Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1892-04-25
WAR ON THE B0B-TAIL.
A Bitter Street Car Fight Gets Into
Borough Politics.
MILLVALE CITIZENS AROUSED.
They Declare That Two of the Councilmen
Must Resign.
WALTER LYON WARNED NOT TO SPEAK

Tonight the citizens of the First ward,
Millvale, will hold an indignation meeting
to protest against the action OF its Council
men in the matter of the street railway
ordinances Itpromises to be as interesting
and exciting as the recent Harrisburg DEM
ocratic Convention.
The Third ward meeting Saturday night
left many scars of the fight On every
street corner crowds gathered yesterday,
recited the happenings and commented on
them. The more they talked the madder
they became at the Councilmen who, they
said, did not stick to their pledge. In one
of these knots Burgess John c. Reed was
found. Hewa cool and calm, but perfectly
pronounced in his opinions.
81 cannot help but believe" said he,
s'that several of the Councilmen have been
won over by the bob-tail line.
History of tho Street Car Fight.
1.-THE history of this fight, which broke
out in a riot last night, dates back several
years, but has only began to boil since
January 1. Some five years ago, the Mill
vale Borough Council granted the Millvale
Street Railway, or the 'bob-taiP line,
franchise to operate street railway. That
company had never laid a rail or carried a
passenger up to January 1. On this account
the present Council considered the ordinance
giving it the right of way null and void,
when the proposed Millvale, Etna and
Sharpsburg Company asked for right of
way.
"The bob-taiP line had never done any
thing 10 connect us with Pittsburg and
when the Pittsburg, Allegheny and Man
chester Company offered this extension we
saw in it good thing. 1t offered to haul
us from Millvale to the city terminus, Lib
erty avenue and Market street, for cents,
and agree to all the conditions we asked.
We could not ask for q more reasonable
offer.
"Council unanimously passed the ordi-
nance giving this road the light ofway at the
first reading. This was prior to the 18th
of April. On that date, Council held
special meeting and the members from the
First and Third wards announced their
intention of voting against the ordinance.
This is what started the trouble.
"It was about the 1st of January
that the Pittsburg, Allegheny and
Manchester asked for right of way.
The citizens of the town were anxious
that it should receive the franchises.
In February the borough election was held
the citizens of the town, almost to man,
being in favor of the Pittsburg, Allegheny
and Manchester entering the town. The
councilmen pledged themselves to vote for
this ordinance, and had they not put them
selves on record they would not have been
elected. The two councilmen and myself in
the Second ward have always stood up for
the ordinance, but the other four men have
been bought by the 'bob-tail' line.
Thinks 1t Is Freezeout.
''This line is represented by Walter Lyon,
ESQ.,, and think the only thing they want
to do is to keep the. Pittsburg, Allegheny
and Manchester out of town. 1t is not the
intention of the old company to build. That
company never moved car until January
!. 1t then got hold of the tracks on Forty
third street from Butler street, to the Mill
vale borough line. 1t bought these from
the OLD Transverse Company, SO you see it
had never laid foot of track. To run this
horse car it was necessary to have switch
on the borough's ground. About January
2, the company tried to lay this switch and
had the workmen arrested. From then
up to the 18th of the month there was a
constant warfare between the company and
the borough 1 then thought it better to
quit arresting the men and filed a bill in
equity against the company to test its right
in the streets. The case will be heard in
two or three weeks In this way the COM
pany was stopped.
A Difference of Opinion.
"Attorney Lyon was borough solicitor |
for Mi]lvale ND to the time the Pittsburg, |
Allegheny and Manchester ordinance passed |
first reading. He then resigned |
and became attorney for the bob
tail line. At the meeting on |
Saturday night he said that if the ordinance |
was passed, it would not hold good, but our |
attorneys do not agree with him. The |
Pleasant Valley has offered to come into |
the borough, but it has not made any |
promises so good as the Pittsburg, Alle- |
gheny and Manchester. It is not being |
considered. The citizens will ask the First |
and Third ward Councilmen to resign, if |
they continue to stand out against the Or
dinancc at the meeting next week. The
Third ward people voted to a man in favor |
of it last night and the First ward meeting |
tonight will certainly end the same way"
The people of the town are loud in their |
denunciation of Mr. Lyon and number of |
them said yesterday there would be serious |
trouble if he attempted to speak tonight.