The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1897-07-06
ERIE BACKS DOWN.
All Objections to Seven
teenth Street Improve
ment Withdrawn by
the Railroad.
NO BUILDINGS IN THE WAY
The Grade Will Be Arranged to
Suit Both the Company and
the Citizens.

The President, P. Connolly. and menu
bers of the Seventeenth Street Improve
ment Association. accompanied by their
counsel, Mr.. w. H. Speer. experienced an
agreeable surprise this morning when
they attended a committee meeting of the
Street and Water Board to hear the four
hundred and odd objections of the Erie
Railroad to the petition for the improve
ment of Seventeenth street. The dele
cation was loaded for bear and Mr.. Speer
was ready to fight loutrance
The Erie Railroad Company, represents
ed by Counselor William H. Corbin, how
ever, spoiled the fight by saying that the
railroad company's only interest in the
matter was the adjustment of the grade
of their tracks.
The Improvement mentioned means
rise in grade from Jersey avenue to Ho-
boken avenue and the continuance of the
street to point 13O feet west of Mon
mouth street The grade from the Erie
tunnel east was fixed on April 2s. and
would hoist up the Erie's tracks at Mon
mouth street and make it awkward for
the hauling of freight. as there would be
hummock between the mouth of tae
tunnel, the grade of which is irrevocably
You see, gentlemen said Mr.. Corbin,
pointing to the grade line on a map be-
fore him. .sthis new grade would hoist our
grade up seven feet Our company will
have to go up to the grade at Monmouth
street from the tunnel and down again.
The West Shore tracks are above US. and
it would be difficult for them to come
down We have no opposition to make
49, A rxra f1c1r 10 fors
an adjustment of the grade at that
point
so, then" interposed Mr. Speer, syou
abandon your remonstrance to the petit
tion?"
well, yes, we don't object to change
our tracks, but we think a little give and
take should be observed here 1t is an
easy matter to adjust this in the interest
of all parties
.In the line of this same grade" asked
President Boltwood of Mr.. Connolly,
which we adopted April Is, have any
buildings been erected on the land be-
tween these points and on the line of the
Improvement"
mo, sir" was the reply.
"Oh, them replied Mr.. Boitwood.
there will be no trouble to adjsst the
grade -
Mr.. Corbin produced the companys con-
tract with the city in the matter Of the
elevation of the tracks, and explained to
the delegation that the company had ai-
ready contracted to the rise in grade
west, and we've, OF course, ready to exc
cute that contract, and It was only g
small matter to adjust the Monmouth
street grade to enable them to operate
the freight road. He then said that the
company would prepare q map showing
suggestions for the grade at the point IN
dispute, which would be sent to the
Board. There will be, as Mr.. Boltwood
said, no trouble about the adjustment OF
the question at issue between the COM
pany the city and the association.
In course of time the Board will have
petitions for the opening up of Fifteenth
street and other streets to the Hill, and
care will be taken to establish such q
grade as will meet the requirements OF
all parties interested. AS for the Seven-
tenth Street Association, it has accom-
plished what it set out to do: the inn
provement of that section of the city,
and this mornings amieable settlement
of differences by the moderation of the
railroad company's demands was as sat-
isfactory as it was refreshing.