revenue to the Central Railroad For
years the company has also been chsrg-
ing dockage to owners of boats witch
We're drawn up the gap and moored in
the canal basin all winter.
u IS likely that suit may be instituted
against the company for the recovery
OF the rents it has collected since it has
enjoyed possession.
For some years a plan Of utilizing the
land which would doubtless give the city
a handsome revenue has been agitafed
It is the establishment of basin and 4
storage warehouse the same as the great
,sa1, Elqe Basln OF brooklyn: This plan i'm
Another plan which has supporters is
t1at public docks be built and leased to
the railroads. The chsracter of the land
IS such that it is said dredging could be
zone i at a moderate cost, so that sufficient
depth could be obtained to float anv YES
sci, no matter how great her draught that
enters the New York harbor. With such
great railroad systems have a terminal
near the property, it is believed the cove
YOU'D soon become a great point of ship
laehf; me IN adgltlon to the two railroads.
yards near the property, the connecting
line. of the New Jersey Junction road
could readily, it is said, make direct COM
ed there. = = -
Some of the city officials do NOT think
the city Is IN a position financially to
inndertake q are Il the = building Of docks and
gest that the land be leased for 3 shorf
term OF years to railroads or other coruor
ations desiring it, No one has as vet
advanced the theory that it should be
sold and the proceeds devoted to the re-
duction of the city debt. Everyone seems
to think that although the land has 4
valuation. of about $1,000, 600 at present if
has still greater future, and will in a
few years have double that value for
shipping and Transportation purposes
1t has been whispered to the Wavor
already that the Lehigh Valley Railroad
would pay a handsome sum to the civ
for the use of the land, in order to es,
tablish the new ferry between this citv
and New York, of which there has been
SO much talk. The company. it is said
would, if it secured possession under q
lease for a desirable number of years
establish passenger station here. IFS
land in and about the South Cove grant
is cramped and the few piers it has are
scarcely adequate for the handling Of
freight. To establish a ferry house in
one OF them would only increase the in
convenience.
A reporter for ''The News saw Cor
poration Counsel Blair this afternoon
he said: THE practical result of the de-
cislon Is that the city will be richer by
about S2,0OO,000. 1t will take Immediate
possession of the land ] do not think
there will be any dispute"