The Morris County chronicle. [volume] (Morristown, N.J.) 1877-1915, 1898-08-12
may Sell IRE POORHOUSE
Freeholders Asked for Refusal Of
County Poorhouse Property.

Sum of $40, 900 offered-Warm Dis
eussicn on the Manner of Weighing
County CoaI-Petitions for State Aid
Roads-Prosress of Road and Bridge
Work Special Meeting on Monday
Next.
In the absence of Director Lum, who
was reported by Clerk Everett as i'll at
his home, Maj. H. M. Dalrymple was
chosen director pro tenn for the Free
holders monthly meeting of Wednesday.
Among communications before the
Board were two petitions for improve
ment of roads under State aid road act;
one for the old Newark and Dover turn
pike from Denville to Pine Brook
through Rockaway and Hanover town
ships, about ~ miles, signed by twenty
nine property owners, and the other in
Mendham township, from the Black
Horse Hotel at Mendham through
Bernardsville to the Somerset county
line, about miles, signed by eighteen
property holders. Both petitions were
referred to the Road Committee.
County Engineer King offered his
monthly report on road and bridge work
as follows: 'sThe work on bridges re-
ported under contract at your last meet
ing is progressing very we'll. But few
new contracts during the past month
have come to my attention, in these the
span ranging from % to % feet and cost
of iron work from $160 to $3.50, and
stone work from 1866 to $285 per cubic
yard. In the matter of macadam road
no new contracts have been given out.
The work on the roads under contract is
moving along in good shape. In Morris
and Passaic townships Munson & Co.
have the road stoned nearly to the town
ship line of these townships and the
grading nearly done in Passaic township.
In Chatham township, Cook & Cook,
contractors, are well under way with
both the grading and stone work.
I'm Chester township, the contractor
(Drinkwater) started at the Mendham
line and is grading and stoning up
the hill toward the point near where he
started work this year. In this work we
find it necessary to make quite strong
cuts and fills in the grading, and on this
account the stone work must of necessity
go slow. In Mendham township Os-
borne & Co. have started on the grading
and are doing fine and fast work and
will soon have that section of the road
stoned from the old work in this town
ship to the Chester township line."
The county treasury, as reported by
the Finance Committee, showed a bal
ance of $395.5s; $19, 1925 was the
amount received and $40, ,O36.58 expend-
ed dnring the month; balance in the
State aid account, $15, 5,949; balance in
road account, 5000.
By reports of committee there were
twenty-three inmates at the county Jail,
thirty-seven having been added and
thirty-nine discharged during the month.
The Poorhouse has ninety-four inmates,
two added and six discharged.
Chairman Hoagland reported for the
Road Committee progress on the Morris
and Chatham sections; work on the Ches-
ter section was bit slow, but efforts
were being made to push same. The
Basking Ridge road is progressing
satisfactorily, and the committee knew
little of the Chatham road. The road
inspector had recommended following
expenditures for repairs, which were
granted: Montville, 500; Mt. Olive,
800; Rockaway, $3.50; Chester (road to
German Valley, 500; Pequannoc, $100.
Mr.. Norris, in reporting for the Poor
house, read communication signed by
B. J. Crane, agent, requesting three
months option for the purchase of the
Poorhouse property at $20,0 900, agreeing
to allow the county, in case of sale, one
year In which to vacate the premises,
with the use of all crops now standing,
providing that purchaser is allowed to
make Improvement on grounds during
same time, such as laying out roads, &c.
The committee reported having investi-
gated the matter and recommended the
granting OF the option for $25, 200.
Several members spoke in opposition, on
the plea of further investigation as to
title, the right of the county to sell, etc.
Among them were Messrs. TroxelI,
Gillen, Milledge, Dalrymple and Van
Winkle, while Messrs. Cook and Hoag-
land were in favor of the option. Being
asked for opinion, Counsellor Quayle
stated that the Board doubtless had the
right to grant such option and, in his
opinion, the title to the property was
all right. The discussion ended by the
adoption of resolution offered by Mr..