The evening herald. [volume] (Shenandoah, Pa.) 1891-1966, 1893-06-24

HazletOn and Beaver Meadow company
which was refused rights of way by both the
Shenandoah and Mahanoy City Borough
Councils after fair hearings.
There may he slight unpleasantness but
it will not develop into war. The Beaver
Meadow people haven't enough room to stand
on for war. They simply refuse to stand
by the actions of the Councils that knocked
them out and hope to seriously embarrass the
people who have the right to and will build
an electric railway to Lakeside from this
town.
Some one has remarked, This apparently
accomplished the discontinue of the Halle
ton and Beaver Meadow people, which is
headed by such men as p. j. Ferguson and
A. p. Blakslee, but Finney and his party
forgot that they wero fighting railroad men
of long experience who have been in many
fights of the same nature in connection with
steam railroads. This is letting the cat out
of the bag. Messrs. Ferguson and Blakslee
no doubt have great faith in the backing they
may receive from the Lehigh Valley railroad
company if they can precipitate the reported
war, but they must not forget that there are
some smart men in this world who have not
been connected with steam railroads and
who are competent to cope with either Mr..
Ferguson or Mr.. Blakslee, or both, or
combined with the Lehigh Valley railroad
company, when they are right and have the
law on their side.
The facts of the case are plain and the pub
lie will not distress itself in trying to reach
conclusion as to who is right in the matter
Supervisor Patrick Welsh granted three
rights of way through MahanOy township
the first to the Lakeside Electric Railway
Company, the second to the Hazleton and
Beaver Meadow, and the third to the Shen
andoah and Mahanoy City, Since then the
Lakeside company has secured the right of
way through Shenandoah to the Mahanoy
township line, and that gives it clear road to
the Mahanoy City borough limits. The
Shenandoah and Mahanoy City company has
secured the right of way through the latter
city, and by connecting with the Lakeside
company at the borough limits can make the
road complete. The Beaver Meadow com
pany hasn't peg to stand upon. 1t has no
right Of way in either Shenandoah or Maha-
noy City, and really no right of way in Maha-
noy township, because of the grant made
| first to the Lakeside company.
These are the facts, and what extraordinary
power they bestow upon any experienced or
inexperienced steam railroad men is hard to
determine The Lakeside people are not
worried in the least. They are protected
and their rights are by no means affected by
the act of the Beaver Meadow people in
commencing work on their secondary right
of way in MahanOy township.
The Acts of Assembly will take care of
any hostile advances by these people. They
provide that the Supervisor is the one to
proceed against a corporation which attempts
to use the township roads contrary to law, and
it is quite likely that within day or two
Supervisor Welsh will be asked why he has
allowed the Beaver Meadow people to usurp
the rights of the Lakeside Company. 1t will
then be the Supervisors duty to have the
court enjoin the trospassers. That is all the
war there will be in the matter.
Should the Supervisor carry the matter into
the courts, and there seems to be no other
course for him to pursue if the transgressors
persist in their work, the public will have an
opportunity to see whether men experienced
or inexperienced in steam railroad matters
have rights in law superior to those of the
taxpayers of Mahanoy township. The law is
supposed to protect those who abide by, and
not those who defy it.
There will besome important developments
within the next few days.
The Beaver Meadow workmen are making
a roadbed in Mahanoy township, beginning
at the Shenandoah limits, and are working
towards Yatesville.
J. P. Egan, who constructed the Ashland
aud Mahanoy Plane electric railway branches,
was in town yesterday. Mr.. Egan viii begin
work on the Shenandoah and Mahanoy City
branch for the Lakeside Company early next
week.