The Portland daily press., 1873-08-08
THE RAILROAD WAR.
The Boston g. Maine attempts Junction
with the Maine Gentral-The Attempt
Successfully Resisted-spicy Dialogue
between the Counsel.

| The long talked-of attempt by the Boston &
| Maine railroad to effect connection with the
| Maine Central near the transfer station of the
| former road was made yesterday morning, and
was frustrated without the shedding of an
ounce of blood or the striking of blow. In
fact it was very quiet affair, and was only
relieved from the imputation of dizziness by the
| sharp dialogue of counsel.
The first move in the matter was made by
the Boston g. Maine last Tuesday by the ser
vice of the following notification upon Presi-
| dent Morrill, of the Maine Central:
| To the M. G. r. r. Co. & P. & X. r. r. Co.
| Whereas, on the 18th and 18th days of July
| last the Boston & Maine Railroad made of
! each of you the demand of which the follow
| ing is q copy:
1Here follows the demand, which has already
| been published)
| and as you have neglected and refused to COM
| ply with the same:
you and each of you to designate any existing
connection at said Portland, if any there be
over which you are willing to exchange cars
as above demanded, to and from any portion of
said b. q Nj. Railroad in said Portland and to
do and perform the other things requested in
said demand, or any of them; and in default
thereof said B. & NJ. Railroad will at or near
their transfer station in said Portland on the
7th of August, A. ID. 1873, at or near $40
o'clock a. m. put in the connection, as desis-
mated in said demand, unless resisted by you.
Boston, August 2, 1873.
Boston & MAINE RAILROAD.
ByR G. WHITE, President
Wednesday night Hon. J. HI. Drummond
counsel for the Maine Central, received letter
from President Morrill,, informing him of the
notification, and requesting him to attend to 1t.
Yesterday morning, Mr. Drummond, accompa-
MED by Mr.. Holt, the chief engineer of the
road, and two or three employees, repaired to
the transfer station, where they found that
Boston and Maine platform car, loaded with
rails and tools to make the connection had been
pushed up. A force of Maine Central were
engaged near by in piling up the wood which
had been left beside the track the night before
Shortly after the first party gotupon the ground
Hon. w. L. Putnam, counsel for the Boston q
Maine, Mr. Smith, the road-master. Mr.. Tucker
the superintendent, Messrs. Bacon and McClin-
took, the engineers, and two newspaper reporters
arrived upon the scene of action. A consulta-
ton took place between Messrs. Drummond and
Putnam, in which the course to be taken by
each was decided upon. Mr.. Putnam concluded
to wait until the morning train had passed
UtlOlt uidhiuS tuC deeCmPp CIV CIV SohhSSe'oA
AS soon as the train whistled by, Mr.. Putnam
turned to the road-master of the B. & M. and
said:
"Mr. Smith you may place your danger sig
nails" ,
Mr.. Smith sent two of his men with the sig
nails to the NJ, c. track, when Mr.. Drummond
shouted:
''Stop! Let no man upon his peril place those
signals upon our track. Mitchell you stop that
man and L will stop this one -
So saying he rushed up to prevent the signals
being set. The signal men fell back, and Mr..
Putnam asked:
''Do you purpose making forcible resistance
to the placing of these signals@'
'We do most surely"
"Have you sufficient force to justify you in
making such resistance?''
":Yes, and if havn't there are plenty of men
yonder," (pointing to the woodpile.)
THAT is enough. We have accomplished our
purpose. We merely desired to ascertain if re-
sistance would be made"
After this brief dialogue the representative s
of the roads Withdrew, much to the disappoint-
ment of the reporters, one of whom sadly asked
SIS that all Mr.. Drummond?'
On being assured that it was all, he also with
drew, and the field was left to those who piled
wood.
The point of connection which the B. and M.
endeavored to make, was nearly opposite the
point at first proposed, being on the city side of
the track and entirely out of the way of the OBJ
structive wood-pile This was surprise to the
Maine Central, who were anticipating an at
tempt mt the point originally fixed upon, and
who were consequently relying upon cord-wood
as the obstructing agent It is understood that
the Maine Central expressed their willingness
before the attempt was made, to consider the
danger signals as an attempt to form connec-
ton.
The Boston & Maine now claim that they
have proper and strong ground upon which to
fight the battle in the courts. 1t is the opinion
of many, however, that yesterdays move was
made with the view to influencing Legislation
-s,.ta