The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1897-08-27
SOUTH cove GRANT.
Proposition for It's Improv-
ment Submitted at Yes-
terday's Meeting.
MIR. EDWARDS EXPLANATION
Syndicate Ready to Build Docks
on a Lease for Fifty fears
Other Propositions.
Mr.. EDWARDS EXPLANATION

Hall, at which peSldeS MS oio
present:-President Henry Brautlganh am
Commissioners R. Simpson. II. L. heiiels
and w. F. Midlige of the Finance boalu'
President Boltwood and Commissioner =
Heintze, r. Brown, A Hauck ana >. :.
Nolan of the Street and water 6oaiu'
Corporation Counsel j. A Biair, huio~
w. Harrison and &c. Young. MI, W..
Edward special counsel for the city III =
matter of the South Cove grant ana Who
SO successfully conducted the suit asaihs.
the Central Railroad, made a proposieion
for the use of that valuable tract OF ano
The proposition, as exclusively outlined
in last nights News is that a synoicaee
of New York capitalists offer 10 spenu
s2O5. 900 to widen the present chanhel a.
the foot of Warren street from wv ~
$50 feet. dig a canal 125 feet wide ana Law
feet long. north and south TO the ioo'
of Henderson street, construct bulkneaas,
half of which on one side of the chanhei
will belong TO them and the other nan
IN the CITY. at a nominal rent for a perloo
of about. 40 to so years, at the expiration
of which time the whole improvement
Nil, ravart TO the city. Jersey City VIII
thus have a big Improvement s~eif-suppore-
ing for the syndicate will pay all taxes
ou-n q steamboat dock at the extreme
so,tbarn end of the property, possess
200 feet of bulkhead for renting purposes
and have five acres of land on the wesl
eide of Henderson street, if continued
across the strip, for a market. TOT not ohe
cent of outlay.
Before Mr.. Edwards began his speech
Mayor Hoos briefly addressed the con-
ference. He said at a recent cohAereneo
called to ascertain the position o. 'he
city with regard to the grant, no lhioiihA-
ton concerning it could be optalneo DC
cause of Mr.. Edwards absence y
town. Now that he. Mr.. Edwards hao re-
turned the city would like TO near n'
x,.u,s as to measures to be taken TO I'M
prove the property.
Spreading on the table before MN q
map showing the grant at the lne ~
civ brought the suit for the recovery
Mr. Edwards. in a graphic and exceeolhs-
" luminous manner sketched the lesai
proceedings taken. and outlined VIC
bad been done since the property nao
come into the hands of the people OF TINS
citv To remove any doubts about tne
c;tv,s title in the tract on the south sue
Of the canal. between Grove n van
Worst streets, MI. Edwards said
$50 far as the South Cove Is concerned
.he CITY has absolute title Ia it upheld by
the United States Supreme Court, ana
has at the present moment posseSid
1t is only a question OF VIVA.
be put to-" +he
Then pointing to the mar wi me
almost square block repreSs ;s History.
Had the city, he said, taken pqs a1ss bad a a
basin of 500 feet. In ls72 the t heg lacation
q an basin could be changed by The RI
parian Board. That didn't affect the
South s, Cove ,ssa w Whs gou II l cove ens the sl' state
made a grant to the Central Railroad
Company, and hat bas sorp soo feet to the
s sn9 S0 he idea being to cut off the grant
to the Iehieh yaIey Railroad Company.
The result Of this was MT; Ed Wa 9
pointed oI n out 1,3,ea thai the dns d lsalao and
it was held that it couldn't affect the %
and the basin had to be shifted pach ~
fale any action in the situation until II
became an abutting owner rar5s
IA year ago. ~continued MT. Edwaros'
Attorney General Stockton, with Wnom
/ consulted, thought it better 70 prlhs
suit in the name of the city TO compei enf
Central Railroad to remove the ming q
the southern end of the Gov We. would
ultimately lave opened the water to war
ren street ana wlpeo 1t o ~ Wren Sne street
q seour only 200 feet. You remember the
time we had with the squatters. Inc
Central Railroad removed all Its properly
except the track now used by the d
os rs that track there now?' i~nterposed
afes," replied Mr.. Edwards. but the
company has agreed to move off the land
when the city wants IT, as saia tbat there
were stiil some squatters on the ground,
but they will be driven of; A lease vas
Company, who will get off when the city
requests them. The main thing, empna-
sized Mr.. Edwards. was to put solnepooy
there TO hold 1t in the name of the CITY.
Then he, Mr.. Edwards. appointed tempo.
fariiy a man named Tulloch to collect
di Il had collected about $500 and his
expenses were $500. This collectors time
in the city's employ is therefore exceed
HSThe object of all this" said Mr.. Ed
wards. was not for revenue, but to exer-
else the city's authority and ownership;
/ would suggest that the arrangement
should not be repeated" daughter)
Coming to the plans for the improve
ment of the property the Commissioners
paid marked attention to the highly in
teresting remarks which followed.
"a number of people have made sug-
gestions to me about the use of the prop
erty," said Mr.. Edwards. 1--WE are in this
situation. There is no street across the
property, but we can get Henderson street
cut through. However, some manufac-
turers suggested to me how the properly
might be Improved and their plan is: To
widen the channel $50 feet, which they
say is wide enough for all practical pur-
poses. That would make a
basin of 800 feet wide
Mr.. Edwards here unfolded a tracing
of the property with the proposed Inn
proyements.
gentlemen" he said, ."the projectors OF
and build 125 feet wide. to cost in the
men, I do not wish you to understand that
these manufacturer say they are willing
to at once go ahead with this work, but
they are willing to. consider the advis-
ability of doing this provided the city
will give them a lease of the property east
of the channel so made for a period of
forty to fifty years. They will give up a
piece of property to the right of Hender
son street and the city will cede another
step in return. The parties who make
these suggestions will then get others to
go in with them.
AThen there is the offer to take the six
acre tract, fill it in and pay to the city a
rental from $1,000 to $500 a year. They
would pay all taxes and at the end Of
twenty years the parties so offering would
and the city would own the dock front"
would the city lose that?" asked Pres
ident Boltwood.
you would AVE a. street and a steam
boat dock at the end of 1t. They would
keep the channel open and repair 1t for
the full term of the lease" replied Mr..
Edwards.
object to a long lease" said Mr..
l.