>s^V^-^ FOR INFORMATION CONCERNING PROPERTY IN CLIFTON, N. J., ADDRESS L. F. SPENCER, 55 Leonard St., New York. '-i^(i^f'^'^'>^^ (See Inside Back Covek.) m: QuFTQU, pl LIFTeN, %^\N ERSEY. e ILLUSTRATIONS FROM PHOTOGRAPHIC VIEWS, '^ ^ / , / ^ L. K. SF^KNCER PUBLISHER. (fW^^ mttrr MAR 30 1885 COPYRIGHT SECURED. ^^ -o f \^' §lfBI[EMJf*KOMES* Ki^^j-jj^.:^^\^\j^A^\xxx:KXij^\j^\xjjjijui^^ I'KOl'ERTV OF (iEO. W ])K MOll >-" >«: ^' -- -. - ^ f* ^ ^ ^ ^ - - D ^: < o o o o O O LO lo O O O o o < •- c^ CO LO (N lo O -^ vo lO <>) LO 'I- 'l- l-l O s \o t^ r^ CO CO Cn O M M "i- lO O t^ o D^ Sz; 88 1 J <1 « PlH t. 1 < H ■< 1 D^ <«1 Z D^ W M h 1 i < z •:: ^ :: ^ - - - ^ U 3 ^ r^ M 1-1 (N O CO r^ M rl- o ►^ o -1- J "^ ^ o rO O ri M O ^ CO O LO LO M GQ ^ m o f-^ t-« CO 00 CN (N C) ro LO LO o ON cia < UJ '-' UJ . S 1 S; , - IS :: :: Ci ^ ^ :i ^ ^ s W h U < Pi <" ■»f V^ CO o ro O to o to O t^ LO LO r— r^ W -| o CO -t CO -1- r4 LO M UO M HH i-i "^ ^ CO CO o H '/r. ^ < - - S Cm" X o o o O LO O O o o o o o o o w M U-) ro o -t o -Tt- K- ro 1^ ro ro rO o ^ r^ t^ ON c^ ^ fO '^ LO LO vo vo r-. O M ! " " NEW YOEK, LAKE EEIE & WESTEEN E.E, COMMUTATION NEW YORK AND CLIFTON, INCLUDING FERRY. Yearly Tariff, ■ • ■ $(>3 oo Half Yearly " . . . . 38 oo Quarterly " . . . 21 50 First Month, Second '' Third Fourth " Fifth Sixth Seventh " Eighth Ninth Tenth Eleventh " Twelfth - -^ IvI C iT T- 2E 8 25 7 35 6 30 5 95 5 85! 5 65 5 50 5 '' i 4 75 4 50 4 25 3 90 MAIL ARRIVES AT CLIFTON 8.20 A.M. AND75.26 P.M. MAIL CLOSES, 8.10 A. M. AND 5.20 P. M. 10 11 12 HE inquiry often comes from persons living in crowded quarters of New York, and paying ex- cessive rents : "Where can I find a quiet, health- ful place, convenient to my business, where I can economize without suffering in mind, and escape the everlasting squeeze of :in over crowded city ? " COTTAGES NEAR CLIl'ToX DEPOT Some of them live in Harlem and speak impatiently of comfortless trips on the elevated roads, where a man must often stand for miles before his nervous w^atching rewards him with a seat. Others, too weary to climb the long stairways, struggle for standing room in the 13 14 dragging horse cars, and reach home more tired than if they had walked. Such is life in New York for those whose fortunes will not admit of central elegance, and whose self-respect will not endure the tenement house, nor the dismal, fad- ing quarters deserted by the rich. The design of this little book is to give reliable infor- mation to any persons meditating a change from city to suburban life. And by illustrations from photographic views, to give a truthful glimpse of the character of the place it specially commends. The first desideratum in choosing a home should be healthfulness of site and surroundings; then convenience of access to business, local privileges, good neighbors, beauty and variety of landscape, follow as important points to consider. When to these advantages, at a moderate price for land, can be added a good garden soil, an abundance of pure water, coal at less cost per gross ton than the little ton of the city, is it not worth while to examine the claims of such a place ? Of all the villages within twenty miles of New York, none combine the Jabove attractions more completely than Clifton, in Passaic County, New Jersey. The station on the New York, Lake Erie and Western 15 1(^ road is about twelve miles from Pavonia Ferry, or measured by time, is forty-five minutes from Chambers Street, New York. Twenty-eight passenger trains on the Erie road stop daily at Clifton. There are also stations on the Delaware, Lackawanna & Western and the Newark and Paterson roads, giving ample facilities for reaching all the neighboring cities from either side of the town. The general healthfulness of this locality is unques- tioned. The ground is gently undulating, thus afford- ing natural surface drainage. The sub-soil is gravel, underlying which is fine sand ; consequently there are no stagnant pools concealed in rock cavities, which can- not dry out. Therein the soil of Clifton differs from the rocky ridge of Bergen Heights, the northern part of New York Island and much of Westchester county. Chas. F. Wingate, in an article recently published in the New York Tribune, on the over-crowded condition of New York and the remedy for it, says: ''There is room for a million people in the environs of New York, could the bane of malaria be removed. What more in- viting places of residence than Staten Island or Bay Ridge, or Fort Hamilton, fronting on our noble harbor, if they could be made healthful? If the syndicate of 17 21 I'lllll'llllllilllllillllllllllllllllliMl 22 capitalists, who contemplate buying Cuba, would invest a few millions in removing malaria from these sections they would find a bonanza in the speculation. Staten Island is notorious for its chills and fever, and the in- convenience and cost of travel have proved permanent obstacles to the growth of that beautiful neighborhood. The official death rate of Hudson county, including Ho- boken, Jersey City, Bayonne, Jersey City Heights and Weehawken, proves beyond any theories what is the sanitary condition of that region. Westchester county is too distant and the expense of travel too great." Mr. Wingate, in casting about for the best means of relieving New