The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1897-07-27
PROPERTY OWNERS Kick |
Filling In Of Oxford Avenue
Water Course Considered
Dangerous to Health.

Constable Phillip Kaiser, ,eof No. Isl Ok
ford avenue, this city, has a grievance
against Thomas Fallon, of Clendenny
avenue contractor, and at present inspec-
tor of the Oxford avenue improvements.
Fallon is the leader of the Democratic
faction in West Bergen, while Kaiser
controls most of the Republican voters
In the election for cons ta'-in West
Bergen two years ago the two leaders
We're candidates for the office. The con-
test was a bitter one, and both the can
didates resorted to all the schemes known
to politics to make their canvass success
full. Their hitherto friendly relations be-
came strained Kaiser was successful
and Fallon has never forgiven him for it.
The breach between the two rival leaders
and near neighbors was further widened
when Kaiser defeated Fallons political
aspirations again last fall.
Recently Fallon landed the job of in
spector of the street improvements on
Oxford avenue. Part of the improvement
contemplated is the filling in Of a natural
water course that is used by the property
owners on oxford avenue as a sewer. 1t
is the only outlet the residents of that
vicinity have for their sewage The un-
derstanding between the property owners
and the Street and Water Commissioners
so Kaiser says, was that the culvert was
not to be closed until the property owners
had been given an opportunity to petition
for . sewer and have it laid, otherwise
there would be absolutely no outlet for
the sewage of the thirty-seven houses on
the two blocks west of West Side avenue.
Kaiser alleges that in spite of this un-
lqhOr9rS
to close up his, Kaiser's, drain, which
causes the sewage to back up into his
house, making an unbearable stencil and
creating gases that are dangerous to the
health of his family. Kaiser is the only
this manner. On this fact he bases MS
assertion that Fallon did it merely t91set-
tie his long standing grudge.
Unless the nuisance is remedied at once,
Kaiser says, he will bring suit for dam
ages against the city. In the meantime
he has prepared a petition to which ne
has secured the signatures Of all the
property owners who will be affected by
the closing of the watercourse, and Whlcn
he will present to the Street and Water
Board at it's next meeting. The petition
is as follows
To the Honorable the Board of Street
and Water COMMISSIONERS
GentlemenAWe. the undersigned resi-
dents and owners of property located on
Oxford avenue, hereby respectfully pro-
test against the filing in of the natural
watercoursc used by as drain, without
substituting a sewer. Said Watercourse
has been in use for draining purposes by
said residents for years. Should said
watercourse be closed without the substl-
tutirg of a sewer we would be left with
out any means of draining what tsoever,
and thus cause an irreparable damage
and injury to the property and the health
of the occupants of the houses.
In an interview with a reporter for
ssThe News Constable Kaiser said
1.-THE only thing that prevents US getting
a sewer at once is the opposition of
Abraham vreeland, who owns all the
north side of Oxford avenue west OF West
Side avenue, and who has not improved
it, All the property owners on the south
side of the street, myself included, are
in favor of a sewer and are willing to. pay
for it. AS it requires the petition of the
owners of three-fourths of the property
affected in order to secure sewer, and
as Vreeland owns one-half. we are unable
to get it. It is absolutely necessary.
don't see how we could possibly live there
if there was neither the watercourse nor a