The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1897-12-21
OUR TEMPLE OF FAME
Portraits of Ex- Mayors
Roman and Wanser
Presented to the
City.
EXERCISES IN THE CITY HALL
Justice Gilbert Collins Makes
the Presentation Speech
Mr.. MidIige Responds.
Interesting Review of the Muni-
cipality's History By Mr.
Jacob Weart.

Last night in the Assembly Chamber of
the City Hall, Jersey Citys portrait gal
Iery of its Mayors was inaugurated by
the presentation of two excellent paint
ings of John B. Romar and p. Farmer
Wanser Supreme Court Justice Gilbert
Collins, himself an ex-Mayor, made the
presentation speech. and Acting Mayor w.
+. Midlige acknowledged the gifts in be-
half of the city.
In honor of the occasion the brilliancy
of the always beautiful Assembly Cham
Der in which the exercises were held was
Increased by extra illumination. and in
side the rail where the portraits rested
upon easels facing the assemblage were
tastefully arranged numerous potted
palms, which beneath the many lights
added beauty 10 the scene. Music was
furnished by Cranmer's orchestra.
The ladies present were:-Mrs. James P.
Hail. Mrs. James c. Haskings, Mrs Will
lam T. Sullivan, Mrs. Edward Hoos, Jr..
Mrs H. Hoos, Mrs. W. D. Edwards, Mrs.
William Douglass, Mrs. James Manning.
Mrs Owen Kelly, Mrs. e. E. Datz, Misses
Cummings, Cook and Payne. Among the
gentlemen present were Mayor Pagan of
Hoboken, J. A. Walker, M. Murray, Jas.
g. Haskings, Assemblyman-eiect James
p Hall, Andrew J. Corcoran, Counselor
William D. Edwards, President of the Po-
lice Board Hugh Il. Abernethy, William
IT,. Sullivan Aldermen Decker, Moran,
Maxwell Warren and Burns, City
Clerk NJ. ]. O'Donnell Corporation Coun-
sci Blair, Corporation Attorney William P.
Douglass, Counselor James Manning, City
Hall Commissioner e. E. Datz, Owen Kel-
". Counselor William A. Lewis, John
Wahl Queen, Z. Hoos the Mayors pri-
lAfe secretary; Fire Commissioner John
Brennan Police Justice Nevin, DR.. Nevin,
Free Library Trustee Stephen L. Harvey,
Robert Davis. John P. Feeney, T. J. Mig
gins, Assistant Prosecutor ". NJ Klink,
President Hingsland of the Proyident In
Dayton, Martin Finck. Finance Commits
sioner II. l. Kellers, e. Dugan and Com
missioner A. Hauek.
Corportion Counsel John A. Blair pre-
sided, stating the object of the exercises
and introducing Supreme Court Justice
Gilbert Collins to make the presentation
painted in behalf of the donors; that of
ex-Mayor Peter Farmer Wanser being the
gift of Mr.. Henry Harrison, the artist
by whom it was executed and that of the
late Mayor John B. Roman, the gift of
his daughter, Mrs Jacob Weart.
Judge Collins made a very pleasing ad-
the city and its Advancement. He said
that the career of Mayor Wanser was too
fresh in the public mind to require any
reference.
He was a native Jerseyman. Before
reaching the office of Mayor he presided
over one of our city courts and also had
served ID the city in the legislature He
a term of five years, and his administra-
tion of the affairs of the city was thought
to be wise and judicious John B. Roman
hn olO I, xyi11O fxun
years from 1862 to 1864; was born in Sulli-
van county, N Y, and was first a school
teacher; then engaged in mercantile
York Stock Exchange and was promi-
nent man in his day and generation He
was a true American and performed his
elected an Alderman, was elected to the
presidency of the Board, and the follow
ing year elected Mayor, and during his
term was also a member of the Board of
Water Commissioners. During his term
the war was raging and he took it upon
himself to raise this city's quota of troops
so well that he was subsequently en-
ployed by the city to furnish substitutes
fol-. drafted citizens, and in that he also
Judge Collins then formally presented
the portraits, which, in the absence of
Mayor Hoos, who is confined to his home
by President William F. Midlige of the
Board of Aldermen. who, after stating
the cause of the Mayors absence, read
the following written response TO the
presentation sent by His Honor
1T is with feelings of the deepest
pleasure that J. tonight, on behalf of
your great city, accept the portraits of
two of your former Chief Magistrates
So far as our city is concerned. the
idea of portrait gallery of our ex-
Mayors is novel one. Now that we
possess this grand structure it is fit
ting that little space be devoted to
the former occupants of the highest
office in the gift of the city. I fondly
cherish the hope that even before the
expiration of my term I may see this
gallery complete, and I do trust that
each new portrait may represent a new
link in the chain of our nunicipality's
prosperity. Every man has some faults
and every man is liable to make some
mistakes, but in every man there is
also some virtue. 1T is never all fault
nor ever all virtue that constitutes the
makeup of a man, for in some the
one, in others the other, predominates.
Let each succeeding Mayor look upon
the silent images of his predecessors
and seek to learn and adopt their
virtues and avoid their failings. and
the result must necessarily mean the
city's gain. Let these portraits be an
incentive for all that is right and just
in municipal affairs.
Mr.. Jacob Weart then read the following
historical address, which concluded the
exercises
Mr.. Mayor Ladies and Gentlemen-We
all remember the familiar adage
Great oaks from little acorns grow
When we come to analyze this old adage
we find that the acorn is one of the small
est of kernels. and the great oak is the
king of the forest; applied to Jersey Citv.
we have a literal illustration of this old
saw.
In 1904 three prominent lawyers of New
York City purchased the land known as
Powles' Hook from the late Cornelius Van
Worst. l think the whole purchase did not
embrace much more than one hundred
acres. consisting Of about forty acres of
upland and sixty acres of marsh. The
purchase was land speculation, and to
lay the corner-stones upon which to build
a borough. town or city. The gentlemen
making the purchase were Richard Var
:ck, Jacob Radcliffe and Anthony Dye.
Richard Varick was born at Hackensack,
n j., in 1883; served during the revolu-
tionary war in the military service of his
country; was member Of Washington's
military family, with the rank of colonel
He was Attorney General of the State of
New York, and for twelve years Mayor of
The statements Of those who have been