The times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1897-1901, 1901-04-26
TO BUY THE PALISADES.
A Move toNPreservc the Hudson's
Picturesque Landmarks.

f'ictures0ue LnnuufaEks
NEW YORK, April 25.-Encouraged by
the response of the Legislature of this
State to the popular demand for the pres
ervation OF the Hudson River Palisades,
the Interstate commissioners to whom
New Jersey and New York have confided
the interests sof the people in the pic
turesque river bank meet this afternoon
to plan the work made possible by New
York's $4,000, appropriation. The com
missioners. George w. Perkins, Abram 5.
Hewitt, Edwin A. Stevens. d. McNeely
Stauffer, Franklin w. Hopkins. Ralph
Trautmann, William a. Linn, Abram De
Ronde Nathan +. Barrett, and j. Du
Pratt White, hoped before they convened
today that they would hear that Governor
Odell had signed the appropriation DILL
but they have worked on faith for year
and they were prepared not to be both
cred by little matter like a delayed sig
nature to a message that the Governor
was known to approve. They have spent
money in the confidence that plenty more
was coming.
They have even made arrangements 10
take title Immediately to some OF the
lands which will go to make up the IN
terstate park and one of the biggest par
cells in point of value will be bought TO-
morrow This is the quarry of the Car
penter Brothers below Englewood Gins.
The men who operated this blew up In
dian Head two years since.
Mr.. White, the secretary of the COM
mission, was up to his eyes in papers re-
lating to the Palisades properties when
he was asked today what the commits
sioners proposed to do now that they had
the money for which they had asked. He
said
Our plans have been pretty well formu-
lated in a general way during the past
year Put briefly, what we have to do
now is to acquire title to all the land be-
tween the top Of the Palisades and the
waters edge from Fort Lee Landing to
Piermont Creek and then to build a boule-
ward along the base of the cliffs. The
face of the Palisades is in most cases TO
be given to the commission by the prop
erty owners and the land to be bought
is about Lie acres at an average price
% $500 an acre. 1t lies in a strip whose
length is roughly fifteen miles, and whose
mean width is $50 feet. There are be-
tween 275 and 800 titles to be passed and
the work of searching and closing these
will take our time for a good while to come.
These papers that / have here now re-
late to titles to be acquired and / am
Strengthening them out for this after
Moons meeting. Condemnation proceed
ings will have to be instituted in some
cases. As for the boulevard, when we get
to that, we expect to connect it with the
east side of the river by numerous fer
ries and with the top of the cliffs at
favorable intervals by roadways. There
are country roads now running along the
river an eighth of mile or so back of
hD md f1nakH. CT. l-t~aN
connect the boulevard with them. OF
course, we could not build road on top
of the cliffs for that would destroy too
many valuable property rights. We think
the boulevard proposed may be built for
$40 900 a mile.
"our assets in the way of appropria-
tons and contributions should cover all
the expenses OF acquisition. We decided
to devote the 5000 appropriated by New
Jersey year ago to searches of title and
maps of property and the $4,000 New
y ork appropriation of 1900 was used in ac-
curing options on the quarries where
blasting was going on. We stopped the
blasting from last Christmas Eve to June
next. A number of men in this city
subscribed sl22 500 ito buy these quarries
In order that the option might not be
lost, the only condition being that the
two States interested should appropriate
| enough money to carry the work of &C
QUESTION to completion. That condition
has been satisfied by New Jerseys sppro-
priation of $4,000 and New York's of s400.-
900 might say by way of reminder, that
New Jersey has also coded its riparian
rights in the property involved, rights
valued at sl.300,000. The commission has
spent none of the money received for
office rent, clerk hire. or incidental ex-
penses. Title TO the land will be vested
in the respective States In which the par
GELS lie
BY pursuing a conciliatory policy. in
stead of emphasizing its power to obtain
land by condemnation, the commission
believes that IL has saved considerable
money. There is still some opposition on
the part of property owners. but not
enough TO give trouble. In general. prop
erty owners along or near the proposed
reservation are alive to the boom in real
estate which will follow the construction
of the park. and where sentimental con-
siderations do not avail the argument of
enhanced values is sufficiently conyinc-
ing.
The commission holds it's meetings in
Mr. Perkins Office at 3i6 Broadway It
is said that TO Mr.. Perkins, more than
to any other one man. the progress and
success of the project for the preserva-
ton of the Palisades is due.