USA > New Jersey > Hudson County > Jersey City > History of Jersey City, N.J. : a record of its early settlement and corporate progress, sketches of the towns and cities that were absorbed in the growth of the present municipality, its business, finance, manufactures and form of government, with some notice of the men who built the city > Part 15
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The amounts given are the gross debt in each year. The downward tendeney, which began in 1890 and continued during 1891 and 1892, was checked by legislation procured at Trenton for new publie buildings and other improvements. In addition to these the new city hall involved an issue of $800,ooo in bonds for land and building. The determination of Mayor Wanser that the city government should be economically administered, and the bonded debt redneed, prevented any serious increase in the amount of the debt. There was a considerable reduction of the old debt, though the total shows an increase during 1893 and 1894.
The sinking fund commission have accumulated a large fund since their appointment in 1880. and it is rapidly increasing. They have bought up many honds and have bid at sales with suc- cess. At a recent sale of renewal bonds their bid was the highest, and they secured the whole issue of $179,000. The total amount in the sinking fund in January, 1895, was 81,855.246.75. Dedueting this from the gross bonded debt reported on January 1, 1895, leaves the net debt $16,990,660.32. This is the lowest it has touched sinee 1879, and it shows a shrinkage in the gross debt from the highest point reached of 83,683,700.94. The city property is valued at over $11,000,000. No appraisement has been made in a number of years, and the exact value is not known officially. Thus it is evident that the debt representing no value is over $5.000,000. This includes the losses of a quarter of a century and the extravagant management of the years when bonds were issued to pay the interest on bonds already outstanding. The state.
96
HISTORY OF JERSEY CITY.
ments made at the close of each fiscal year show the following gross totals, including the water debt and temporary loans :
1870
$5,130,584 43
1885
$17,629,916 66
1871
7,496,672 32
1886
17,497,750 00
1874 13,082,775 00
1887
20,674,361 26
1875
14,356,050 00
1888
20,452,820 34
1878 14,281,950 00
1889 20,453,083 74
1879
16,808,000 00
1890
18,345,739 35
1880
. 17,426,950 00
1891
18,282,318 77
1881
17,171,997 00
1892
18,247,350 17
1882
17,891,450 00
1893
18,597,263 16
1883
18,183,950 00
1894 . 18,845,907 07
1884
17,578,250 00
1895
(net) 16,990,660 32
J
1
MILLS' GAP FERRY.
JERSEY CITY BOARD OF ALDERMEN. 1843 and 1504.
Alderman Michael Day.
AAlderman Los T. We Coubery.
Alderman Max Salinger,
2.
.. Pierce J. Fleming.
Patrick Norton,
.. Thos. J. Kelly,
3. President Kenhun Senpan Mayor inter i. Wanser.
14.
.. Harry Hill.
Edward Farley
7. Clerk John Sontt.
.. A. B. Dusenberry,
Richard Lahey,
IO. Alderman L. & Martin
15
.. John C. Kaiser.
CHAPTER XIX.
CITY OFFICIALS AND CITY BOARDS, PAST AND PRESENT-ALDERMEN, MAYORS, COMPTROLLERS, COL- LECTORS-LAW DEPARTMENT-RECORDERS-POLICE JUSTICES-BOARD OF FINANCE-PUBLIC WORKS DEPARTMENT-TAX COMMISSIONERS-SINKING FUND COMMISSIONERS-TAX ADJUSTMENT COMMISSIONERS.
RIOR to the formation of the legislative commissions the city was governed on the committee plan. The finance committee of the board of aldermen did the work now done by the board of finance. The committees on fire, schools, police and public grounds and buildings had the departments controlled now by commissions. The police board took away the care of the lamps and lights, and later the street and water board took the care of the streets, and all that was left under the care of the aldermen was the elections, the license of liquor dealers and venders, the ont-of-door poor, the appointment of city clerk, city marshal, city sealer of weights and measures, and some minor positions. Origi- nally all the departments made annual reports, and the city charter proviso requiring annual reports still exists, but is not enforced. The officers and members of the board since 1851 have been as follows :
PRESIDENTS OF COMMON COUNCIL.
