The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1899-07-15
TO HONOR HELLER
Mrs. Hudspeth- Benson Fro
poses That the Davis
Association Create
a Park.
GOLDEN STREET THE SITE
Chairman Sees a Chance
to Make Eyesore
a Paradise.

Mrs. Hudspeth-Benson chairman of the
Town Improvement Department, has a
new plan TO improve Golden street, and
not at the expense of the city.
"You see.r said Mrs. Benson to a
News" reporter this morning, 1--WE do not
want to ask for too much all at once.
think a great deal of our success is
due to the fact that we have not been ag-
gresssive, and on every occasion we have
met with the utmost courtesy. Every
complaint we have made has received
attention. and MI. Murphy has been espe-
cially kind.
Golden street for a long time has been
an eyesore to the Town Improvement
Department and the public generally, and
so when ! saw by the paper that the
Robert Davis Association Thought of
erecting a monument in memoriam Of
Sheriff Heller, I went to Mr.. Davis and
suggested that the association purchase
the property on Golden street belonging
to Mr.. Bumsted and turn it into a park.
I told him that would be an everlasting
memorial.
Mr.. Davis did not say" continued Mrs.
Benson, whether or not he would do
aQYLQllB dDOul III Odly d1tSA
me to another member present, remarked,
i guess Mrs. Benson must have sat up
all night to hin she could ask
for"
Mrs. Benson said she had investigated
the matter of turning the triangular lot
on Golden street, between Jersey avenue
and varick street, into a park and put
ting the street in a respectable condition.
According to her estimate this would cost
about six thousand dollars. Which, said
she, ssthe Davis Association could easily
raise by subscription. 1t could Their pc
called Heller Park"
The plot in question is about 200 by $50
by so feet, and the property of Mr.. Will
lam G. Bumsted, were this turned into
such a park as is to be found on the east
side of New York wherever there is a
spare triangle, Mrs. Benson thinks it
would doubtless induce the owners of a
block of rundown houses opposite to at
least give them a coat of paint, while
the benefits to the occupants could
scarcely be overestimated.
1.-THE plot" said Mrs. Benson, "has re-
Gently been filed in, but it is now higher
than the street. so that the road is a big
mud puddle, full of dirty children, after
every rain. Only Thursday morning 1t
was full of boys padding round on RATS.
The plot is plainly .distinguishable from
the Grand street car and does not speak
well for the city"
The chairman was then asked how her
work at the Junction was progressing.
ssOh." said she, 'sthe city has taken hold
of that now. though the Street and Water
Board is still carrying out our plan and
retaining the man with the push cart"
This man, Mrs. Benson explained, was
employed by the women at the rate of
seven dollars per week, for which ne
kept six blocks cleaned. The ladies are
Justly proud of their work at the Junction.
"and,v continued the Chairman, sit was
no easy job"
The money, she said, was all raised by
subscription from the various business
men at the Junction, each giving so
much per week. ssAnd they all paid up
promptly, too" said the speaker. Even
the Cinnamon who run the ~laundries
would look up questioningly whenever I
entered and say, Gomez CASHIER I had
no trouble whatever in collecting"
There is a vacant lot, triangular in
shane, at the corner of Harmon and
Grand streets, which had always been in
a filthy condition until the women took
hold of the Junction, then, seeing the
good results of cleanliness, Mr.. Ficken,
who keeps a livery stable opposite, and
Mr.. Rowland, the real estate man, paid
the Junction man to clean it. $50, you
see,' said Mrs. Benson. 1.-THE result of a
good example"
The Chairman then took out the con-
stitution and bylaws of the Wornan's
Club, the blank leaves of which she had
devoted to accounts of subscribers, as
she explained, 'to give the affair a chubby
look"
Among these subscribers were to be
found hi names of Messrs. Frank O..
Cole, Dickinson, Blau, Hammer, zee,
KERN, Wells & Maxon, j. O'Day. Swee-
ney, On Wah, Elliott, Mrs. Loeft, Cohen,
Hanley, Speer, Burbank, Mrs. Murphy,
Kaiser, Lee. Mrs. Ramsey, Welsh, A.
valestro, Joans, Walsh, II. Recka, j. A..
Wolverton Manufacturing Co, P. Kflroy,
| Seeley, Hanley, Rowland, Mrs. Griminger,
Danst, Cahill, James Kelley, G. B.
| Brighton and John T. o'Donnell.