Perth Amboy evening news., 1909-06-02
HEARS
DAVIDSON HAS
SOLD HIS LAND
Authoritative Report Indi-
Gates That Raritan Com
pany Has Bought Tract.
CONDEMNATION MAY
BE THE NEXT MOVE
Favorable Action Expected
Tonight on Application Of
Keasbey Water Company.

Information from good authority to
the effect that John Davidson has sold
his twenty acres of land at Runyon to
the Raritan Water Company has been
received by the water board and, at a
committee session last night, the mat
ter was discussed. Chairman Fraser Of
the real estate committee was to have
gone to Runyon today to see Mr.. Dav-
idson but, on second thought, decided
that it would be better to adopt an
other course
For some time past Mr.. Davidson has
been trying to sell his land to the board
for $4,000 but the commissioners, on
inyestiga ting, learned that he had Civ
en- an option last December, for one
year, to the Raritan company which was
organized not many months ago Re-
Gently Mr.. Davidson wrote the board
a letter and asked for another inte<
view with the commissioners, stating
that perhaps he could secure release
from the option.
The information that the board has
just received is that the Raritan Water
Company has exercised its option and
now holds title to the water land. Mr.
Davidson is said to have given out the
information himself to people at Run
yon but nothing is known about the
purchase price. The board last night
thought 1t advisable to ascertain wheth-
er Mr.. Davidson had really sold the
property.
Board Meets Tonight.
The matter will be taken up for dis
cussion again at tonights meeting and
according to Mr.. Fraser resolution
viii probably be adopted authorizing
the real estate committee to confer
with the engineer rs to Just what land
the board needs at Runyon for winter
purposes and then instruct the city at
torney to begin condemnation proceed
ings In order to secure the properties.
The land which the board is an
xious to secure is the Fountain land,
the Davidson tract and a tract known
as the Decker land These three and
possibly others will be the ones against
which condemnation proceedings may
be instituted
The Raritan Water Company has
never been taken seriously by the board
but, in view OF the purchase which they
are said to nave iust made the com
mission viii take steps to protect the
eity's interests. 1t is understood that
recently corps of engineers of the
Raritan company have been surveyint
around Runyon with view of building
a pumping station there and running
mains to Sayreville and South River
and later across the Raritan River to
Kessbey and Woodbridge.
For Keasbey Water Supply.
At the last meeting of the water
board a petition was received from the
Keasbey Water Company, Of which w
A. Belcher and E. L. Gridley of this
city are members, asking that the board
sell them water to supply Keasbey The
matter was referred to the committee
of the whole and at the committee ses-
sion last night 1t was taken up for dis.
eussion. The commissioners, in general,
are in favor Of granting the appliea-
tion and action may be taken tonight.
One of the commissioners said this
morning that the board now has a six
inch main which extends from the city
line in Smith street to Amusement
Park in order to supply the National
Fire Proofing Company. 1t has been
suggested to sell this main to the Keas-
hey Water Company, put a meter at
the city line, and charge meter rates
for all water consumed.