David S. Manners, 1851. James Marine, 1852.
Patrick McNulty, 1870.
George H. Farrier, 1871.
Stephen D. Harrison, 1852.
Robert Bumsted, 1872-3-4.
Frederick B. Betts, 1853.
Thomas D. Harrison, 1874-5-5.
John H. Lyon, 1854-5.
John Kase, Jr., 1876-7.
Wm. Clarke, 1856, 64-6.
Edward S. Smith, 1877-8.
M. S. Wickware, 1857.
Jonathan V. Thurston, 1858.
Cornelius Van Vorst, 1859. A. A. Hardenbergh, 1860.
John B. Romar, 1861. Orestes Cleveland, 1862.
G. D. Van Reipen, 1881-2.
W. H. Furman, 1882-3-4-5.
Thomas B. Decker, 1863.
Thomas Earle, 1865-7.
Horatio N. Ege, 1868. Hosea F. Clark, 1869.
Chas. W. Allen, 1889-90-1-2-4. Reuben Simpson, 1891-2-4-5.
CITY CLERKS.
Wm. W. Monroe, 1835. Henry D. Holt, 1836-8, 40-4. Thomas W. James, 1839.
Edgar B. Wakeman, 1845-7. John H. Voorhis, 1848-50.
George W. Cassedy, 1850-64. John E. Scott, 1864 (incumbent).
CITY MARSHALS.
Nathaniel Ellis, 1839-51. Samuel D. Ellis, 1867-70. Bernard McGuigan, 1870-1. A. W. Marinus, 1871-2-3-4. George Deegan, 1874.
Timothy C. Long, 1875-6-7-8-9-80-1-2-3. W. A. Creamer, 1883-4-5. Timothy C. Long, 1885-94. John Graham, 1894 (incumbent).
Joseph Kissam, 1820. Philip R. Earle, 1821. A. Ogden Dayton, 1825. Robert Gilchrist, 1826-8. Peter McMartin, 1829-32.
Peter Bentley, 1833. Edmund D. Barry, Jr., 1834.
Stephen S. Vreeland, 1878-9.
Lewis E. Wood, 1879-80.
James Reid, 1880-1.
Robert S. Jordan, 1885-6. M. J. O'Rourke, 1886-7-8. P. H. O'Neill, 1888-9.
98
HISTORY OF JERSEY CITY.
MEMBERS OF THE BOARD OF ALDERMEN.
Abernethy, Hugh H., Jr., 1883-5.
Allen, Chas. W., 1889-91-2-3.
Ege, Horatio N., 1862-3, 66-71.
Elliot, Walter H., 1855-9.
Barrow, Henry, 1852-3.
Baum, Martin L., 1857-8.
Farley, Edward J., 1891-4.
Berrian, John G., 1880-2.
Farrier, George H., 1871-2.
Betts, Frederic B., 1852-4.
Finck, Henry, 1864-6.
Birdsall, Chas., 1870-1.
Fisher, John G., 1879-81.
Brockaw, Cornelius P., 1851-3. Broking, Wm. L., 1861-4.
Brower, John V., 1853-4.
Flemming, Pierce J., 1893-4.
Brown, George G., 1873-6.
Ford, George, 1852-4.
Brown, Joseph M., 1857-9.
Freese, Isaac, Jr., 1870-1.
Brown, William R., 1858-60.
Furman, W'm. H., 1881-5.
Budlong, William H., 1870-I.
Gaddis, Andrew A., 1862-5, 66-7.
Bumsted, Robert, 1871-5. Bumsted, Wm. H., 1870-1.
Butler, Edward M., 1877-9.
Cable, John H., 1873-5.
Campbell, Neil, 1869-71.
Cassedy, James, 1866-8.
Garvin, David W., 1870-1.
Cator, Thos. V., 1885-7.
Gaul, William, 1851-2.
Ginndechio, John B., 1872-4.
Greene, Henry A., 1854-6.
Griffith, John, 1855-7.
