Perth Amboy evening news., 1906-08-07
DRAWING OUT FACTS
ABOUT WATER BOARD
LAND DEAL AT RUNYON
CONTINUED from Page IL
LNwycr voorhees Questlons.

make an affidavit. He replied he was
asked IL he would like to, but was
not requested to do SO, and did not.
Former Commissioner Mccullough.
Henry Mccullough said he was a
member of the board during its first
year. He said the Fountains tract is
marsh, scrub oak, pine and sand. He
never had the purchase OF the tract
proposed to him, except that Asbury
Fountain once made a friendly call
at his store a few months after he
had been IN the water board,
The board bought land for $4,000,
about lob acres In extent, while Mr..
Mccullough was in the board, 1870
acres, being bought September 20,
1904. Il
He gave it as his opinion that the
Fountain land is worth only about
$22 or $25 per acre to the city, int
that it is worth nothing to the Foun-
tains.
Mr.. Mccullough said he considers
the price of $500 an acre for the
land absurd.
Not Cross Examined.
Mr.. Mccullough was not submit
ted to any cross examination.
George w. Eggert IN Stand.
George w. Eggert, deputy collect
or of customs, said he was superin-
tendent of the water department
three years before his entering the
customs service. He said the Foun-
tains' land is unfit for cultivation and
will hardly grow trees. AS to land
values, he said he is connected with
the Hanson Realty Corporation. He
placed the value of the Fountains
land to the city at $50 or $50 an
acre; to the Fountains, nothing of
value. Mr.. Eggert never had expert
ence with Madison township while
superintendent of the water works.
Cross Examined.
Mr.. Eggert said, in reply to Law
yer Voorhees, only question, that he
had made an affidavit in this matter.
Charles Landback Testified.
Charles Landback was the next
witness. He is master mechanic at
the G.. Pardee Works, and has been
for seven and one-half years. He said
he was asked to make an affidavit in
this c1se, and that he refused. He
was superintendent of a water works
in Pennsylvania for six years.
He has been at Runyon and gave
as his opinion that the Fountains
land is worth about $50 an acre to
the city.
Lawyer Voorhees, Questions.
Lawyer Voorhees, asked Mr.. Land
back as to his experience as water SUI
perintendent in Pennsylvania. He
has beer to Runyon twice, he said,
once a year ago,a and once six months
ago when the Fountains land was
pointed out to him by p. A. johann
sen.
Peter A. Johansen a Witness.
Peter A. J%ohansen, for several
years chairman of the water commit
tee in the Board of Aldermen, was
next called.
Lawyer Voorhees, then verified the
statement that he is in the employ of
the Water Board in this case.
Mr.. Johansen said this land had
no special value when he was in the
board, but that the growth and ne
cessities of the city had raised it's
value to SIS an acre now, in his
estimation.
He told of a visit t. him by Mr..
Fountain while he was chairman of
the water committee, and said MIR.
FOUNTAIN ONLY WANTED $50
OR 500 AN ACRE AT THAT TIME.
ut was nothing like $500 an acre"
he asserted.
Only One Question.
Mr.. Johansen said, in answer to
Lawyer Voorhees, query, that he had
refused to make an affidavit when
asked to do so by George Eggert.
Clancy ID. Boynton's Estimate.
Clancy G.. Boynton. a real estate
dealer. said that he placed the value
of the land at $50 or SIS per acre.
He made no affidavit, he said, in
reply to Lawyer Voorhees, question.
Rev. j. l.. Lancaster Testifies.
Rev. j. l.. Lancaster, former pres
ident of the Board of Health, testi-
fled to visiting the reservoir and land
at Runyon. He thought the land
was rather barren, and with but little
vegetation and unsuited for cultiva-
ton.
Mr.. Lancaster said he is vice pres
dent of the Perth Amboy Savings In
stitution and handles real estate
loans.
Mr.. Lancaster said he does not
consider the land at Runyon worth
anything for agricultural purposes.
He said he does not know which is
the Fountains" land.
Upon being shown a map, Mr.. Ian
caster yecalled the location OF the
Fountains land in a general way. He
said that he vdoes not consider it
worth more than $40 an acre to the
Fountains, and no good for agricul-
tural purposes.
In connection with the reservoir
he said anyt answer of his would be
mere conjecture. but he made an eS-