Fairhaven herald. [volume] (Fairhaven, Wash.) 1890-????, 1892-05-24
CORPORATIONS BATTLE
Exciting Crossing War Be
tween the Great Northern
and the b. b. & K.
Clever Strategy Of the Blue
Canyon People to Thwart
Obstruction Tactics
Restraining Order Served---A
Final Adjustment of the
Differences

J nam nay q IatalcIh lHllWly companies
occurred Saturday forenoon. Fully
15O men engaged in the fight, and the
battle ragged from ia the morning
until nearly II O'clock.
Some time since, upon request Of Su-
perinteudent Neni Engineer Donovan
submitted the plans of his proposed
crossing over the Great Northern. II
contemplated crossing forty feet above
the Great Northern grade, on four
teen degree curve bya bridge Of two six
teen foot arches. The plan was not
approved. Two weeks ago Mr.. Dono-
van wrote Mr.. Nen asking what his
company wanted 70 this he receiv we'd
no definite reply. The crossing being
in street Of New Whatcom, and the
b. B. d Il. building under u franchise
of that city, Mr.. Donovan did not thin X
IL necessary 10 obtain the Great
Northern's approval, and last Satur-
/ day commenced bridging the crossing
! The first skirmish occurred Saturday
evening at > o'clock, when the Great
| Northern crew tore out the timbcrs
placed for the bridge, over the protest
| Of Mr.. Donovan. He then notified
! Marshal Mcintosh, Of New Wbaicon,
that he would begin work at O'Clock
the following morning and wanted pro-
lection. The Great Northern kept "a
I locomotive at the crossing all night.
On Sunday morning =. &. Mccormick,
who had the contract for building the
isys
! five men. -Four policemen were there
to keep order The Great Northern
locomotive ran to and fro over the
crossing 50 that timbcrs could not be
taken across the track. Donovan then
resortcd 10 clever strategy. He di-
vided his men into two parties. One
party would attempt 10 put timber
over the track and the locomotive
would run past them, when the other
party would get the timber over be-
fore the engine could get back to them.
The Great Northern then sent 10 j.. a
;. Junction for IA construction train
aud crew Of about fifty men. Before
this arrived u bent Of the bridge had
been erected. Engineer ScurGcld, Of
: the Great Northern, ordered his men
10 fasten chain 10 these timbcrs. The
other end was attached to the train
and the engine started. But IA
coupling pin had been drawn In some
way and the cars parted. THIS was at
tempted several times with the same
result. Chas. Geskc, assistant bridge
foreman, and j. Jarvis, Of the Great
Northern, were arrested during the
skirmishing.
Finally Mr. Scurfeld said that his
company would accept clear span Of
thirty feet Mr.. Donovan assented 10
this, and after some delay an agree
ment 10 this effect was signed, aud the
| dogs of war called Off about II o'clock.
/ About O'Clock, however, the sheriff
served "A temporary rcstaing order,
taken out by the Great Northern, stop
ping the work.
All this occurred while Mr. II. Y.
Thompson, the company's attorney,
was out Of the city. Had he been here
IT IL probable that there would have
been no trouble. lie returned yester-
day, and an amicable settlement Of all
difficulties was promptly arrived at be-
tween him and Mr.. Donovan, aud the
restrinlng order will he Withdrawn
today.
Mr.. Donovan being asked about the
report of yesterdays crossing fight, a.
printed In yesterdays Post lntelli-
gencer, said: Regarding Saturdays
trouble ] did not see Mr.. Scurheld
present at all when his men tore up our
timbers Saturday night. The men
were ordered tO desist, but as they did
little damage and could not be stopped
without "A kock-down fight, force was
not resorted TO in opposition. On Sun
day when trouble began the only
n. I 10. a a
what the Great Northern wanted was
TO get off It's right-ol-way, which was
claimed, / was told, sixty feet This
was the first definite statement as to
what was required, though I had been
corresponding for two months trying to
find out. Knowing that Mr.. ScurfieId
was mistaken as 10 his right-of-way !
refused 20 accede to the demand, bat
told him reasonable proposition would
be considered. After nearly two hours
Of effort TO stop our work, during which
Mr.. Mccormick completed bcnts one
and two, and had three well under
way, with all the timber for four, which
would complete the crossing, ready TO
place. Mr.. Scurfield intimated that he
had a proposition 10 make, aud offered
to withdraw all objection to
the bents under construction IL
we would leave out bent four and give
3O-foot span. This being the FIRST
definite, reasonable proposition that
had been made, was at once accepted
and reduced 10 writing and the wrang-
ling around bent four ceased while the
rest Of the work went on as before.
At the time when the agreement was
reached the mayor and twenty special
police had Just arrived prepared 10 pro-
tect us In our rights on the street at the
crossing under the franchise, and our
forces would easily have completed the