The evening star and Newark advertiser. [volume] (Newark, N.J.) 1907-1908, 1907-07-23
NO OIL CRUSADE
MUM AVENUE FOLK BLAME
ENGINEER.
Had He Given Them Notice Of the
Recent Experiment for Dust They
Would Have Blocked 1t.

No oil!
Dust hrstl
That was the slogan of the Mum ave
nue., East Orange, residents. who presented
a petition to the East Orange City Coun'
ell last night, Objecting to the recent use
Of a mixture of asphalt and crude petro-
leum oil on Mum avenue to lay the dust
They licked mainly because City Engin-
eer William II. V. Reimer. under whose
direction the experiment was tried, had moi
given them several days notice. Hao
he given them such notice they probably
would have headed the experiment or. Ap-
parently that was why the notice was MOI
given. One of the Councilmen said the
engineer had been told to give the resi-
dents fourteen days notice. The engineer
said he never received such instruction.
The Council took the protest under ad-
vicement, and said 1t would investigate
why the engineer had not given the resi-
dents notice.
The petition. signed by %thlrty-one resi-
dents and presented by Councilman oak
elby, was as follows:
THE results rave been so unpleasant.
the w disgust. dissatisfaction and
distress have been so great, we ieel IA
duty bound to state some OF the circum-
stances which accompany such WORK.
ignoring at this time the course or mis-
representation, incivility and general as
regard for our rights, feelings ana inter-
] tSI DN the City CH6iiltCAs
Il. After the lapse of more a a
week since the first application. puddles
of oil are still to be found on the street.
80. 1t has been impracticable to restrain
cats and dogs from crossing the street at
numberless points and tracking the as
phalt and oil upon the walks. on the
porches and even into the houses nd gro-
GERS. the newsboys and other tradesmen
have-and must of necessity-traveled
back and forth and in and out to the last,
/ fao aa4a on nf rpolkd stang n0TNhp2 ana
u. The postmen have caused great an
noyance and damage, by reason OF tnelr
continued crossing through the greasy
paste and tracking 1t on walks and
! porches.
.. The la~mp-lighters have been com
PEELED to cross and recross the street in
furtherance of their duty. with consequent
DETACHMENT of pavements and lawns. -,
&c. Carriages, wagons and
cannot pass to and fro premises without
leaving disfiguring tracks behind them:
az. After dark strangers are misled into
crossing the street, to the hurt OF their
own clothing and the DETACHMENT OF tne
rugs and carpets of those upon whom they
call. :,
."8. Blcyclists cross the street and wheel
their machines along and lawns,
course.
-. The appearance Of the street is dis
gushing and the curbing stones are be-
spattered and defaced in a disgraceful and
disheartening fashion.
40. Ladies' are afraid to walk upon the
sidewalks and cannot cross the street for
fear of defling their clothing.
Under these circumstances we wish to
enter an Indignant ~disapproval OF the act
OF the city engineer and the road commit
tee in selecting a thickly settled ~neighbor-
hood as the scene of their experimentation.
we also wish respectfully to petition
that in view of our unfortunate experience
the city government refrain from again
| subiecting the people of this or any other
caption of tho cifN fn fhA lOeE and aunoN-
ance following the use of such an agency
for the suppression Of dust"
Accusations We're hurled at Engineer
claiming he had been disrespectfull in the
extreme, which he strenuously denied, and
finally Edwin w. Hammer claimed the
engineer had lied to him.
Chairman Ougheltree told Mr.. Hammer
that prettler passages In the English Ian
guage might be used in criticising. The
professor acknowledged he might have
used a better figure of speech. but he held
that 1t represented his and others feelings.
Chairman Brown, of the road committee.
said Mr.. Reimer had been given to under
stand that notices were to be sent out
fourteen days ahead of the beginning OF
work, so that no water was to be. thrown
on the avenue. but residents claimed no
two hours after the oiling began.
Councilman Burr said he would demand
an investigation on this charge: MIR. KEEL
mer said he did not receive the ~instruc-
4 scene was narrowly averted when
Mr.. Hammer accused Mr.. Reimer OF nav
ing lied.
The engineer seemed working to calm
himself. his son. Frederick Reimer. as
sistant engineer. looked at the speaker,
and one city official inside the rail threat
ened to leave unless Chairman Oughel-
tree spoke to MIR. Hammer. The off1-
cial later characterized the talk as Bow
ery language and unexpected from Mum
avenue"
After the petition was read Councilman
Somers moved to a 1t be referred t
the road committee, but Mr.. Saxelby said
the facts should be brought out. Mr.
Brown stated that the entire Council had
passed on the matter.
The appropriation was voted upon by
the entire Council claimed Mr.. Saxelby
Il would never for one moment havt
Endorsed a plan COR sprinkling oil in sucf
a thicklv populated district. This Is ~
to the road committee and the engineer
Mr.. Brown said the action of the roat
committee was to the effect that printed
notices were to be sent out notifying thu
, residents that work would begin inside
Of fourteen days. Mum avenue was Sc
lected far the test. he said, because thu
houses were generally set far back, ant
II any odor arose IL would not be de
tected so strongly.
Mr.. Burr said the committee believed
1t was doing the Mum avenue residents
a favor by sprinkling the street with oil
he having heard so many of them recon
mending the test. The trouble was tina
the work was done on Mum avenue; !
IL WHH uOilB vi dilY OlilC uItCCt III II
: city then 1t would be all right. he said
[ with a touch Of sarcasm.
After several of the DIRECTORS stated tina
they had not received notices until tw
5 hours after, the work started, Mr.. Refine
was then called on for an explanation.
said he did not believe he could give a
explanation because the directors wouldn'
be satisfied anyway.
. Il did not attempt to send out the nc
I tees twenty-four hours ahead of time be
: cause | believed they would be thrown |
waste baskets" said he. II think some
/ thing has miscarried. hut Just what 1t
l can't tell. I think. however, the resident
/, are mistaken when they say the notice
: were received between 8 and 9 o'cloc
! end the work started at II. l did nj
d think a Neutrality-suspicious. notice was nee
essary. aud 1 did not anticipate that any
one would walk through the stuff to Sc
n what II was. ! did not think, either, tn;
anyone possessed with good sense woul
walk through 1t and carry It throue
= houses"
Mr.. hammer next criticised Mr.. ReimI
about the removal OF trees on a stree
lnear Mum avenue, which was done seN
esal months ago. and he said Mr.. Reim'
e told people that notices would be sent OF
when the trees were to be removed, an
e then claimed in a heated way that the el
gineer had lied in that instance and In Il
present ono.
i. "a man who is under instruction to gi,
= fourteen DAYS notice and does not" ]
continued. and n man who sends out III
n tices with another man and does not kno
a who the man was and creates a very ser
Gus danger, that man, / say. Is not wort
p the confidence OF this city. That is n
feeling and the feeling of others ON Il
. street, and I feel it represents somethir