The morning call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1878-1895, 1894-11-24
A VERY BAD PLAY.
Southern Pacific Tries to
Steal a March.
LAYS BUSH-STREET RAILS.
A Large Force of Men Put on
the Work.
ELLERT cHEcKMATEs 1T.
The Company Had Agreed to Keep
Hands Off - Arranging for
Wholesale Arrests.

MdyOI LllSTJ WAS Justly 6uRaR6u III Lu6
work of the Election Commission yester-
day when police officer made his way to
his desk and informed him that large
force of workmen were at that very mo-
ment engaged in putting down the tracks
of the Sutter-street railway On Bush
street.
The Mayor at once excused himself from
the board, and summoning three police
men hurried out to Bush street at Laguns,
and found, as stated, force of about
thirty men at work hauling the old fiat
rails of the horsecar era on Bush street
back to their places and rapid work going
forward to replace them in the ground.
At another place, two blocks away, a
smaller force was in the act of putting
down the switch which for many months
has had no place there.
The Mayor found the foreman in charge
and told him thatif he did not Immediately
desist he would arrest and lock him up.
The man said he was simply obeying
the orders of his superiors and would not
undertake to resist the Mayors injunction
of course. and he accordingly gave the
word to quit work.
Mayor Ebert was surprised by this action
ago, as will be remembered, Mayor Ebert
directed that the rails of the Bush-stree
road be torn up, holding that the company
had no franchise and was giving no service
in return for the privilege of occupying
the street, the single car run back and
forth enthusiastically being not even a
pretense in that direction
A big gang of workmen was put In the
street and a long stretch OF the road was
taken up before the railroad company
could act. They buried into couri. how
ever. got out an Injunction and the work
was compelled to stop.
With the stopping. however, there was
condition attached. which was that the
street should be left as it was, the com
pany not to attempt TO replace the tracks
until the court had finally decided their
right to do so. The court has not yet done
that, and the company is therefore guilty
o f breaking faith.
There was. as will be remembered, a'suit
brought against Mayor Ebert personally
by the company, demanding S25, 00O
damages, but that has been Withdrawn
long since.
The Mayor has very little faith in the
promises Of individuals with regard to the
good intentions of the railroad company.
and he made every arrangement yesterday
afternoon TO meet any move on its part
He directed the acting Chief of Police &c
have at hand sufficient force of men, to
effect arrests by the wholesale in case the
company should put big gang to work
after dark. and said that if the patrol
wagons were not equal to the emergency,
to hire other wagons. He also arranged
with a resident of Bush street to be on
hand in case it was necessary to get out
papers for an injunction.
When TIE superintendent dismissed his
men, he of course went away to report and
get instructions from his superior, Bob
Morrow, and the next move is patiently
awaited. Officers were posted at the scene
along Bush street, and stood ready to act,
report any move, or call for assistance.
This bit of bad faith probably comes
under the head of strategy and extern
tion," as considered by the new general
manager, Vining, and is his first exhibition
of that boasted quality.
A little later in the afternoon the men
returned and started to work again, where
upon eight Of them were arrested and
taken to the northern station. They were :
Henry Barklar, Charles Eldridge, F. l..
Barnes, G. S. Bush, Nicholas Rallern. John
Stack, Andrew Pease and William Stacey.
Bail was given for them and they will
be heard in the Police Court to-day. No
further demonstration took place during
the night