New-York tribune., 1899-07-17
WHOSE AQUEDUCT Is 1T?
A PROPOSAL TO SAVE THE OLD CROTON
WATERWAY FOR THE USE OF
THE

To the Editor OF The Tribune
Sir: You could. sure. do a great service 10
MANY people Of the city OF New-York and TO many
more OF Westchester County by drawing promi-
attention in your columns 20 the present con-
diton. and. more especially, 10 the future possl-
bnities Of the surface OF the old Croton Aqueduct.
ITO him who in the love OF Nature holds commun-
ion with her visible forms one OF the greatest Of
delights is a good. firm footway. neither wet nor
dusty free from the intrusion OF large crowds lead
ing through places Of natural beauty.
For this purpose the surface OF the old aqueduct
IS wenigh ideal II Is Impossible to use 1t for a
carriage way. and the grass grows almost all
Il. and II is dusty For the reason that
II is for the of its length mound, II is well
drained and docs not become muddy. or II IT does.
It does not long stay Il has no attractions 70
offer except the woodland through which IT some
times passes. the fields and pastures which border
It az other points its alterations Of sunshine and
shade and the beautiful views OF the valleys OF the
Hudson and the CrotOn rivers which Il commands
Therefore the hordes OF people which make any re-
sort TOO easy Of access a desolation and waste.
instead OF haunt OF beauty attracted 10 II.
I need scarcely say however. that these beauties
which happily fail 10 interest the rabble make
the track place Of Infinite charm 20 hundreds ot
persons who find Joy in the works of Nature. TO
such the surface of the old aqueduct Is like finely
laid ont park only better because there IS more OF
nature and less Of artifce In It's surroundings u
is in short. d track OF uncommon convenience and
wonderful beauty more than thirty niles long
from High Bridge TO Croton Lake. and by far the
greater part OF it is accessible for their purposes
/ APPROPRIATED FOR PRIVATE PURPOSES.
But the misfortune is that # is not all so acces-
si6e few OF the property owners along the line
seem inclined 70 shut up the pathway and cause
annoying interruptions 10 those who would like 10
make use OF considerable portions OF II. There are
| many OF these interruptions between Dobbs Ferry
and Irvngton and I'm the neigh borhood Of Sing Sing
In some places the Sround has been frankly appro-
Triated for private purposes and in others It has
been merely fenced In. apparently with no purpose
at all Fences across the aqueduct are common
along whole length but in most places they are
provided with stiles narrow openings or turn
stiles. the object apparently being 10 keep stray
cattle of the adjoining lands. without hnderins the
/ legitimate use OF the pathway by the public.
But I'm the places Of which speak the fences
built high and have locked gates. and the attempt
is obvious 10 keep strollers out In many cases.
TOO. no is made OF the land within. Il is sim
ply little useless tract, with nothing 10 shut in,
but with hdeOus yellow fence (the fences are al
most always Yellow 10 shut harmless people out
Now If the persons who place these obstructions
are within their legal rights, suppose there Is
nothing be- done out wonder 81 an OF them are.
In regard 10 TINS aqleduct section SIS Of the CON
/ sONdatiou act. In force IN lSl. SAYS.
In case said corporation Ohe city ~ New-Yorh)
should use any Of said lands situate in the county
OF Weslchester FOR purposes other than in this
tion permitted chat j.. introducing water into the
/ cty). or IN case the and sAoltd not ne required
for the purpose of Introducing water into The city:
such lands improperly used or not required
shall become revcstcd IN The indiv.iu from whom
the said corporation obtained it. as fully and per
/ fec;y though the said act had never been en-
/ acted upon repayi1g 10 said corporation the
amount originally pali for the same after deduct
/ ing from such amount the damages sustained by
such individual by reason Of any alteration work
which the said corporation may have made upon
said land"
The aqueduct has been cut I'm Two places in Van
! Cortandt Park, and at Quaker Bridge. ard IL
/ has ceasa! from its ot introducing water.
Therefore IL becomes subject 10 ;hc provision of
the law just quoted and the original owners Of the
I land their Successors resume possession
OF ~ 0y paving back the city what they got from
/ the city when IL condemned. Have they done
/ cases they have not. For. A. nave said. OF
| the land fenced in is totally unused. Nor why
should any man buy land which he is not going
use or which he expects 20 use only at future
time and lose the interest the price Of H. when
/ he knows that the city which owns IL can never DO
anything with T. except sell Il 10 him. and that IL
will be Obliged % do that at any time he chooses at
the price?
! So II these people fencing in land which they
| have not paid for. 7 plead that they should he
made in some foTcefu manner 20 the 90
! their ways. They should be- made to pay back 20
the city what the city paid 20 th@rn their prede
else they should bc made 10 ke down
their fences. Perhaps they have paid their money
and within their legal rights. In the absence
OF information ! dOT't say they have not. II so.
could the city of NeW-York and the various
towns through which the aqueduct passes recon
denim the land fo- this very purpose Of foOtpath?
II would benefit all OF them and Il would he easier
Is still unoccupied than later. when OF II has
been taken back by the former owners and turned
to other purT Oses. AITOfYCTS
NewYork. July s. 1893