The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1897-08-17
OUR DRINKINGWATER
Newark Trying to Purify
the Pequannock Drain-
age Area.
DILAPIDATED DWELLINGS TOBE RAzED.
Assistant Engineer Ball Investi-
gates and Orders the Houses
at Charlotteburg Vacated.

TRENTON. Aug. II, 1S9z.-The Board or
Works was yesterday officially notlned ny
Assistant Engineer of the Water Depart
ment Arthur D.. Ball that six of the
house on the city reservation az
Charlotteburg were inhabited. as stated
yesterday. Mr.. Ball also learned for the
first time that some of the inhabitants
of these houses were, paying a monthly
rental for them to NJ. F. Hennion' tne
beer bother, who, as nomina caretaker,
is permitted to occupy a large house ana
use the farm on the reservation rent
free. He further Stated that acting IN
accordance with Instructions revived
from Chairman Van Duyne, of the boards
Water Committee, he had ordered Hen
MON to have all the houses on the tract,
except the one occupied by himselI,
vacated.
Mr.. Hennion assured Mr.. Ball that the
order would be complied with. Hennlon
pays no rent to the city, but was granted
the privilege by Mr.. Ball and Mr.. Sherrerd
to occupy the premises for the summer
and an indefinite period thereafter under
the same conditions the place was helu
BY Frank Hennion under lease. rms IN
Guided the right to use all the puliuinss
on the tract except the factory, large
barn and three dwellings. which were not
included in the original lease. Acting on
the theory that he had q right 10 do So
Hennion rented five of the dwellings, ana
the tenants may not be inclined TO leave
on a few hours notice or without pelnS
compelled to. according 10 law. Whether
the tenants shall leave today or at some
future time, Mr.. Var Duyne said yes
terday morning. he woGld endeavor 10
have the Board of Works at the special
meeting of that body. TO be held this
afternoon, order all the buildings on the
reservation. except three, torn down.
ON the tract there are twenty-four
buildings. consisting of a large factory
coalhouse, one large and tour meoiuih
sized barns. a school,, a store, three large
houses in pretty good repair, ana Twelve
smaller ones, some of which are in 1alrls
good condition, while the others are
almost total wrecks. The three puilolhss
which it is proposed to save are the large
houses. one of which is located on .he
extreme northerly end OF the city
nronertv. near the Hamburg turnpike,
and is at present occupied by Hennlon-
Tbe other two are occupied by tenants,
one as a summer clearinghouse, the otner
as a residence. n,xna
learned that the city property az Cnal7
iotteburg was much populated ne uifSctsu
Mr.. Ball to go there at once anu sh II
facts should be as stated TO nave ~
places vacated as soon as possible. MI.
bali went to Newfoundland yesterday,
where he met Mayor Seymour. who a.
companied him to the city tract. II ne
cessitated very little inquiry 10 ascertain
that the houses were occupied as stated;
for they are all located along ana u tuli
view of the road which runs through .he
Those of the inhabitants who were about
were found lounging around the Roussisa;
inside or on the lawns in front, and II dld
rot take Mr.. Ball long to ascertain uetr
nitely that the tenants were payiis q
rental for the property occupie IT, ~ ,s4ter
was not at his saloon and bottiing estaD-
hmen but he was found later by the
Mayor and M; Ban at 2 the picnie siou'
IN response to a query put b. Mr.. Ball.
Hennion frankly admitted that ne "as
collecting rent from the occupants oi
some of the houses on the tract. He did
so. he added, because of an understanding
with Mr.. Sherrerd, by which ne was 70
occupy the place under the same con
ditions as the former lessee, but 1or an
indefinite period only and rent free, IN re-
turn for keeping it in repair ana caring
for it. On that account he said he rented
some of the houses and used sucn OIL the
proceeds as was necessary for keeping
fences in repair. It was then ina MI;
Ball ordered Hennion to have all houses
except the one occupied by hlmself va
Eneineer Sherrerd declared positively
vesterdav that there was no understand
ing between himself and Hennlon by
which the latter could collect rent for
or permit any of the houses on the tract
to be occupied.
II told Hennion." the engineer added,
"that he might continue to occupy the
building used by him as a bottling estab-
ishmen and utilize the product of the
farm without paying any rent in return
Tor exercising a sort Of general super,
him not to plant anything on the farm
that he could not harvest this season.
for the reason that l did not know what
the boards intention was concerning the
further use of the tract. At that time
the board had under consideration an
other plan, which would include the re-
moval Of Hennion, who was not as care
full as he should be-"
Mr.. Van Duyne said that he was very
much surprised to find that the city prop
erty was as extensively populated as was
stated.
Duyne added, that the of
the water supply than the OF
other dwellings in the village Of New
~foundland: The city purchased the prop
erty principally to prevent the
OF operations at the factory located there
and to secure the removal of a large
dairy farm on the tract.
= Hc OAIl III VhA14A &AO
housed were over the stream, yet we
heard Of no pollution from 1t, but In order
to secure its removal we were forced to
purchase the property. II It had not
been purchased there ts very little doubt
that the factory would have been re-
opened because the water power at that
point with its constant flow of forty
million gallons daily makes 1t the most
desirable site along the stream for fac
tory purposes.
with operations resumed there, all the
old houses, and perhaps a number of new
ones, would be occupied, and 1t is reason
able to suppose that the possibility of pol
luton would be greatly increased.
Il am pleased that this agitation has
been started for 1t demonstrates the
necessity of the city owning a sufficient
quantity of land on either side of the
eleven miles of the open waterway to pre-
vent pollution. I have always favored that
plan because o of no other way to
absoaute1y prsveat pollution now and In
we have ordered all the tenants on
the city property except ennion to va
cate. and 4 win endeavor to ave the
board agree. TO the removal Of all the
buildfnGs Qn the city property except
three OF the better ones."
Members 81 fhe Board of Works, as
well m Emgfneer SheYrerd and Assistant
Engineer. Ball. were apparently very
much sprprised 10 learn that n one
except HeAniQn Vas living onAthe city
property at Ghna40tteburg.s m Jply@ 81
the board r~eoetvedst letter from & Josephs