St. Paul daily globe., 1884-09-15
A RAILROAD WAR.
Between the Manitoba and Min-
neapOlis & st. Louis Roads,
Over a Track 800 Feet
Long.
The Latter Road Accused of Deliber-
ately Wrecking Twelve Box Cars.

1hC huISCi 1lOetu ACCuScu VI DtuUGI-
ately Wrecking Twelve Box Cars.
A Noyel Expedient, Which Wins for the
Time BeiDg.-What it is About.
Now that municipal distractions have
somewhat quieted down, it has devolved
upon the railroads to kick up rumpus, to
keep up the reputation for Minneapolis as
place that always has something ''going."
Yesterday morning d gang of workmen
under the directien of Roadmaster Myers, of
the Manitoba road, went at work tearing up
the track of the Minneapolis & st. Louis
road which runs from the Lyndale avenue
crossing to elevators A No. 1, and A No. 2,
owned by the Minneapolis Elevotor company.
This is not the main track, but a side, or
leading track, about 500 feet IN length,
which has been used by the st. Louis
road for number of years
The st. Louis people were soon aware of
the fact, but no voleu demonstrations were
made. Mr.. Myers was asked by what autho-
rity he was acting and in reply said he had
'the papers for it'' in his pocket. About IL
o'clock the noise of an approaching train
was heard, and the Manitoba men looked
up to see string of empty box cars coming
down upon the st. Louis road at lightning
speed, the motive power being given by
two engines at the other end of the train,
which were pushing for all they were worth.
The wheels of the first car after leaving the
tracks at the point where the removal of the
rail began, sank in ten feet of soft earth and
the car fell on its side, while car after car
piled on top in rapid succession, and were
as rapidly reduced to the consistency of
hndling wood.
THE WRECK.
AS wreck is truly an artistic piece of
workmanship and proves an effectual
stopper to the laying of any rails in that
vicinity for while, the shattered remains of
twelve box cars, making pile about fifteen
feet high and about fifty feet long, which lies
exactly along and across the grade made for
the Manitoba track. Some of the cars are
completely smashed up, others stand on end
or upside down, the whole making hetero-
geneous mass Of splinters, wheels, brakes,
rods, etc. This sudden coup d'etat settled
the Manitoba track laying, and a force of
men under Roadmaster Burke proceeded to
relay the st. Louis rails from the track to
elevator A No. 2 again. No one was injured
although there was but little warning, and a
number Of Manitoba men who were eating
in a shanty had just time enough to
run out Of the building before it was covered
by the debris of the wreck. There was lit
tie loud talk, but no violence. A squad Of
police soon, however, arrived and prevented
any furter continuance of the ''war'' If it
was contemplated.
TIE NJ. & ST. L. SIDE.
Vice President Truesdell, of the st. Louis
road, was interviewed by the GLOBE last
evening and said in reply that to inquiries
las to what it is all about'' that this road
has owned and maintained this
loading truck for a number of years. That
the Manitoba people had made this sudden
move TO gobble it, and had selected Sunday
for the work SO that no writ of injunction
could be issued to stop them. Something
had to be done, and that quickly, to main
tain the rights of the Minneapolis & St.
Louis company Roadmaster Burke, of the
same road, was interviewed, and said in
substance that the Manitoba people had gone
to work early in the morning and
had taken up ten st. Louis rails and were
substituting their own. They had frog on
the ground, and with the connections once
made would have run their cars on the track
as fast as it was laid, and thus prevent any
possibility of the st. Louis people again get
ting possession of the track. He said there
was plenty of warning and no one had been
in danger of injury. The cars wrecked, he
said, were old ones and he thought the loss
would be under 81, 900.
THE OTHER SIDE.
c. w. Tracy, superintendent of the eleva-
tors Of the Minneapolis Elevator company.
was next questioned. He gave the circum-
stances about as follows: The Elevator
company owns the ground upon which the
track in question is laid. Recently the Ele-
vator company ordered Minneapolis & St.
Louis road to take up this track, but their
order had been dsregarded. Con-
sequently the company had author
ized the st. Paul, Minneapolis 81
Manitoba road TO take the track and substi-
tute their rails and make the connections to
enable them TO use it. Saturday night they
commenced laying their track on the other
side of Elevator A, No. ., which is under
process of erection. and after going through
the building had taken up the st. Louis rails
of the loading track aud were putting down
Manitoba rails, and were also preparing tc
| make connections with their main track He
| said there was no attempt made to take ad
vantage, as only an ordinary force o.
men were at work on this job, and no par
! ticular haste had been exercised. The worl
| would have been commenced SATURDAY.
morning if the men could have been con
veniently procured. He considered tn,
smashing up OF the cars a reckless piece o
business, as well as costly expedient
which he thinks win not benefit the ST. Louis
road In the end.
THE REAL CAUSE
/ OF the dispute Is of course
! fight tor the business of the elevator com
| pany. The ''out'' or carrying away of graiI
/ from the elevator A No. has been abou
| 1000 car loads year, and this has beer
/ done by the ST. Louis company. The eleva
tor company is now building elevator A No
., which viii double this business, and tn,
ordering Of the st. Louis road to remove it
| loading track means that the Manitoba roaC
is 10 have the entire carrying business
both coming and going from
the elevators, as most often wheat come from
along the Manitoba line.
Just how the matter will be settled no ont
seems to know at present, but the courts vii
probably be appealed TO. The St Louis roSG
is now In possession, having relaid its track
and having loaded cars standing on its en-
tire length, which viii hold the rails dow
very efteetuauy, 50 there is little danger o
their blowing away, or of the Manitoba CON
pany taking them up.