York, quotes from another eminent author, formerly a resident of that city, as follows : " The grand fundamental final remedy is to lessen the pressure on Manhattan Island, by making Staten Island, Westchester county and Long Island fit for human hab- itation by killing the fever and ague. Effectual drain- age on a grand scale will do this. Staten Island, for example, would speedily be filled with people." This is all very well for some future generation, when Mr. W.'s faith and the needed millions are under the same control ; but while the fair fields and gently rising slopes of healthful ground beyond the salt mead- 23 24 ows of New Jersey can be bought at prices within the reach of all who are in earnest to secure homes of their own, those who are living in the present will not wait for the slow process of redemption urged by Mr. Win- gate. Lying between the two thriving cities of Paterson RESIDENCE OF N. VAN HOVEN. and Passaic, which are rapidly growing towards each other, it is a question only of time when Clifton will be the centre of a great city. Now is the time to secure homes there, at prices within the reach of persons of very moderate means. It is not a bare and treeless 25 waste, like many of the crude, uncanny places started by non-resident speculators ; but is already beautified by many substantial homes, in which the owners have resided many years. Lawns, trees and vines are well established and improving year by year. The streets have been scientifically graded and maps filed ; and what land there is for sale now, is held by parties whose private interests are large enough to secure the town against nuisances of any kind, and insure a solid, steady growth. The Clifton Grove Hotel is conveniently reached from the station by a stone walk. The Grove itself, near by, is unsurpassed by any in the state. A cool and charm- ing retreat, much prized by summer boarders of the place. The " Union Chapel " affords a commodious and taste- ful gathering place for the citizens on many occasions beside the regular Sunday services. A modern school-house, centrally located, is well attended, and efficiently managed. A brawling brook, that never fails in any drought, and from which many a trout is hooked, supplies the power to several mills upon the outskirts of the place, and, with dams and falls, makes romance as it goes. 27 38 The owner of one mansion, Mr. Geo. V. De Mott, has, at great expense, diverted a portion of this stream from its natural bed, thus forming (as shown on the front cover of this book) a large fish pond in his lawn, as well j^w«^v: 1 *'<4s-iij ««^^i;^? '*-*^jt^,iiELi^i^ 1f f/«|t^»^?i«^"P^j ./-s^wpv.s,^!^^ ^S-'-i,,^-^^?:^V-=' CLIFTON SCHOOL HOl'SE. as amply supplying his house with excellent water by means of a ram, and then letting the brook go again -" to join the brimming river," the river being the beau- tiful Passaic, which flows within half a mile of the Clifton depot. Quite near is the famous Dundee dam, which broadens the river into a pretentious lake, three miles ^'i:^ 30 in length and makes it a favorite resort for aquatic sportsmen. A strikin"g feature of Clifton scenery is the dark back- ground formed by " First Mountain," which, beginning at Garrett Rock, near Paterson, extends for miles to the southwest until it dwindles to the less precipitous hills of Montclair. The houses of Clifton, as will be seen by the accom- panying illustrations, are not of the most sumptuous and expensive character, but are generally full of comforts, many of them having water and drainage facilities equal to any in the city. It is a quiet, orderly, happy commu- nity, where children can enjoy freedom with safety and parents can spend their days in peace. The Clifton Land and Building Association have for sale some of the most eligible property in the place, and are now prepared to offer it on fully as liberal terms as any that are advertised by other land companies. Purchasers of lots who may desire to build dwellings, but lack sufficient means to do so at once, will be assisted on a most generous scale. Payments may be made in monthly installments, and any amounts paid in excess of interest on advances will be credited on the principal. Appointments will be made with persons desiring to visit 81 32 Clifton for the purpose of inspecting property with a view to purchase. Those applying earliest will have the first choice of sites. For particular information concerning property in Clifton, address L. F. SPENCER, 55 Leonard Street, New York. Mr. Spencer is agent for the Clifton Land and Build- ing Association and also for other parties who have some very desirable property for sale. 33 POPULAR RECREATION! INSTANTANEOUS PICTURES CAN NOW BE TAKEN BY ANY ONE SEASON OF 885, Our Manual of Instruction in Amateur Photography, " How to Make Photo - qraphs," mailed free lo those who are interested in earning the fascinating art. ^<^^^^"lNG CO^.^^ '^^^^-fronii.o in price U9>^*' .C^ 35 36 FOR ILLUSTRATED ADVERTISING CSLENDSRS, SHOW CARDS. RNAMENTAL PrINTING, ADDRESS. L. F. SPENCER, rUULISHER OF THIS BOOK, COLORED SILKS. JAMES McCREERY & CO. are now showing a stock of un- nsual excellence in COLORED GROS GRAINS, MERVEIL- LEUX, RHADAMES, DUCH- ESS, FAILLE FRANCAISE, &c. 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