Gross, Thos. A., 1866-7, 68-71.
Haley, Garret, 1876-8.
Hardenbergh, Augustus A., 1857-61, 62-3.
Harrington, Patrick, 1870-1.
Harrison, Stephen D., 1851-3.
Harrison, Thomas D., 1874-6.
Hauck, Anthony, 1888-90.
Hancox, Geo. W., 1851-2.
Hauser, Frederic, 1882-6.
Hawkins, Chas. M., 1857-64.
Helms, Christian, 1873-7.
Dakin, Cyrus P., 1870-1. Datz, Emil E., 1880-2.
Davenport, James F., 1851-2.
Davenport, James S., 1854-7.
Davis, James N., 1865-8.
Davis, Robert, 1885-8.
Day, Michael, 1891-4.
Decker, Thomas B., 1858-67.
Donnelly, Peter T., 1888-90.
Doran, Thomas, 1879-81.
Drake, Azariah, 1861-2. Drayton, Wm. R., 1856-8.
Dusenberry, Alex. B., 1891-4. Dziuba Ferdinand, 1882-6. Earle, Thomas, 1858-68.
Edelstein, John, 1866-7.
Edge, Joseph G., 1852-6, 59-61. Edge, Isaac, 1860-6, 68-70.
Ilough, James T., 1868-9.
Hough, Washington J., 1862-5.
Insley, Henry E., 1855-7. James, Thomas W., 1853-5.
Jewkes, Joseph, 1884-90. Jordan, Robert S., 1882-6, 88-91.
Joyce, David C., 1871-2.
Kaiser, John C., 1890-4. Kane, Cornelius, 1861-5. Kase, John, Jr., 1875-7.
Champney, Benjamin F., 1872-3.
Christie, Thos. D., 1858, 61-8, 70. Clark, Hosea F., 1860-2, 66-71.
Clark, Samuel, 1873-5.
Clarke, William, 1855-7-8-62-3-9.
Cleveland, Jeremiah B., 1853-5- Cleveland, Orestes, 1861-3.
Cobb, Louis B., 1851-3, 55-7.
Combs, Henry, 1873-4.
Connally, Michael, 1867-9.
Connolly, Patrick H., 1889-93.
Cornelison, Richard, 1857-8.
Cox, Henry F., 1860-4.
Hill, Harry, 1891-2, 93-4. Hill, Selah, 1853-6. Hilliard, l'earl C., 1882-6.
Hoffman, Samuel M., 1855-7, 59-61.
Hogan, John, 1870-1. Holden, David L., 1871-2.
Hoos, Edward, 1889-91.
Ambrose, James, 1880-4. Atkins, Chas. H., 1861-3. Barricklo, Andrew, 1861-2.
Edwards, John S., 1871-2. Egan, John, 1869-71.
Elwood, George J., 1870-1. Erwin, Matthew, 1855-9.
Fitzgerald, Francis S., 1869-70.
Fitzpatrick, Francis S., 1870-1.
Gaffney, Thomas, 1862-4.
Gannon, James F., 1881-3.
Gardner, Geo. L., 1856-8.
Gardner, Geo. S., 1851-5.
Garret, Franeis, 1867-8.
ยท
8.
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JERSEY CITY BOARD OF ALDERMEN. 1804 and 1845.
Alderman Michael Dar.
2. Pierce J. Fleming.
John Mitchell,
8. President Reuben Sim; son, Mayor Peter F Wanser.
13
Harry Hill,
5.
# Patrick Connelly.
6. Alderman J. S T. M. Couberv.
7. Clerk John Scott,
12.
Alderman Geo. M. MeCarthy,
.. A. B. Dusenberry, W'm Dohrmann,
: A. T. Witter.
Alderman J. C. Martin. 15 A. L. Wilson.
99
HISTORY OF JERSEY CITY.
MEMBERS OF THE BOARD OF ALDERMEN-Continued.
Kashow, Robert B., 1857-9.
Quaife, Stephen, 1864-6.
Keeney, William, 1854-6.
