Perth Amboy evening news., 1924-05-16
TESTIMONY IS
CONTINUED IN
DONNELL CASE
State Highway Engineers and
Secretary Are Witnesses
Here This Morning
REVIEW FORMER MOVES
Minutes of 0usted Highway
Commission Read to
Action 1t Took

The condemnation hearing being
Commission to secure a part of the
w. ]. Donnell Lumber Company's s
land for use as an approach to the
new state bridge across the Raritan
river was continued In the local city
hall this morning.
State Highway Engineer W. G.
Sloan was the first witness called.
He testified to the values involved
in the states condemning the 1,26o
acres. owned by the National FIRE
proofing Company md needed py
the state for the approach. Tne
condemning of this property, tne
witness said, involved the tearing
down of three kilns. a stack, two
buildings and underground hues
from the kilns. The itemized dam
ages attached to this work, Engln-
eer Sloan said were: stack, 81 Lob
lxilns. s27,1S7.50. buildings, slo,sze
Foundations for kilns, s5,400 under
ground flues, $500; land value,
s10.40O and changing of raliroau
tracks, $500. The total damages
amounted to S67,721.50 but set
tlement was reached with the nre-
nroofing company for s65,Voo' the
engineer said.
Trnon cross examination Engineer
sloan admitted that there was No
doclx bulkhead nor roadway on the
irenroofing company and that the
f,renroofing concern had originails
valued its property at s19,750. Con
over English, representing the DON
nell interests, endeavored during tle
cross examination to show tnat the
t,ranroofing plants property was nol
damaged to the extent that the luni
her concerns land will be in iosihs
the property.
A Lee Grover. secretary OF the
.;rbwav commission, the next VII
ness called, read from the minutes VI
The old highway board the section II,
which the Donnell concern onereu
,s-entire tract to the state FOR szSV' ,
o0o Appraisals of s229,0oo anu
so45 oo0 had been secured py .ne
Donnell company, according 10 Lne
,,o;,,,tes other minutes showed tnat
annraisers for the state hxed s14v'-
ooo and $4,000 as the value OIL Tue
Donnell land, the first appralsai nav
;ro heen made by the Perth Anoos
Trnst Company and the second ~ ps
Fraser Brothers and Company ins
.,.,n,tas further show that the oiu
,,oard voted to purchase the Donneii
nronertv for s230,000 at this sans
piqbt of Way Engineer Robert A
,raaler of the state highway ue-
nartnent. was next calleo 10 III.
l.snd He told of being instructed oy
az ousted highway board 10 ne
gotiate with the Donnell company IN
ordar TO learn the price it wanted LOT
tbe land. The witness said the std,e
needed a strip fifty feet IN 0ioth,
for+v feet of which belonged TO the
Donnell concern and ten feet TO the
National Fireproofing Company.
The witness said he was told oy
Alonzo r.. Mcdowell and Thomas j.
Evans. of the Donnell concern, tna'
the ACQUISITION by the state OF thls
strin of land would spoil all tneir
nronertv and these men suggested
the state taking the entire plot
Engineer Meeker said he reported 70
the highway board and later 1t pur-
chased the entire tract. The Wit
ness also told of the settlement with
the c. Pardee Works for $4,000 for
the eight tenths of an acre puronas-
ed from it by the state. These were
two kilns, a three story office build
ing and a vault which had TO be de-
molished or moved by the state in
making the approach through this
land, Engineer Meeker said.
A. B. Piver. engineer in charge OF
actual construction work at the
bridge site, who followed Mr.. Meek
er to the stand. stated that the cost
of making the fill at the Donnell
Company track. when first taken
over by the Donnell Company was
probably $4,000.
Thomas j. Evans, member of the
Donnell company was again called to
the stand by Judge >Newcorn. repre-
senting the highway commission. He
was asked to produce his books
showing the profits of the company
When this had been done he read
from the books as follows: net prof
it's for 1916. s36,162.25; 1917, $780,
541.04: 1918, $46,064.94; 1919, $46.-
S30.06; 1920, ssS,167.52; 1921. $9.-
(Continued on page 80
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Opening dance at Roseland Morgan, N.
J.. Saturday Nav 17th 1924