Perth Amboy evening news., 1922-08-05
THE HoLE-IN-rHE-WALL PROBLEM

The Evening News has a great deal of sympathy for
the people of Mechanicsville, South Amboy, in their efforts
to have improvements brought about at the hole-in-the
wall. Several years ago this newspaper carried on a con-
slant agitation against the conditions that exist there and
did everything that publicity could do to obtain relief. At
that time matters were brought to a head and had it not
been for the obstinacy of a certain saloonkeeper, and pos
sibly one or two others, there would be no hole-in-the wall
today.
The Pennsylvania railroad had agreed to stand the ex-
pense OF an overhead bridge with a broad roadway and side
walk passing over the tracks instead of under them, and the
hole was to be abolished altogether. To a great many
people this seemed like the most logical solution to the
problem. The 'hole' is approached on the South Amboy
side by a down grade and it is surrounded on all sides by
hills from which the sand washes in great volumes with
every rain. No matter how wide the "hole" may be made
this sand is bound to wash into it. Sewers to carry off the
water would not only be expensive, but they would doubt
less be clogged with sand with every rain and fail to serve
their purpose.
After much agitation it was planned to carry the state
highway, which originally passed through the 'hole,'' one
block above the present hole and construct a bridge which
the railroad company agreed to pay for. To cross the tracks
in Gods clear sunlight instead of going through the dirty,
Shiny, insanitary 'hole' appealed so forcibly to the great
majority of people that the bridge idea was generally &C
copied as a happy solution.
IS But at that time, and probably even in these prohibi-
ton days, there existed a saloon owned by a prominent
South Amboyan, at the immediate entrance to the "hole"
on the Mechanicsville side. Feeling that the business of
this saloon would be injured if the "hole' was closed and a
bridge constructed at another location, this man brought in
Hof--"1ce tObcar and got some other property owners aroused
DO over the false idea that the valuation of their property would
be affected, to the end that the bridge plan was strongly
ny opposed. Nothing but the widening of the 'hole' would
q satisfy these people.
The upshot was that the Pennsylvania railroad offered
pea strip of their property paralleling the Jersey Central Trac-
ttion Company's tracks across the meadows to Main street,
South Amboy, as a state highway. This was accepted and
TOO with the improvement of this new route outside interest in
Ershe 'hole' was lost and the people of Mechanicsvile were
TO solve their own problem as best they could.
hands n gMIad the bridge idea been accepted the state highway
said atd undoubtedly have gone through Mechanicsville and
So I Il WI the tracks, passing through the outskirts of South Am
tin y to the south coming out on Bordentown avenue about
opposite where the route now turns off that avenue to go to
-Aeyport. This would not only have helped develop Mechan-
icsville, but it would have built up a section OF South Am
boy that is now very little developed.
The present "hole' may be widened, of course, but it
is doubtful if that will solve the problem. Besides, it is
understood that the Pennsylvania railroad would like to lay
a great many more tracks across that point so as to increase
its terminal facilities and thereby add to the prosperity of
South Amboy. If this were done the hole even if widen
ed, would still be the dark, damp, unhealthful passageway.
But that there must be some relief is apparent. The
sshole' as it exists today is a disgrace and something should
be done. But the Mechanicsville people have little ground
for complaint because of the lack of outside support in the
fight they are making.