The Morris County chronicle. [volume] (Morristown, N.J.) 1877-1915, 1903-03-20


company had purchased from the asso
ciates of the East Jersey company
which the Court of Errors an Appeals
had decided to be the owners of the
Lake and they had deeds for it.
If you think the railroad company
made mistake in leasing the canal dc
you think it fair to ask the state Of
New Jersey to reimburse you?" asked
Mr.. Hillery.
We don't ask it" emphatically
declared Mr.. Corbin."
Mr.. Treacy asked what the company
hoped to gain by abandoning the cana
in Jersey City In reply Mr.. Corbir
said that the company owned land il
fee simple. upon which it had built
buildings and which it hoped to sell. 1t
also might sell the canal and basin, tC
be filled in for railroad purposes. III
reply to Mr.. Treacy's query whether
the effect Of section of the bill was
not to freeze out the stockholders, Mr.
Corbin said that if the canal was aban-
doned the stockholders had nothing
left except the few things that could
be saved out of the wreck.
In answering another question by
Mr.. Treacy, Mr.. Corbin denied that
the bill gave the company any author
ity over that class of its property which
reverted to the former owners when it
ceased to be used for canal purposes.
Nathaniel Niles, of Morris, who was
nf 1912 qGlynN
Mr.. Corbin number of pertinent ques-
tiOns relative to the clause OF the
abandonment bill which allows the
owners on the shores of Lake Hopat-
cong to cut ice for a certain distance
out into the lake. He wanted to know
what provision the bill made for the
cutting of the ice in the center of the
lake beyond the lines of the owners.
Mr. Corbin replied that the right to
cut the ice belonged to the owners of
the lake and the canal company could
in no way interfere with them. The
Morris Canal and Banking Company
never claimed the right to cut the ice
Of the lake.
Mr.. r. ID. Byington, of Newark, said
that under the bill the promoters of
of the abandonment scheme were try
ing in a cowardly way to sneak in a
provision which did not compel them
to pay for the building of stations and
other necessary buildings but which
granted them the right to use the
canal bed for railroad purposes by the
tho nnhfnntc nf n lifXrinn
if " and that, they could not be al
lowed to do without protest.
This rolled Mr. Corbin and he retort-
ed warmly that he had assisted in pre-
pairing the bill, when he quoted the
Supreme Court of the United States
he did not think that he was using
cowardly or sneaking language.
When Mr.. Corbin had finished the
doughty Major Lentz sprang to the
floor before any one else had a chance
to wink and striding to the front of
the speakers desk launched out into a
wild harangue. He declared that he
appeared before the committee as an
individual citizen of Newark, and that
he had no interest whatever in either
the Lehigh Valley or the Morris Canal.
He was there to urge the abandonment
of the canal because it had become a
public nuisance and was a menance to
the health of Newark.
The canal passed through section
of the city inhabited by the poor, but
if it traversed a section inhabited by
the wealthy it would have been
abandoned long ago. He spoke of the
great improvements which Newark
was making. One of the greatest OF
these was the elevation of the railroad
tracks through the city. Engineers
had declared that it was physically
impossible to elevate the tracks OF
the Delaware, Lackawanna < Western
Railroad unless the canal was aban.
doned and that was the only interest
he had in the measure.
Mr.. Treacy, Of Hudson, interrupted
the Major to ask him if the republican
party of Essex would stand for al
amendment to the bill giving Jersey
City her rights in the water front
property of the company in that city
The Major replied that he was there
as an individual and could not speak
for the republican party.
"Oh, we Iall know who the re
publican party of Essex is" said MI
Treacy.
"And if | wanted to be personal,
the Major snapped back hotly, 81
would say we all know who the demo
cratic party of Hudson is"
The Major next referred to the
recent terrible railroad accident al
Clifton avenue, Newark, and WORKED
himself up into great passion as ht
dwelt upon its horrors. Similar acct
dents, he argued, could only be averteC
by the abandonment of the cana
which alone would permit the eleva
tion of the Lackawanna tracks al
that point.
Mr.. Treacy wanted to know if tn,
trolley tracks could not be carried
over the railroad. The Major replied
that they could and asked how thai
would protect pedestrians, bicyclists
and those who drive over the crossing
"Oh, the people are supposed t
have sense enough to look out for til,
approaching trains, said the Hudson
man.
From all over the chamber question
came flying thick and fast at tn,
bellicose Major and he finally refused
to answer any of them. He closed b,
inviting the legislature to Newark t,
view the situation there for them
selves. All assured him that the,
would be the guests of the city 0