The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1899-09-06
THE BAY0NNE NUISANCE
The ''Sun' Revives Stories
Of Former Chief
Whitney. d

-
The fight which Lieut.. John c.. Fremont,
Government Supervisor Of the harbor. has
begun against the smoke nuisance, caused
by the oil and chemical works of Con-
stable Hook, Bayonne. recalls the warfare
which former Chief Of Police Whitney,
of Bayonne, waged against similar evils
in his time. Chief Whitney was the ter
ror Of evildoers. 1t related Of him that
when any new bully came to town to tear
things loose In the tough section about
Constable Hook, the chief sent him for
NAL notice that he Whitney) was boss Of
the town, and that if the newcomer in
tended to do any lighting the first man he
Of police. Some of these bruisers took the
chief at his word, and it wasn't the chief
who went to the hospital for repairs.
One of the most notable controversies
| the chief had was with a concern which
operated a fertilizer factory on the New
| ark meadows. When the wind was in the
| proper direction. very unpleasant doors
swept through Bayonne. The firm deied
the efforts of the authorities to fore 1t to
stop cooking up dead horses, dogs and
cats. The boss of the place kept about a
dozen fierce mastiffs. and city officials
sought in vain to get at the place to pro-
cure the necessary legal evidence.
One day Chief Whitney played a card
that won. The rendering establishment
was situated on marshly ground APP
| probable only by a private road or from
| the shallow bay on which the place 'front.'
ed. detective had been sent in a boat
to get evidence. had been detected ana
to escape the dogs was forced to jump
into the bay. Some days later Chief
| whitney logged himself out in hunters
costume. with rubber boots up to his hips,
a brown shooting jacket, hat that pulled
down over his eyes and a fowling piece
| for ducks which were then plentiful in
| the bay. Taking a light boat the chief
| rowed about the bay bagging a few ducks,
| and finally landed near the rendering
| establishment. which was doing a big
| business. Before he landed the chief had
| purposely done some slight damag to his
| gun, and when the man on guard, scowl-
ing and grumbling, came down to see
| what he wanted the chief with is nose IN
a tight grasp of his fingers said
ssDaBbid mad. whad you god here? This
ard do periphery fagdry, bed"
"No, this amt no perfumery factory
| Get ten out of here said the man,
though he watched with evident salts
| faction the efforts of the visitor to make
| himself understood and at the same time
keep the odor at a distance.
sBroge mu gud.' sputtered the chief.
s.ad / wad to get I'd mended. Ard We god
a VIE idsideg"
The guard. apparently satisfied that an
accident merely had forced his visitor to
land at such an inhospital place, led the
| chief into the factory building. The gun
| was taken to the machine shop, and
| meanwhile the chief Inspected thoroughly
the whol establishment. After procur-
ing his mended u and thanking the
| guard for his aid. the chief fled to his
boat and rowed away. He fed the fishes
with his dinner that afternoon, but later
had the satisfaction of relating the whole
adventure IN court before the discounted
owner of the factory
Another offender was Millionaire Os-
borne. father of Howard Osborne, who
married Fay Templeton. Osborne resisted
the efforts made to compel him to cease
filing Bayonne with clouds of sitting
smoke from the chimneys Of his big chem
zeal works at Constable Hook. He de-
cIared blandly that the smoke was health
full. having certain healing properties
which arose from the chemicals. He
maintained that no case Of consumption
or throat or catarrhal trouble could
thrive where these healing fumes We're
present. Eventually he was hailed to
court. and there his lawyer set up a de-
fence. among other things, thai the
smoke from Osborne's chemical works
ought not to be shut off because it killed
the mosquitoes. A compromise was finally
reached bv which Osborne agreed to
h1fijd a tall chimney. which. it was be-
lieved would carry the fumes high up in
the air and away from the residences. but
works refineries. zinc works and oil fac
tories increased until now the great
clouds Of smoke from them hang like the
citv n Lieut.. fremont succeeds IN his
crusade. the citizens of Bayonne will be
ready to rise up and give him a greeting
like the one Admiral Dewey Will get
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