San Antonio daily light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1886-1907, 1890-07-24
A LEGAL FIGHT.
PROPOSING TO STOP THE ELEC-
TRIO CURRENT,
BY an Injunction-The Erie's Com.
plaint-The Street Car Com
pany Will Go Ahead.

Following close upon the announce
ment of the San Antonio Street Car
company that they would improve
their service by the substitution of
electric motor for mule power, came
the news that the Erie Telephone and
Telegraph company had two lawyers
on the field to see what could be done
to prevent any injury to their inter-
ests.
The city is in need of rapid transit
and considerable has been said, both
by the street car company and its
friends, on their side of the case,
while statements from the telephone
company have not appeared before
the people. Believing in giving the
public both sides of this important
case, the LIGHT instructed one of
it's reporters to ascertain what the te-
lephone company has done or has to
say in regard to this matter.
Mr.. Milburn, the manager of the
company, was found in his office and
gave, unhesitatingly, his side of the
story.
"All that has been DONE" said he,
sis that we have notified all of the
electric railways that their use of
heavy electric currents would inter-
fere so severely with our operations
that it would make it impossible to
work the telephone"
The telephone company was not in
the least opposed to the establish
ment of electric roads in the city. he
said, as long as their operation did
not interfere with that of the rele-
phone company. 1t is the single
trolley system, which Utilities the
rails for a return current, to which
they are opposed, and not the double
trolley, which he claims does not in
terfere with the workings of the
phones.
"In Cincinnati and other Places"
con tinued the manager, sit has been
demonstrated that the double trolley
system for street car propulsion is
cheaper than the use of the rail and
single trolley in the long run. In
Cincinnati we were compelled to get
out an injunction against the Inclined
Plane railroad. This injunction was
made permanent, and there are now
over fifty miles of street railway in
that city which use the double troll
ley system.
This system (the double trolley
as far as its inductive influence is
concerned, does not interfere with the
telephone service. but when the rail
is used, the heavy current escapes
through the ground and causes most
terrible rasping sounds in the phones
directly on the line of these railroads,
which sounds are transmitted to
every other telephone in the city.
Besides, the heavy charged naked
wires are constant menace to our
employees and am afraid that unless
the wires are directed with the great
est care, they will be menace to other
people.
I'VE do not wish to antagonize any
one in town, and especially not the
electric car people, as we have a
great many friends among them and
local capital being interested in the
affair; but understanding the matter
as we do, it would be the height of
folly to permit the single trolley
without opposition. Our general SUI
perintendent, MIR. Dumb bar, is now in
Dallas, working on similar case in
that city. We sincerely hope that
the case in this city will be arranged
without taking the matter to the
courts"
Referring to au editorial in the
Times on the franchise of the compa-
ny, Mr.. Milburn said, Concerning
our charter, you can just say that it is
all right"
President Weiss, of the street car
company, was seen by the reporter at
his office. In reply to question re-
garding the matter, he said, "The
street car company shall 60 on with
the completion and perfection of the
road as they had proposed, without
any regard to opposition from the tel
ephone company, and in case anything
Is put in their way, they will use all
and any legal means to overcome
them. Knowing upon what grounds
we stand, we feel no apprehension as
IN tho raaulta ~