The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1899-01-19
BUSY COUNTING DEER.
Assessor Garris Thinks He
Found Three Hundred
in Worthington's
Grounds.
ONE ANIMAL CHEWS TOBACCO
That Being an Evidence of
Civilization It Is Free
From Assessment.
Especial to .srhe Jersey city News

EE@N 'N@~
PHILLIPSBURG, Jan. 10. lS99.-What
the number of the deer may be that range
in Charles Worthington's private park on
the slope of the Blue Ridge, and whether
they are assessable, the State Board of
Taxation was called upon to determine
legally today. Mr.. Worthington had APP
pealed from an assessment of 5000 made
by the Assessor of P~ahaquarry Township,
and this, with other appeals, was heard
by the Board.
Mr.. Worthington is the wealthy Brook
Ign pump manufacturer. He bought 5000
acres of woodland on the western slope
of the Blu Ridge seven years age. The
land extends northward from the Water
Gap along the Delaware River through
| three townships. Most of it lies in Pa
! haouarry Township, which dips from the
| crest of the Blue Ridge down the rock
| and wooden mountain sides to the river.
Occasionally patches of clear but stony
| land diversity the slope, but these patches
are few and distant one from another.
Nevertheless outside of the Worthington
Park they are, the only spot that yield
| a return of any account to the Township
| Assessor.
After the purchase of the forest acres
Mr.. Worthington built a house conspic-
''
uous on the mountain side, occupying
| the top of a steep ascent just around the
| shoulder of Mt. Tarnmany, which rises
precipitously from the river at the Water
Gap.
This was a sort of shooting box or
| clubhouse for himself and his friends.
! Then he raised an eight-foot barbed wire
| fence around the grounds and stocked it
- - L - a-l tho door
| which figured in the controversy before
the board today.
Mr.. Worthington bought thirty-three
deer, but only sixteen were delivered
alive. According to testimony the other
seventeen died before delivery. John
| Garris is assessor of Pahaquarry town.
ship. His revenue as assessor has been
small. The section is the most pictur-
esque in all New Jersey, but that has
never been a source of profit to the as
SCISSOR. He couldn't assess bluffs for their
romance or cascades for their beauty.
Then Worthington came with his deer
park and Assessor Garris began to see
| beauties in the mountain slopes he never
saw before.
Quite a gathering of farmers, woods
men and country lawyers was at the
hearing. For Worthington, Judge Geo.
G.. Shipman was counsel, for the town
| ship assisted by Joe Rosebury, long chair
man of the Sussex Republican County
Committee, bnt a recent convert to the
silver faith.
During the hearing one piece of evil
| dence produced by Rosenbury went to
show that one of the deer chewed tobac-
co and consequently was not a wild ami
NAL. Charles Smith, superintendent of
the W~orthington Park, was the first wit
ness in the case. He is a hardy wood
man and his sinewy frame was clad in
| a heavy sweater of the saffron color of
the clouds seen at sunset from the deer
| park, over distant Mount Pocono.
He testified first to the 'vallyation" of
the rest of the personal property on the
| park; $780,, that was the assessment two
| years ago. Last year it was raised TO
| S., 500.
II asked the assessor what the 5000
was for" testified Smith. "He said for 500
deer at SO a head. Between March 20
and April l., when the fields were covered
| with snow | counted only LAG. Mr.. WORTH
ington in the winter of 81 and '92 put in
thirty-three deer. We lost seventeen of
| them. They died. Some were dead when
| We got them at the depot"