The star and Newark advertiser. [volume] (Newark, N.J.) 1908-1909, 1908-07-18
TOWN IS SPLIT =.
OVER PROPOSED
TRACK ELEVATION
Watsessing Residents Urge
Their Claims Upon the
Town Council.
BLOOMFIELD PROPER
Is TIRED OF WAITING
- \
East Orange Said Never to Have
Been Asked for Right
of Way.

The Bloomfield Town Council gave a
public meeting in Central Hall, that
town, last night on the proposed agree
ment with the Lackawanna Railroad
for rack eleation and other improve
ments In that town. Residents of the
Watsessing section urged the Council
not to act till that part of the town
had been included. Many prominent
men aired their views. No decision was
reached.
The Lackawanna has already taken
the stand that it cannot change its
tracks in Watsessing without getting
consent from East Orange, which 1t
has so far failed to do. Several citi-
zens urged the Council to go ahead
n get what it could for Bloomfield
proper, rather than waste time trying
to get everything and thus get nothing.
In opening the meeting Mayor Will
lam P. Sutphen said that for over a
ear the Council had been negotiating
with the railroad company for the elm
ination of the grade-crossings and other
improvements, and before signing a
contract with the company had called
the meeting for expressions of opinion
of the citizens.
Mr.. Tucker, the first speaker, said
that as a representative of the West
inghouse Lamp Company, he had
spoken to Mayor William Cardwell, of
East Orange, M that official said that
the railroad company had never asked
the East Orange Council for right of
way through its territory in order to
make Improvements On the Bloomfield
branch. He presented a petition signed
by the Westinghouse Lamp Company,
Ampere Silk Mills. Empire Cream Sep
arator Company, Sprague Electric Com
pany and H. B. Virgins Sons, asking
that no contract be entered into by the
Council that does not include Watscss-
ing. ~
DIR Harry f. Richards said that he
belonged to the Southern end OF town
and used Watsessing station altogether.
The approach to the town. of Bloomfield
at present was not alone an approach,
but a reproach, and it has hurt the
p~ocketbook of every man in Bloomfield
on account of its dilapidated condition.
Twenty years ago, he said, arrange
ments were about concluded with h
railroad company for a new station at
Clenwood avenue when some one arose
and wanted 81, 400 for damage TO his
property. The people of Bloomfield
thought $500 would be about right. The
man refused that sum. The people
would give no more.
The result is that we have the same
old station yet" he said.
As a Watsessing resident. he said he
would not stand in the way of the
Improvement in the centre of town. As
to the giving of Mechanic street to the
railroad, he said it was really not a
street, as for over twenty years it had
been numbered with railroad tracks,
scrap iron and derricks.
Alfred S. Edgerley said that Wat
sessing was not in a position to help
Bloomfield, but Bloomfield had the
power now to help Watsessing. He
said he had spoken to the chairman
of the railroad committee of the East
Orange Council and that official denied
that the railroad company had ever
asked East Orange for the right to go
through that city. He spoke of the
large amount of it would cost
to make the Improvements at Watsess-
Ing.
The Mayor interrupted him by saying
that the cost Of grading would be $4,000
and the cost of damages to property
$40, 900. of which the railroad company