The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1897-08-16
POLLUTION'S HOME.
Village of Char1otteburg
Said to Threaten the
Pequannock Water
Supply.
ONLY THIRTY INHABITANTS
Rental Charged for Houses That
Should Be Vacated-Some
Things the Engineers
Don't Know.

ID. Ban. have held TO a contrary pA
it seems possible that the bacilli coli COM
munis found in the public water supply,
by the Board of Health, may have its
origin In the 96O-acre tract of land owned
by the city at Charlotteburg. A reporter,
who visited the site, found six OF the
houses located there occupied, with a
total of thirty inmates, while the Board
of Works officials in charge declared posi-
lively on Thursday that the only inhabi-
tant of the little village was NJ. 2. Hem
MON, a caretaker, who was permitted to
live there. rent free. in consideration OF
his preventing tramps and others from
locating there. and saving the property
from destruction.
The other occupants of the tract. how
ever. are not squatters, for while the city
derives no revenue from them for the use
of Its property, they pay a monthly rem
tai, aggregating $22, occupy five houses
and are using the timber in other build
ings for f1rewood. While Mr.. Sherrerd
appears entirely ignorant of the presence
of those people he said on Wednesday
that he had, within three weeks, made
a thorough inspection of the entire water
shed. His assistant, Mr.. Ball, who re-
ceives a salary of SIPS a month, as nomi-
nal engineer in charge of the watershed,
is. according to his own statement, also
in ignorance of the fact that Charlotte
burg is fairly well peopled. Yet Mr.. Sher-
rerd says his assistant spent two weeks
in the locality recently, making a thor
ough examination for traces of pollution.
Mr.. Ball is also accredited with visiting
the section as often as two or three times
a week, and 1t was he who arranged with
Mr.. Hennion to occupy the land, rent
free.
The property in question embraces all
of the deserted village of Charlotteburg,
which was at one time a fourishing min
ing town, operated by Abram S. Hewitt.
1t consists of about $50 acres, of which a
large part is woodland, and is situate
about two miles east of the point where
the Oak Ridge and Clinton waterways
meet, at the rear of Browns Hotel, in
Newfoundland. From the intersection to
the Macopin intake, the distance is five
miles, and about one mile of that ira
verses and drains the city property. The
Pequannock River enters the city
property on the west, just south
of the Hamburg turnpike, runs due
south for about one-third of a mile, turns
and takes a course due north, and passes
beyond Charlotteburg at the Hamburg
turnpike, about three-quarters of a mile
east of the point of entry. On the south
erly bank of the waterway, or outer edge
of the loop thus formed, the ground RISES
almost percipitately at points, to a consid-
cradle height for almost the entire dis
lance. The land on that side is not adapt
ed to habitation, yet the city bought 1t
with the rest for the better protection OF
the waterway. Within the loop is
located what was the village proper. 1t
contains several houses. a factory, a
schoolhouse and an immense barn, the
latter located at the southerly end OF
what was at one time a large dairy farm.
All the buildings are located on a roao
running almost through the centre OF
the village, crossing the Waterway az ss tne
southerly end of the village, ana passrhe
by the old Charlotteburg R1lne. ine
ground within the loop, like TINT on eltner
side, has a considerable elevation Dram,
ing principally to the east. II Was ~
avert the possibility of the village again
becoming inhabited that NeWark, IN 1879,
cha the entire tract, inciudlhg an
unused mine, at a cost OF SoO,0OU.
Included among the buildings on o
tract were three farmhouses, large any ~ ~
good repair. Rather to protect LIZ p.iSo
than to derive revenue TON certainn
buildings, to Frank Hennion Ior an AZ,
CuaI rental of $3.50. The lessee, along WIN
subletting some of the houses, apparently
without The knowledge of the city gill
Gals, conducted a dairy farm. rearing
contamination from the latter source and
to escape the payment OF aaaes w wii da.
rived from the property, the city thls yeIr
determined to cancel the lease on May !,
and did so. About that time Mr.. Ball
whose action was later Endorsed by Mr..
Sherrerd, gave M. F. Hennion, a cousin
of the former lessee. PERMISSION 70 re-
main on the tract as caretaker, rent Tree.
MT. Hennion was and has been for a long
time previous an occupant OF a farmhouse
en- the tract. 1t is the first house on tne
tract after leaving the Hamburg turn
pike, and while there is less danger OF
Contamination from it than any OF lhe
others, because of its location. At was one
Hennion expressly stipulated should not
he ~tenantad. That possibly was. because
it had been occupied by M. g. Hennlon,
but there is nothing to Q that Inc
city derived any revenue from 1t. MT.
Hennion, the present occupant or the
house in question, along with operating a
beer boiling establishment there as Well
as a full hedged saloon. A large sign on
the front of the building, diseeTniple az
the proprietor and the business IN when
he is engaged emblazoned thereon The
sign, however, doesn't state that Hennlon
in the village. but the several occupants
thereon know that he is and pay him
their rent rOmpt every lHoiltil. OiiS VI
the tenants, a Mr.. Roach, from Brooklyn,
paws So a month for one of the largest
houses.
He rented the place early in the season,
intending to operate a summer boarding
house there. but for some reason the
boarders didn't come. Part of his furni-
ture was moved away, and he now occu-
pies the house. alone. When not other
wise engaged Roach is employed in Hen
MONS beer bottling establis hment. Fol
a while he had a number of quarrymen
as dodgers, but they disappeared about
the time the dairy farm was closed out
Hennien,ss tepaftst lis an Italian. who eoc-
cupies a small cottage Just north. OF
Roach's summer clearinghouse. ALONG
with his family this enterprising indi-
yidual has a number of boarderss from the
quarry-twelve occupants in all-and the
wonder how so many persons
can find accommodations in alittle 50 q
month house, and suggest thaf9kthey
ought to take the big house on the toppo-
month. The latter house is ~tenanted by
four men who conduct a bachelors hall
The house Is large, in good repair, and has
q barn in the rear, where four horses are
stabbed. .4asa
A building located about fifty yards
south of the summer boarding-house Is
occupied by a family named Babcock
consisting of husband. wife and three
children. Mr.. Hennion. receives 50 pei
adjoining on the south, which is occupied
husband. VIE and four children. Fur
ther south, kand to the west side of the
road, Is aAlarge barn, inzwhich Hennion
has stored several CARRIAGES wagons and