Rappleyea, Richard R., 1852-6.
Reardon, Dennis, 1870-2, 85-9.
Reardon, Michael, 1877-81.
Reid, James, 1879-81, 85-6.
Keogh, Joseph, 1889-91, 92-3.
Reilly, Thomas, 1878-80.
Kern, Wm. F., 1877-So.
Reily, Edward D., 1861-4.
Kingsland, Edmund W., 1851-3.
Reynolds, Joseph J., 1882-4.
Kirsten, Adolph, 1868-70.
Reynolds, William D., 1883-5.
Knight, Wm. W., 1867-8.
Ringle, Jacob, 1880-2.
Lahey, Richard, 1891-4.
Lawrence, David W., 1877-9.
Lennon, John, 1864-7. Low, John H., 1852-5.
Salinger, Max, 1887-9, 90-4.
Lyman, Geo. D., 1855-7.
Lyon, John H., 1852-6.
McAlvanah, Wm. J., 1885-7.
McArthur, John E., 1890-1.
McBride, John, 1858-67.
McComb, Hugh, 1856-8.
McCoobery, Joseph T., 1891-4.
McEntee, John, 1892-3.
McFadden, John, 1890-1.
Mackey, Geo. D., 1876-8, 80-2.
McKnight, Robert A., 1883-5.
Smith, Simeon H., 1871-4, 90-1.
Mclaughlin, Dennis, 1873-7.
Mclaughlin, Geo., 1851-2.
McLaughlin, John, 1872-3.
Simpson, Reuben, 1891-2, 93-4.
McLaughlin, Robert, 1858-60.
Soule, Daniel E., 1875-7, 78-80.
McNulty, Patrick, 1870-1.
Steenken, Arend, 1871-3. Steltman, Chas. A., 1886-8.
Maloney, John, 1870-1.
Mandeville, Henry V., 1871-3.
Manners, David S., 1851-2. Mannion, John, 1880-2. Marinus, Lewis H., 1887-9.
Tangeman, Christopher H., 1870-1.
Terry, Rufus K., 1860-8.
Marsh, A. Harvey, 1883-5.
Thomas, Henry A., 1876-8.
Thomas, Wm. H., 1870-1.
Thompson, James R., 1854-8.
Thurston, Jonathan V., 1856-60.
Nafew, Win. H., 1860-6.
Narine, James, 1852-4.
Newkirk, Abram P., 1878-80.
Norton, Patrick, 1890-4. Ogden, James L., 1859-61. Old, Henry 11., 1881-3.
O'Neill, Chas. H., 1865-8.
O'Neill, Patrick H., 1886-91.
O'Rourke, Michael, 1884-90. Pangborn, John W., 1861-6. Payne, Frederic, 1879-81.
Powell, Henry J., 1874-6, 77-9. Prigge, John, Jr., 1886-90. Puster, Henry, 1881-3.
Toffey, John J., 1873-5. Traphagen, Cornelius V., 1852-4.
Tyrrell, Samuel R., 1853-7.
Van Cleef, John T., 1875-7. Van Horn, Henry K., 1889-90.
Van Keuren, Benjamin, 1870-1.
Van Keuren, William, 1870-1.
Van Reipen, Garret D., 1881-2.
Van Vorst, Cornelius, Jr., 1851-4, 58-60.
Van Vorst, John, 1852-3. Voorhies, William, 1857-9. Vreeland, Garret, Jr., 1870-1. Vreeland, Stephen S., 1877-9.
Schermerhorn, Horace, Jr., 1889-91.
Schermerhorn, Leroy, 1868-70.
Schick, Anton, 1870-1. Schultz, Michael, Jr., 1886-8.
Shawda, John A., 1886-9.
Sheeran, Patrick, 1865-8, 70-1.
Sinclair, Daniel S., 1857-9. Slater, Justus, 1851-2, 53-5.
Smith, Anning, 1866-7. Smith, John E., 1878-80.
Smith, Theodore B., 1873-4. Smith, Timothy L., 1854-5.
Stier, Charles, 1871-3. Sweeney, Jeremiah, 1868-71.
