The state journal. [volume] (Harrisburg, Pa.) 1883-1885, 1884-04-05
cirY Us. STREET RAfLwAr
Street Passenger Railway Restrained from
Laying Tracks on Reilly Street.

'Da NAlLh AL.
street Passenger Railway Restrained from
Laying Tracks on Reilly Street.
Last winter the Street Passenger rail
way company Of this city made prepare.
tons to lay additional tracks on Forster
street and Ridge avenue, but were
stopped by the authorities on the ground
that the rails which the company proposed
to, use were distractions to street travel
The Mayor had detail of police on the
ground and successfully prevented the ex-
tension Of the track at that time. The rail
way company contended that the manner
Of laying the rails was in violation of no
ordinance and that no obstruction would
be created. Proceedings at that time,
however, were suspended and neither
side pursued the controversy further.
The material of the company has laid
along Forster street and Ridge avenue
ever since. Subsequently efforts were
made to get a case stated into court
whereby the matter could be iudicially
decided but all these proved abortive.
For some time nothing has been done
and the matter had been dismissed from
the public mind but this morning it was
revived again with ten fold interest.
Mondaynight the city authorities learned
that the railway company proposed to
extend their tracks, and Mayor Wilson
quietly laid his plans for defeating the
company's purpose. 1t was not known
but that the latter might commence Law
ing their tracks under cover OF night and
thus steal a march on the city authori
ties, and to prevent this sentinels
were placed on guard. Shortly after
midnight carriage containing two men
might have been seen driving slowly up
Forster street and out Ridge avenue ever
and anon stopping to examine the route
These mysterious personages continued
their silent investigation without any in
reference and at the risk of losing them
selves in the zimmerman darkness which
prevailed and which was only partially
relieved by the titful rays from the alleged
gas lamps that were lighted at long inter
walls. A closer view of the carriage
revealed the forms and features of Mayor
Wilson and Chief of Police Lands,
who were quietly overlooking the route
which the railway company previously
intended to follow, and to prevent, if pos.
sible, any strategy. They discovered i'll
their midnight perambulatOns that the
company had lately removed the mate
rial from the streets traveIsed and had
pitched their operations in a new quarter3
This new section was on Rely street,
near Third, where it was learned they in
tended laying track, in pursuance of
recent announcement. Mayor Wilson
determined to balk this scheme, and or
dered Supervisor Hamilton to prevent the
laying of any tracks.
April list at 6 o'clock the super
visor was on the ground with his force,
prepared to restrain the company. Mayor
Wilson also took the precaution to re-en-
force him with a squad of policemen.
The public soon got wind of the affair
and a large crowd quickly gathered, COM
posed of men, women and children. The
construction force of the street railway
company, under the lead of Superin-
tendent Samuel Reed, put in an ]
appearance shortly and amid the laughter
and humorous remarks Of the bystanders
began digging up the street for the first
tie. The picks and shovels were piled
right nanfully and the vast crowd looked
on encouragingly-not that it was in sym
pathv with either side, but because it ex-
pected to see some fun. No i'll feeling
was manifest on either side and there was
no breach of the peace 1t was clearly
evident that the whole proceeding was
only preliminary to having the right CT
the company to lay the tracks tested in
court After the first hole had been dug
and the tie carefully embedded in it, Su
pervisOr Hamilton's force moved forward
and quietly lifted it out again and filled
up the hole A second excavation was
made and again the supervisor tore up the
tie Still a third attempt was made to lay
a tie, but it was equally unsuccessful. |
Atthis iunctureC hiefof Police Landissum
moned the force of the railway company
before the Mayor, forthwith, on a charge
of violating the city ordinance relating to
tearing up the citys streets without per
mission Of the regularly constituted au-
thorities The following were before the
Mayor and were each fined $25: Messrs. |
Samuel Reed, Samuel Rapp, Abram
Stahl, Amos Wenrick and Theodore Leh- |
man. The next move will be the filing
of bill in court praying for an injunc-
ton to restrain the city from interfering |
with the laying Of the track, which will |
bring the whole matter up and result in
the final settlement of the question as to |
whether the company can lay its track
wheresoever it pleases without asking |
permission of Councils.
The scene Of the street railway diff
Guilty was shifted to the Mayors Office |
this afternoon, when the five men ar |
rested for tearing up the street were ar
raigned in order to have the case re-
opened.
Messrs. Gilbert and NJ Carroll appeared |
for the company, and City Solicitor Har
gest and ]. NJ Wrestling for the city.
Mr.. Gilbert said he had asked for a re-
opening in order to have proper adJudi-
cation of the rights claimed by both sides
Mr.. Wrestling said he was agreed, that
it was a matter that ought to be set
tied, but that he did not think the infor-
nation against the men was compre-
hensive enough. He was willing to open
the question anew, and then haTSunaun