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

Author: MacLean, Alexander, fl. 1895-1908
Publication date: 1895
Publisher: [Jersey City] : Press of the Jersey City Printing Company
Number of Pages: 1074


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


Note: The text from this book was generated using artificial intelligence so there may be some errors. The full pages can be found on Archive.org (link on the Part 1 page).


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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.


-


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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