Martin, John C., 1891-2, 93-4. Martini, Tobias, 1870-1.
Meehan, James, 1870-1-2-3. Meyer, John, 1874-6.
Tilden, Marmaduke, 1872-5, 76-8.
Tilden, Thomas E., 1856-60.
Toffey, Daniel, 1870-1.
Miller, Jonathan D., 1851-4.
Kelly, John F., 1881-5. Kelly, Matthew W., 1878-80. Kelly, Thos. J., 1891-4.
Romar, John B., 1860-2. Roosevelt, William, 1857-9.
Savage, James M., 1871-2.
100
HISTORY OF JERSEY CITY.
MEMBERS OF THE BOARD OF ALDERMEN-Continued.
Wakeman, Edmund D. B., 1870-I.
White, William, 1853-5.
Wallis, Alexander H., 1851-3.
Whitlock, Geo. W., 1853-5.
Wandel, Jasper, 1871-3.
Wickware, Melancthon S., 1857-9.
Ward, Joseph F., 1889-91.
Wilson, Alex., 1851-3, 55-7-
Warner, James, 1859-61.
Wood, Lewis E., 1875-81.
Westcott, Samuel, 1851-3.
Wood, Richard A., 1866-8.
Whalen, John, 1869-71.
Wortendyke, Jacob R., 1856-8.
White, Archibald, 1875-6.
Young, Edward F. C., 1872-3.
The annual appropriations for the Board of Aldermen since 1871 have been :
1871
$35,300 00
1883
$38,749 68
1872
35,000 00
1884
40,299 72
1873
58,550 00
1885
46,949 84
1874
40,000 00
1886
50,199 80
1875
33,450 00
1887
45,649 88
1876
32,500 00
1888
43,549 84
1877
58,835 00
1889
44,149 84
1878
47,800 00
1890
42,949 93
1879
44,049 80
1891
57,249 88
1880
44,049 80
1892
58,699 72
1881
44,049 80
1893
57,350 00
1882 .
36,950 70
1894 .
57,050 00
THE MAYORS OF JERSEY CITY.
Dudley S. Gregory, 1838-9, 41, 58-9.
Orestes Cleveland, 1864-6, 86-92.
Peter Martin, 1840.
James Gopsill, 1867.
Thomas A. Alexander, 1842.
Chas. H. O'Neill, 1868-70-4.
Peter Bentley, 1843.
Wm. Clarke, 1869.
Phineas C. Dummer, 1844-7.
Henry Traphagen, 1875-6.
Henry J. Taylor, 1848-9.
Charles Siedler, 1877-8.
Robert Gilchrist, 1850-1.
Henry J. Hopper, 1879-80.
David S. Manners, 1852-6.
Isaac W. Taussig, 1880-4.
Samuel Westcott, 1857.
Gilbert Collins, 1884-6.
Cornelius Van Vorst, 1860-1.
P. F. Wanser, 1892-7.
John B. Romar, 1862-3.
CITY COMPTROLLERS.
Lewis D. Hardenbergh, 1851.
Joseph Young, 1852.
Ezra A. Carman, 1871-5. Samuel C. Nelson, 1876-83.
David Henderson, 1853.
E. F. C. Young, 1883.
David Smith, 1854.
John F. Kelly, 1884.
Jacques V. Hardenbergh, 1855-64.
Samuel D. Dickinson, 1885-8.
Thomas R. Benwell, 1865-70.
George R. Hough, 1889 (incumbent).
Samuel McBurney, 1870.
Isaac S. Miller, 1851-2. Albert T. Smith, 1853-7. John Cassedy, 1857. Peter D. Vroom, 1857-65. E. F. C. Young, 1865-70. David Hallanan, 1870.
John B. Haight, 1870. James H. Love, 1871-89.
CITY TREASURERS.
Josiah Hornblower, 1871-3. Thomas Earle, 1874-87. Patrick H. Nugent, ISS8. Jeremiah B. Cleveland, 1889-94. Samuel D. Dickinson, 1894 (incumbent).
