The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1895-04-03

the road, it was decided to construct the
line into Californis street. One of the
tracks would have to cross the California
street company's tracks, and it is this
crossing that has proved to be the bone OF
contention.
Bright and early yesterday morning the
picks, crowbars and sledge-hammers, pre-
pared to dig up the concrete bed of the
cable company's tracks in order that the
curve rails might be placed in position.
Early as they were, however, they found
that Superintendent Harris of the Cali
fornia-street company, Assistant Superin-
tendent T. E. Chaplin and Road-boss
Alfred Bowes were also on hand.
AS soon as the Sutro men, under the
direction of Superintendent Won Frank,
began to break into the road bed of the
cable company the three officials OF the
latter company stepped forward and or
dered that ali further work be stopped.
Each of the three men had a revolver in his
hand, but the weapons were not raised in
threatening manner according to all
accounts.
OF the twenty laborers who began the
work all but three or four stopped at the
order and upon sight of the pistols.
Among those who refused to recognize
the order to quit were E. Williams and J
II. Rouck. They insisted on going on with
the work and some words passed between
them and the California-street road
officers. Superintendent Won Frank, how
ever stepped up at this juncture and or
'dered that all work be suspended pending
the arrival of the Mayor, for whom he had
telephoned. All obeyed this order and for
nearly an hour nothing was done.
Then Mayor Sutro drove up in his buggy,
and upon learning of the situation at once
sent word down to the Chief of Police, ask
ing for squad of officers. When the Off
GERS appeared upon the scene orders were
given that the laborers should be allowed
to 60 on with the work of turning the outer
track of the Sutro road into California
street across the cable tracks. SuperiD-
tendent Harris and his TWO supporters
were thus eclipsed and the work went on.
The laborers were, however, given con-
siderable trouble by the men in charge OF
the cars on the cable route, who insisted
on stopping the cars on the tracks directly
over the place where the Sutro men wanted
| to work. There was only one way to get
around this, apparently, and that was to
! tunnel under the tracks, which the men at
work proceeded to do. AS they went on
with theirwork, though, they placed brac-
ing beams under the tracks, so that the
cable company could have no accident.
Later in the day this difficulty was done
|
Streets Matt Fallon went to the scene and
ordered that the cars should not be stopped
| on the crossing of Central avenue. This
| gave the Sutro men a chance to work.
! There was no fayoritism shown by Deputy
Fallon, though, for when giving the orders
to move cars off the crossing, he also noti-
| fled the Sutro men to not obstruct Cali
fornia street by throwing piles of dirt
promiscuously around.
The trouble, however, did not end with
the early morning session. Williams, one
OF the laborers who had been prevented
from working by the sight of pistols dis
played by Harris and the others, went
down to the City Hall and swore out war
rants for the arrest of Harris and Bowes
upon charges of displaying a deadly
weapon, Later they were arrested, but
were released upon depositing $40 cash
bail by Police Judge Joachimson.
The stories of those who were closely
concerned in the affair vary somewhat.
E. Williams, who swore out the warrants
| at the instance of George I. Gaden, clerk
| in Mayor Sutros office, said:
Twas just about to pick up a payer when
Harris ordered me to put it down. asked him
| why should do that and he said he would
soon show me if didn't stop work. Then he
The man who was with him pointed revolver " r
at the other men and ordered them to stop
work. put the payer on the pile when Harris
sdlu IL uluu / stop Work ne WOulu SnGOb MI.
Finney. our foreman, then ordered us to stop
work till he could consult with the Mayor, SO
we all quit.
In speaking of the matter Superintendent
Harris said:
Our company has given the Mayor every
chance to come to some terms with us as to
what he intended to do with that portion OF
California street where our tracks are, and over
| which he has franchise We are not an tago-
nistic to the new Cliff House road
Yesterday morning orr SO n tn yes "a 1ad
upon the Mayor and requested him to come to
some agreement about crossing our tracks or of
| running up California street. We could get no
| satisfaction then nor at any other meeting
| which we had about the same matter. 1t is well
| known that where the Sutro road people want
| to cross our tracks is our terminus and where
our switches are. We, of course, wanted to
| know, If heavy cars were to cross our light
tracks and roadbed, where we were to get off as