The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1910-06-12
OUR NBV JERSEY SUBURBS
ON THE ORANGE BRANCH or
THE ERIE RAILROAD.

The most important group Of suburban
settlements In northern New jersey =
that on the slopes and plateaus ~ he
Orange Mountains. The majority \
them are on the ridge known A. Fi-sf
Mountain. First Mountain is about
thirteen miles long and extends in A
nOrtheasterly direction from West Parsr.
son IN Wyoming. The Passaic rats.
a bend around IL northerly end and re
Railway. which comes down tho valley
between First and Second mountain
meets a branch Of the Passaic a. m.
sOutheFly end Of First Mountain. Tha
rise from the Passaic River to tho zoo,
Of the mountain is rolling and gradual.
but from the base 70 the Great tue accent
u generally very steep. The average
elevation h from 800 20 $50 feet and ,hs
mountain II denssly wooded. e1c.p,
where u has been cleared for improve
ment
The region 10 extremely divsruihed
and care has been taken 20 preserve
some Of its most rugged and distinctive
parts. Essex county has aimee 1875 aid
out an extensive system Of mountain parn
comprising several thousand acrss. Ths
parks include South Mountain Reserva-
ton, Eagle Rock Reservation. MontclAir
Park. Branch Brook Park. weequAhie
Reservation. Wet Side Park. oranRe
Park and watsesslng Reservation. all
Of which are connected by drives and
parkways.
The suburbs on the southeasteEly slops
% First Mountain are served by tha
Orange branch Of the Erie and BY the
Delaware. LackaW anna and Western.
They are four in number: Orange. Fast
Orange. West Orange and South Orange.
The Orange branch II the Ens separates
from the Greenwood lake division At
Forest Hill. a suburb n Newark From
the McAdOo tunnels az Jersey City 70
lis terminus a. West Orange Il travsrsss
a distance o. about fourteen miles. Il
has ak stations beyond Forus, Kin within
a distance Of little over three and
a half miles- Bloomfield avenue. Past
Orange. Brighton avenue. Orange
l.ewellyn and West Orange. The
Delaware. Llckawanna and Wsltsm
maintains eight stations in the OrAngas
within a distance Of little over ak miles.
The region IL consequently well served
a. regards railroads transportation.
Il is equally well served In the matter
Of trolley transportation. siH lines pass
ing through IL. The Newark and West
Orange line runs from Newark 20 the foot
Of Eagle Rock by way Of East Orange.
Orange and West Orange. including
Llewellyn Park. a distance Of six miles.
The Newark and South Orange line runs
from Newark through South Orange 10
MaplewOod. a distance Of nine miles.
The Newark and Millburn line passes
through Maplewood. The South Orange
and Maplewood line gee by way Of
Mountain station. Orange Valley and
Highland avenue 10 Main street In West
Orange. The Orange and Passaic Valley
railroad runs from Bloomfield through
East Orange 70 Orange Between Orange
and Montclair Heights IL lthe Valley road
Ire
The Oranges have also q splendid sys-
tern OF well pavef and well kept roads.
which because % their excellent condition
and the picturesque country through
which they pass are frsquentei by motor
car enthusiasts from New York and elss-
whore. A main thorouRhfars 100 feet
vide extends through the Oranges down
10 Newark. In the Oranges IL is Known
a. Park avenue. further south a. Fifth
avenue. This highway the Essex PARK
Commission proposes to transform into Q
parked boulevard by laying out a plot
of grass and shr'ibbery down the middle
Of the road.
There Il an unusual amount Of building
under way in the Oranges this summer
u - Of high order and is being done for
the most part by private owners The
chief seats Of building activity are in
Fast Orange and West Orange. The bulk
Of the new constructions are private
dwellings. Tn a few instances. a. Tor
example in Fast Orange, elevator apart-
ment houses are being erected. Thess
arr Of a kind which 10 found usually only
in the hest apartment house centres IN
Manhattan The rents are from $40 70 81
a room a month. which IL about two
thirds Of the price charged for similar
accommodations in Manhattan
The four municipalities included under
the general term Of the Oranges form
virtually one community. although quite
independent Of each other politically
The oldest Of them IL Orange. which vas
settled in 1893 by a colony from New
Haven. Conn. The place was then known
as Newark Mountain and was part of
Ne=ark In iTis the settlement sepa-
rated from Newark and took the name n
the Mountain Society. AfterWard il Was
called Orange Dale In honor Of the Prince
Of Orange. and became the township II
Orange In Essex county in 1907. South
Orange separated from the old town In
1881. West Orange in 1872 and Fast OranRs
in 1888 The settlements are therefore
old established communities with historic
associations and a hniahed appearance
never found in new made suburbs.
Orange. on the lower slope n First
Mountain. had In 1896 q population ~
| -. lOl Its present population h esii'
mated Al 5000 Resides being residence
suburb IL IL also an industrial centre n
Importance. u has upward Of sixty far.
tories. employing $500 wage earners and
producing more than B.oaO.OOO worth ~
merchandise. which represents an increase
Of 50 per cent IN FIVE wears
Fast Orange s similar both in size and
in general character 10 the parent town
/ II H. however. nearer 10 New York city
and II consequently growing more rapidly
as a committing suburb. Il Is notably
| progressive In the matter Of public I'M
/ orovements. which are promoted by 49,
| CATIONS Of public spirited citizens Among
/ thaaa NAV IA mentioned A. tvniCal the