CITY COLLECTORS.
Patrick H. O'Neill, 1889-94. Simeon H. Smith, 1894 (incumbent).
1
5
I. J. WALLACE BLACK, Inspector of Weights and Measures. JOHN GRAHAM, City Marshal. TIMOTHY C. LONG, Ex-City Marshal. 3. WILLIAM NEILL, Building Inspector.
DANIEL W. BENJAMIN, Health Inspector
JOHN E. HEWITT, Overseer of Poor.
HISTORY OF JERSEY CITY.
CORPORATION COUNSEL.
Edgar B. Wakeman, 1851-3.
Leon Abbett, 1877-83.
Richard D. McClelland, 1854-68.
William Brinckerhoff, 1884.
Archibald K. Brown, 1868-71.
John A. Blair, 1885-89-94.
Jonathan Dixon, 1872. William A. Lewis, 1873-6.
William D. Edwards, 1889-94.
CORPORATION ATTORNEYS.
Herbert Stout, 1870. William P. Douglass, 1873-5.
Elijah T. Paxton, 1884. Roderick B. Seymour, 1885-8.
James W. Vroom, 1876. Henry Traphagen, 1877-8. Allan L. McDermott, 1879-83.
Robert S. Hudspeth, 1889-92.
Spencer Weart, 1892 (incumbent).
CITY RECORDERS.
George E. Cutter, 1851-6. David Bedford, 1856-60.
Thomas E. Tilden, 1860-1. Cornelius C. Martindale, 1861-70.
POLICE JUSTICES.
Martin Logan, 1870. Michael G. Lennon, 1870.
Samuel W. Stilsing, 1880-90. David W. Lawrence, 1882-4.
Roderick B. Seymour, 1871-3.
Peter F. Wanser, 1885-90.
Sidmon T. Keese, 1872-6.
Michael J. O'Donnell, 1891-2-3-4.
William W. Lee, 1871.
Robert Davis, 1891-2.
Benjamin Shackelton, 1872-4.
Frank Kimmerly, 1892-4.
James N. Davis, 1875, 77-8-9.
David A. Peloubet, 1876-81.
William P. Douglass, 1894. J. Herbert Potts, 1894.
BOARD OF FINANCE.
After the reorganization of the city government in 1871 the board that controlled the city's finances had the most difficult task in the municipal problem. The rapid increase in taxation, the inheritance of debt from the prior administrations, the hard times of 1873 and 1883, which forced the property-owners to default in taxes and assessments, and made the negotiation of loans difficult and expensive, all conspired to make their task more arduous. The first board was composed of the presidents of the city boards, except the board of education. This plan was not found to work satisfactorily, and it was changed to make an independent board. Later this board was elected by the board of aldermen, and a new difficulty was encountered. The aldermen numbered twelve, the members of the board of finance appointed the assessors, and deals were made by which members of the board of finance were appointed on condition that they would appoint the aldermen who voted for them as members of the board of assessors. There were but six assessors, and seven votes were required to elect a board of finance. The seventh alderman who entered the combination had to be rewarded in some other way. Out of this arrangement scandals arose which discredited the city government. The board of finance also acted as commissioners of the sinking fund, and did not hesitate to borrow from it when their needs were pressing. They also acted as commissioners of appeals, and their action in this connection, right or wrong, gave rise to scandalous rumors in relation to political advantage secured or believed to have been secured. What truth there was in the charges cannot be dis- covered in the records. It was enough that all that was alleged was possible to create dissatis- faction, and this dissatisfaction was shown at the polls, and in the withholding of supplies by neglect or refusal to pay taxes. The whole system is now changed, and changed for the better. The board of finance is appointed by the mayor. The tax commissioners and the commis- sioners of appeals and the sinking fund commissioners are separate bodies, appointed by the mayor. Dcals between them are no longer possible. This is a decided advantage. The board fixes the appropriation for the annual tax levy on estimates prepared by the other departments of the city government, and provides for the issue of bonds and the payment of the interest on them. The water debt is not included in this. because the income from water rents is supposed to be sufficient for running expenses and the interest on the bonded debt of the de- partment. The arrears for taxes and assessments and the old contract work caused the boards
101
102
HISTORY OF JERSEY CITY.
of finance to issue bonds, and the demand for interest is shown by their annual appropriations, which have been as follows :
1871 $555,581 65
1883 .
