The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1899-09-03
THE SMOKE NUISANCE At BAYoNHE
Lieut.. Fremonts Crusade Recalls q Story of
Former Chief of Police whitney.

Former Chiof of Police whitney.
The fight which Lieut. John c. Fremont Gov
eminent Supervisor Of the harbor. has begun
against the smoke nuisance. caused by the oil
and chemical works OF Constable Hook, Bay
onne. recalls the warfare which former Chief
Of Police Whitney Of Bayonne waged against
similar evils in his time Chief Whitney was
the terror OF evildoers. 1t is related Of him
that when any new bully came to town to tear
things loose in the tough section about Con-
stable Hook. tho chief sent him formal notice
that he whitney was boss Of the town. and
that il the newcomer intended to do any fight
ing the first man he would have to lick would
be the chief OF police. Some Of those bruisers
took the chief at his word. and 1t wasn't the
chief who went to the hospital for repairs.
One Of the most notable controversies the
chief had was with concern which operated
a fertilizer factory on the Newark meadows
When the wind was in the proper direction
very unpleasant odors swept through Bay onne
The firm defled the efforts OF the authorities
to force 1t to stop cooking up dead horses.
dogs and cats. Tho boss OF the place kept
about dozen force mastifis. and city officials
sought In vain to get ut the place to procure
the necessary legal evidence.
One day Chief Whitney played card that
won. The rendering establishment was stu
ated on marshy ground approachable only by a
private ROAD or from inc SnulOW nay on winch
the place fronted A detective had been sent
in a boat to get evidence, had been detected and
to escape the dogs was forced % t2 lump into the
himself out in hunters costume. with rubber
boots up to his hips. brown shooting Jacket,
ne sHy F aSf T os Chief
landed near the rendering esta b ishm emf, which
was doing a big business. Before he Handed
tho chief had purposely done some slight
n his md whan this ms N IN pue r1
VIVA, he wanted the ehei With his T nose % in "a
tight grasp of his fingers said;
do @fs here' This aid
tell out Of here. said tho man. though he
watched with evident satisfaction the efforts Of
Keep he at snd
ssa fam nsasS.d az snsa a
dent hsa sser "1e az ap %ff at
actey Ths afen TO
the machine shop and 3D. the chiet In
After procuring his me nded gun and Thanking
the guard for his aid. the chief fled to his boat
faction Of relating the whole adventure In court
before the dIsconfted owner Of the factory.
rled Fay Tompleton. Osborne resisted the
Bayonne with clouds Of sitting smoke from
Constable Hook. He declared blandly that the
smoke was healthful. having certain healing
properties. which arose from tho chemicals
He maintained that no case OF consumption,
or throat or catarrhal trouble could thrive
where those heal ing fumes were present
Eventually he was hailed to court and there his
lawyer set up defence, among, other things.
that the smoke from Osborne s chemical works
ought not to ho shut of because. it killed the
mosquitoes. A compromise was finally reached
by which Osborne agreed to build a tall Chin
fumes high up in the air and away from the
residences but this did no great good and the
chemical works, rehneries. zinc works and oil
factories increased until now tho great clouds
OF smoke from them hang Ike tho hlackness Of
Il thunderstorm over the city. II Lieut.. Free
mont 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