Gloucester County Democrat. (Woodbury, N.J.) 1878-1932, 1908-02-13
From East Greenwich.

the Gloucester County Democrat and
remember well when it was edited and
published by Samuel H. Ashbrook un-
der the name and style of the ''Glou-
cester County Times" AT that time
it was delivered the same as to-day by
a carrier from house to house through
out the county, and the printers
devil" at that time which was a ne
cessary adjunct to all offices of its
character, whose name was Parker
Ferris, and is now living at Borden
town, N j., but at that time was quite
a live youth and much liked, in man
ner, as all devilish boys are in all
civilized communities, and were espec-
tally at that time in old Carpenters
Landing, now Mantua, where the
writer first got his Sabbath school
training. AS it has been custom
from time immemorial newspapers to
invite communications in behalf of the
advancement or improvement when.
ever it becomes direct interest to
city, town or country, in which the pa
per circulates, therefore take this OPP
portunity, through your columns, AMI
with your Indulgence to ascertain the
pulse, and see how high a tension they
can be gotten to by proposing to make
our three towns beautiful" | am
more than satisfied that the majority
of our gentlemen, property holders.
and taxpayers of these three villages,
namely: Mickleton, Clarksboro and
the old historic Berkeley, should be
aroused from their stupidity, the ar
mour to be buckled upon their minds,
and their motion accelerated to such
an extent that they will exact from
those in authority some of the things
that are an actual necessity to make
our three towns beautiful. Since the
county has purchased the old turnpike,
it is now question how are they go
ing to improve it? | suggest to our
citizens that from H. G. Green's prop
erty on the north, at Berkeley, to a
point at, or near, the Mickleton school
property upon the south, distance of
somewhere near two miles, be graded,
and made a public street from gutter
to gutter with whatever material the
Board Of Freeholders may elect to i'm,
prove the said road with Now when
that is completed it will necessitate
change in the water courses that are
now upon our public streets and
across private property, which will no
doubt send the pulse of few of our
country taxpayers to loss and wonder
ment
Now we will take up the question
of making our towns beautiful"
Those streets that will intersect with
the main street we propose grading
and paving with an agreed upon ma
terial from gutter to gutter, their en-
tire length. Namely, the street from
the Berkley station to Hoffman's
wharf, should be graded from gutter
to gutter, to conform with the grade of
the main street. The road or street
should be opened up from the Jeffer-
son pike, through by Isaac Davidson
on the Casper Figg bridge. The citi-
zens of Clarksboro should ask the Off
Gals of the w. j. S. S. R. R. to i'm
prove their property by curbing, and
filling in with crushed stone, and re.
move the coal Office and hay scales to
point further north upon their prop
erty; they should ask our Township
Committee to grade the street from
the depot to the intersection of the
Jefferson and Berkley turnpike to take
all that water east of the main street
anu OolC IOl II Ll1OQSA pipes W Tic
open main ditch through the Casper
Figg land. Grade that street from
gutter to gutter, and cover the same
with suitable material. And do like.
wise with the Mickleton station to it's
town Your writer further suggests
that a sidewalk be constructed from
Berkley station to the southern end
Of the property of the Mickleton
school. Running also to the Mickle-
ton station and also the Clarksboro
station and school house land con-
structed with any material, other than
graveD from the main street OF
course we know the opinion Of our
Township Committee in the past as to
improvement, but they must change
the idea of their forefathers, and get
out and think for themselves, and not
be so careful as to scrape all our road
and street money. And listen to the
advice of our former State Supervisor
Of Roads, who in his report to the
Governor, claimed the day for build
ing narrow roads was RAPIDLY fading
away. Now l would just like to ask
the satisfied taxpayer of East Green
witch township, and especially of the
three towns, what they have to show
for their money. We haven't a foot
path, we haven't a crossing, we
haven't a public light, we haven't
decent street in either of them; we
have reduced percentage, with an in
creased valuation of property, which
gradually increases the individual tax.
We are informed there is no provision
upon the statute of New Jersey for
the maintenance of sidewalks or the
improving of same unless upon special
appropriation. If such is the case we
should at once see to it that our Rep
.resentatives in our State legislature
give us some redress Our sister
town, Paulsboro, gets for the asking
anything they wish or desire.
Now your writer is going to eneour-
age in the future, as he has in the
past anything that will tend to inn
provement. While in a public bust
ness place in your city last week
met your aggressive townsman DAN
Mumford. I told him heard he had