$1,127,193 58
1872
425, 182 81
1884
939,999 84
1873
316,000 00
1885
936,814 84
1874
498,940 10
1886
969,443 33
1875 394,604 23
1887
929,568 17
1876 351,139 26
399,761 17
1889
935,178 62
1878
403,943 47
1890 877,694 65
1879
889,796 14
1891 920,819 89
1880
990,408 42
1892 . 966,348 20
1881
890,303 34
1893 794,137 03
1882 824,093 80
1894 835,746 49
The rapid increase in these appropriations after 1877 is significant in its bearing on the much abused "Bumsted ring." An examination of the annual tax levies shows that the cost of the city government has been mainly for salaries and interest on bonds. The bonds do not represent the improvements made, because many blocks appear to have been issued to meet deficiencies created by bad management and delinquent property-owners. The improvements that have been secured were mainly paid for by assessments on the property benefited or by the issue of bonds. The tax levies during the period embraced between 1871 and 1894, both inclusive, bave aggregated $39.569,144.70, and of this amount the board of finance appropria- tions have been $17,095,190.56, and this sum was largely for interest on bonds, and at times bonds had to be sold to meet the interest on bonds already ont. This was notably so in 1873, when the fiscal year was changed and the city's expenses for a time paid by the issue of bonds. It was also done after the legislative commissions were abolished. The funds in the sinking fund were also used for current expenses ; for example. the report of the sinking fund for 1883 contains items like these : Current expense general bond, 7 per cent., dne 1913, $110,000 ; tem- porary loan bonds, $628,565 ; temporary loan bonds, $262,000. The boards of finance had great difficulty in meeting claims against the city, and this difficulty caused the issue of many bonds and much financiering. The annual tax levies made by the board have been as follows :
1871 . . $1,546,456 65
1883 . 1884
$1,776,362 90 1,623,459 32
1873 . 1,376,480 00
1885
1886 1,695,914 61 1875 . 1,270,234 23
1887 1,689,373 77
1876 1,835,539 26
1888 1,725,820 93
. 1877 1,182,546 17
1889 1,799,851 35
1878 1,216,543 47
1890 1,853,415 05
1879 . 1,517,195 02
1891 2,084,259 54
1880 1,619,757 30
1892 2,184,866 64 1881 1,554,282 14
1893 . 1,979,693 03
1882 1,427,824 84
1894 2,054,729 49
The members of the Board since its first organization have been the following :
COMMISSIONERS OF FINANCE.
John H. Carnes, 1871. Patrick McNulty, 1871.
M. H. Gillett, 1871-2-3.
*Robert Bumsted, 1872-3-4.
E. M. Pritchard, 1871-2-3. D. S. Gregory, Jr., 1872-3. *C. H. O'Neill, 1872-3. *Ex-officio.
I. I. Vanderbeck, 1873-4-5-6. R. C. Bacot, 1873-4. James L. Ogden, 1873-4-5-6.
G. D. Van Reipen, 1873-4-5-6-7. George H. Farrier, 1871-3-4. Chas. F. Case, 1873-4. J. D. Carscallen, 1873-4.
.
1872 1,445,882 81
1,634,966 08 1874 1,473,690 10
1888 . 922,491 53
1877
103
HISTORY OF JERSEY CITY.
COMMISSIONERS OF FINANCE-Continued.
Henry M. Rogers, 1873-4.
Otto Heppenheimer, 1883-4.
John Kennard, 1873-4.
Isaac Romaine, 1884-5.
Frank M. Lockwood, 1873-4.
R. B. Seymour, 1884-5.
T. C. Brown, 1875-6.
John Edelstein, 1885-6-7-8-9-90-1.
James L. Ogden, 1875-6.
