The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1872-09-10
A Con, les, for the Right of Way.

A Contest for the Right Of Way.
The Springfield Mass Rppblinm of
September Jsays:
"SlcCpy and staid Ward Z was stirred
to It's very centre Tuesday night by a
laughablc battle over tho right Of load.
cd team to the main track on highway.
1t appears that some people Of this city
have become tired Of turning out and xiv.
ing East LOngmCadOw stone teams the
whole road, according to the custom
handed down through New England for
generations, and which is superior to law,
and accordingly d. i, Wcsson sent ont u
teamstcr Tuesday afternoon to make n
test case William r. Orchard was the
man he employed, and taking Mr.. Yves.
sons team he arrived on the Top Of Wat.
ershop Hill at about 9 o'clock, when he
began driving up and down the road
leading 10 East LOngmcad0w, making all
the loaded teams which he mt give
him, hall the road. lie continued
this sort Of amusement for two hours
meeting IN occasional remonstranCe, but
finding no drivers who dared refuse his
demand. AT length II two.horsc team,
owned by Edmund Pratt, Of this city,
came along with load OF over two tons
OF stone, and rs they happened to meet
where the ruts were very deep ana the
road sandy the driver, William Bird, re-
fused 10 give up the road, and both teams
came to u halt within n few feet Of each
other. The roadway on the right side of
the stone team is wide enough 10 admit
OF three wagons passing, but that would
not answer Orchards notion and, after
some sharp words, bOths parties deter
mined to sit it out Time wore away
and = o'clock came with no change along
the lines. by this time the news reached
the stores around the water shops, and as
ihc battle field is only half mile be.
yonu the shops u large-CFowd started to
see the iun. In short time one hundred
and fifty people were on the spot, and US
evening drew on the lanterns flashed on
two men, logged and resOlute as II the
fate Of nations depended on their pluck,
surrounded by crowd Of angry and en-
cited individuals who testified their sym.
pathy Tor the teamstcr by hcaping all man.
ncroE abuscupon Orchard. As the even.
ng air grew colder Mr.. WcssOn appeared
with blanket and oats Tor his horse, and
supper, cigars and Il revolver for Orchard.
This provoked u nUighbOriug farmer, who
at once brought out some oats Tor the
team horses, and covered them with
blankets, while the women in the viCiu-
ity furnished the driver with food enough
for u dozen. Eight O'Clock came, and rs
the case remained unchanged, WcSson
started down town Tor u warrant to arrest
the driver, while u farmer near BY, named
Cook, went for Mr.. Pratt, the owner of
the team. About . O'Clock he arrived on
the scene OF action, and told the driver to
turn ont and go on. This the latter re-
fused 10 do under any consideration, and
Mr. Pratt then mounted the wagan him
sell, turned the team out and drove home.
1t was fortunate tor Orchard that the
thing came TO close Just then, rs the
young men and boys were searching all
the barns in the vicinity for n supply OF
rotten eggs, designed for his person. Or.
chard was determined to make the most
OF his victory, Tor he compelled Mr.. Pratt
TO turn ont and give him the road three
times before reaching Central Street. The
matter will probably be heard from again
but the Sympathics Of nearly every tLink.
Ing man are with Mr.. Pratt"