The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1899-09-25
PLANK ROADS ANSWER.
The Company States Its
Grounds for It's Asser-
ton Of Rights.

ESPECIAL to 1.-THE Jersey City News.
TRENTON, Sept. q. 1s99.-The Newark
Plank Road Company Saturday filed an
answer to the information in the nature
OF quo warranto filed against the coma
pany in the Supreme Court by Attorney
General Grey on July Is. In the informa-
ton the Acknowledgement sets out that
the Plank Road Companyss charter ex-
PRED on February "a last, but that It COM
tinues to collect tolls ON the plank road
between Newark and Jersey City.
The answer starts on by making the
claim that the corporate existence Of the
company was extended for fifty years
under the act OF April 9, 1889, the COM
pany having complied with the require
ments Of This act. The answer AYERS that
at the time of the filing Of the informa-
tidn the company was and Is a body cor
porate and polit.~ = RATS ana name, and
entitled to use and enjoy the liberties OF
conducting the plank road as il Is at pres
ent conducted. The answer goes on to
say that In February lS49, the company
constructed and has ever since maintain
ed an artificial road IN the counties Of
Hudson and Essex: that the same was
constructed over lands belonging to the
mpa and the title to which has never
been parted with, but still remains abso-
1utely with the company.
Before the Building of the plank road;
the answer says, there existed and had
existed from time out of mind a certain
ancient ferry for passengers. beasts and
vehicles from the city Of Newark to the
township OF Kearny, and a certain oIner
ancient ferry called Browns Ferry for
like purposes, across the HackeHsack
from the township of Kearny TO the town
re Raroap ~ The owners of both these
ferries. the answer states, had the right
to take tolls for the conveyance OF pas
sengers, beasts p vehicles. Both OF the
ferries were on the line of the present
plank road. h ferry properties, in 1913.
the answer continues, became the prop
erty of the Newark Plank Road Company.
The latter was later authorized
to replace the ferries with bridges, and IN
1855 two draw bridges were built and have
since been maintained by the company.
BY supplemental act of 1866, the answer
goes on, the Plank Road Company was
empowered to construct a horse railroad
along It's artificial road and to demand
such rates for transportation of passen-
gers as should be reasonable. By this sup
elemental act 1t was provided that the
railroad thereby authorized should be
commenced within one year from the pas
sage Of the act. and to be completed with
in three years. The Plank Road COMPANY
failed to complete its railroad authorized
BY the act within the prescribed TINE, and
had not completed 1t in 1889. when the
supplemental act extending the time was
passed, and under the supplemental legis-
lation the building of the railroad was
commenced. The railroad was leased By
the Consolidated Traction COMPANY which
operated 1t In 1898, Tor 9s9 years, to the
North Jersey Street Railway Company.
and the latter mpa took possession OF
the road on June / of that year.
The Plank Road Company prays that
the Court will allow and adindge to 1t all
the lberaIitics, privileges and franchises
by IL