Wm. D. Reynolds, 1885-6-7.
Asa W. Fry, 1875-6-7.
Joseph Warren, 1888-9-90.
Henry Pattberg, 1876-7-8.
T. E. Bray, 1889-90-1.
Jeremiah Sweeney, 1876-7-8.
*C. W. Allen, 1890-1-2. John Kenny, 1890-1-2.
Marcus Beach, 1877-8-9-80-1-2.
George R. Hillier, 1890-1-2-3-4.
Simeon H. Smith, 1877-8-9-80.
George W. Peterson, 1890-1-2.
John Mullins, 1878-9-80.
Alva A. Bedell, 1891-2-3.
Smith W. Haines, 1881-2.
J. J. Detwiller, 1893-4-5. John D. Frazer, 1890-3-4.
Allan L. McDerinott, 1883-4.
*Reuben Simpson, 1893-4-5. James S. Bailey, 1894-5.
Emil E. Datz, 1883-4-5-6-7-8-9-90.
John W. Hardenbergh, 1894-5.
John D. McGill, 1883-4.
John M. Jones, 1894-5.
*Ex-officio.
CLERKS TO BOARD OF FINANCE.
Robert Hutton.
Cornelius S. See.
J. D. Van Cleef.
Geo. F. McAneny. W. G. German. Martin Fink.
THE PUBLIC WORKS DEPARTMENT.
The first public works department was the board of water commissioners appointed March 18, 1851. Their duty was to provide water-works to supply Jersey City and the townships of Van Vorst and Hoboken. They selected W'm. S. Whitwell as engineer, and his plans were approved December 9, 1851. On March 25, 1852, the legislature granted anthority to build the works. The water was first turned into the mains on June 30, 1854, and on August 15th follow- ing it was delivered to the city. At the time the water was turned on the cost had been $652,995.73, but the construction account was not closed until July 1, 1857. Connected with the water-works a general plan of sewerage became necessary, and that work devolved upon the water board. The daily consumption of water increased rapidly as the service was extended. In 1856 the daily consumption was 581, 000 gallons and the annual rate 516,472,876 gallons. In 1857 the daily average was 1,000,000 gallons and the annual total was 631,498,602 gallons. From 1858 until January, 1870, the supply was kept in cubic feet, and the record showed these results :
Daily Average.
c. f.
Annual Consumption. c. f.
1858
188,666
68,863,050
1859
230,684
84, 199,813
1860
267,992
97,817,062
1861
288,872
105,438,394
1862
308,445
112,582,478
1863
340,344
124,225,867
1864
406, 127
148,236,333
1865
478,385
174,610,667
1866
540,307
197,212,222
1867
573,276
209,246,015
1868
628,001
229, 220,661
1870
810,665
295,892,887
The amount expended for extensions of street service from July 1, 1857, to January 1, 1870, and paid for by the sale of bonds, was 8876,432.32. The revenue derived from the sale of water from September 1, 1854, to January 1, 1870, was $1.529,772.59.
A. A. Hardenbergh, 1885-6-7-8-9.
M. M. Drohan, 1876-7-8-9-80-1-2.
I. W. Taussig, 1878-9-80.
Marmaduke Tilden, 1881-2.
Thos. D. Jordan, 1883-4-5-6-7-8-9.
104
HISTORY OF JERSEY CITY.
The rapid increase in consumption made a considerable increase in the plant necessary, and that work fell upon the board of public works created by the charter of 1871. The water com- missioners, as has been seen, attempted to increase the storage supply by awarding a contract for a new reservoir. Every dollar spent in that ill-fated enterprise was wasted, and the expense entered the bonded debt and was charged to the "Bumsted ring." New supply mains, new pumping machinery and a stand pipe were among the items of expense that had to be met by the board of public works. The consolidated city made sudden and extensive demands upon the supply as the new streets were opened, and that demand was met. That was the main item in the expenses of the city under the Bumsted regime outside of meeting demands for old contracts.
The quantity of water consumed since consolidation, as far as recorded, has been :
Daily Average.
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