The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1896-02-27
SMILES AND THREATS
~
Both in Evidence at the Meet
ing of the Hoboken
Councilmen.
THE TROLLEY ORDINANCE PASSED
Jersey City, Rutherford and Ho-
boken Company Advances
a Step.
THE TROLLEY ORDINANCE PASSED

The regular monthly meeting of the
Hoboken Common Council was held yester-
day afternoon. The feature of the session
was the revising of the franchise of the
Jersey City. Hoboken and Rutherford
Railroad Company, TO operate a trolley
line through First and Second streets.
The matter has lain practically dead since
it passed its first reading III December
last. Whenever Chairman Thinker asked
the old familiar question. ANY
one present Directing to the franchise be-
ing granted" the Councilman would smile,
several in the lobby grunt. and the re-
mainder look about. When Mr.. Thinker
asked the same question yesterday, no one
objected. and ex-Judge Abel /. Smith, coun-
sci for the railway who was sit
ting within the enclosure. arose and asked
the Council If they would not put the or
dinance in such a shape that it would
show the regular adjournments and such
action as was taken upon 1t.
Upon motion of Mr.. Offermann the or
dinance was taken up for its second read
ing and passed by a vote of six to two,
Councilman Thinker and Murray voting
in the negative. The Councilmen voting
for it being Messrs. Ofermann, Sturken,
Capelli. Snyder, Fox and Weinthal.
Clerk McDermott then read a number
of papers from property owners along
First and Second streets who had given
their consent TO the railroad company
to use the street in front of their property,
in consideration Of 81. Among the list
of many names read was Jacob Casper.
When his name was read, the Council
men laughed outright and Chairman Tim
ken said:-
I'll bet they didn't get him for the 81
mentioned in the paper,
You bet they dion't," echoed several
others, and Juage Smith looked up and
smiled a queer sort OF a smile.
Just then Mr.. John Sexton, a large prop
erty owner on First street, stepped witnIn
owners on First street were sick and tired
OF coming before the Council. They knew
it would do no good anyway.
sex we are .snn only sW Waltlng,1 continued MI lr
court. The people on that street don't
want a trolley through that street and
why, the majority of the owners have
signed said Mr.. -Offermann.
Yes" replied Mr.. Sexton, 'ibut they
what they were doing. We are not going
to be made fools of by coming here when
it does no good. And we are not going
Hoboken and Rutherford Railway Com
provements and now this corporation
wants to come along and ruin our prop
erty and business. No, sir. wen not
stand it. We have money to fight it and
We'll pay for a lawsuit. What's more"
he said, as he cast an angry look at the
members of the Council, we'll have an
Investigating Committee Town here from
Trenton which will make some of you
who have recently changed your minds
as regards this franchise, feel anything
but comfortable
With that parting shot he left the in
closure, banging the gate Of the railing
behind him, The Councilmen smiled. but
1t was plainly seen that several of the
smiles were of a sfckly line and, hecaoin
smiles We're of a sicAly hue n more
forced than real The recent bribery in
y~estigation by the Grand Jury vas
did not relish Mr.. Sections gentle re-
hinder in the least.
Chairman Thinker said that Mr.. Mari,
who represented the property owners of
morning and told him that he had seen
President Jordan of the company and
that Mr.. Jordan said he would agree to
any proposition the property owners
Smith jumped up and said that the com
pany would stand half the cost of widen
ing in the street, providing some definite
amount was fixed; but that it would not
agree to pay half if the amount ex-
ceeded 100000 or 100000, as their inter
ests would not be worth $1OO,000 to enter
Hoboken.
Councilman Weinthal said that he had
to a large number of the citizens
upon First street and they were decid-
widened. 1t would cost too much. they
said, as it could not be lone for much
less han a million dollars. The matter
then laid over until the next meet