Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1896-02-03
BIG CANYON FIGHT.
Torkmtn FOrCIbly Elected from Their
Possessions.
a CLEVER cOUr DE GRACE.
Persuasion First, Shoiguus, Tools aud
Demolished Property
Afterwards.


Sides OF Big Cottonwood canyon have
witnessed during the last few days
series Of exciting and clever coup -
etnls on the part Of competing electric
power companies. What the next few
daye will bring forth beyond laying the
foundation for big contest In the State
courts IL unknown. tn the meantime
tue three interested o3mpanios-ior
there are three, although the actual
hosiiiilies have btoa confined 10 but
two up 10 dnte-nte holding their own,
or attempting TO do 70 against All
cUmers.
Tho story Of the present strife, 90 far
~ u hhH been possible 10 co.ihte facts Ia
about ~ fOllUwf; Big Cottonwood
canyon " known to possess wonderful
and very valuable electric power gem
Grating possibilities Persons interested
In such enterprises looked upon II with
longing eyes aud prooeedud 10 secure
rights accordingly. Too two compnu.
les heretofore supposed 10 nave ob.
tbinod them anu become firmly 10.
stalled were the Big Cottonwood
Power company Projected by tue
Messrs. JouUr, George NJ. Cannon,
Colonel j. w. Donnsllan, J. w. sum-
merhaye nn1 Otheu, anu the
Francis Atmstr5ng as prosiient
and general superintendent and A. W.
Mcclure, J, f.. Dooly, Richard Mac.
kinlosh, VIM. l.. Hoge, q. T.. Arnold,
w. L. Read aud a Mr.. Msuzlcs, an
English capilaiist, ~ associates. Both
OF thrse companies have done large
amount Of work. The former expects
10 be furnishing electric lighting aud
motive power IA this city by the fret OF
a phi or very shortly thereafter. Tho
latter has put fom 300. 600 to 400, 600
feet Of lumber Intj fiuming anu build.
ings anu has or In about
to place an order In the
East Tor the necessary machinery. IL
anticipates that u will be able 10 fur
nleh power with which 10 operate tho
Salt Lake City Street Railroad cars
ami have sufficient lott 10 lease 10 other
persons for motive purposes. The
realization Of ono OF these expectations
VIII do away with the compAny'a pres
ent power plant and smoke stack
nuisance.
The persons constituting the claim.
Auts Of the third party arc headed by
Nit. Frank X. Gillespie. VINO IL
hackers uTe aud what the name OF his
company Ia could not DO asceFl.iHes
today, MT. Gillespie being absent from
the city.
The Big Cottonwood Power conn
psny, ~ In we'll known, has the hsss
OF Its operations Mt the "StAlrt.p
The Utah Power company started
In At the foot OF tho "ttaifsD about
three quarters OF a mile below, two
years ago and from shat time TO the
present work has progressed contlnu.
Ously. The Utah Power company In
TACT located upon tho tail race VI Its
Blg Cottonwood competitor q proceed
Ing that raised no clash or trouble
whatever. AL wont as merry % a
marriage bell until last week when Mr..
Gillespie with large gang OF
men commenced putting In
Hume on ground claimed by the
UAh Power company. This iniOrma-
u0u was quickly conveyed TO Mr.
Armstrong sng some OF the other
members Of his company. They held
a council " war ana determined to re-
aist encfuachment TO the last.
ACTIVE HosTuITIEs BEgR.
Mr., Armstrong with Assistant
Superintendent .. T., Arnold anu
lew others repaired to the scene on
Tuesday evening last. Mr.. Armstrong
lost no time In notifying his fTiends,
tbs enemy, that they mual abdicate.
They refused emphatieAlly and de-
oisred they would continue operations,
which they did. Mt. Armstrong
came down 10 the city forthwith and
spent considerable time with tue com.
pAny's lawyers on the day following.
The result VI the conference WAS the
conclusion that Mr.. Gillespie and his
men must bs elected II necessary. MIR.
Armstrong 90 informed them In that
tone Of voice and demeAnor which Ia
other days in this city as Its chief
executive earned for bin the repula-
ton OF meaning business. But the
men In possession decided that they
would not 10, whsroupon Mr.. Arm
strong, believing that the pefuuAsion Of
force IL sometimes better than toe force
OF persuasion, said 10 his men;
"YeTy we'll, boys, we will DO under
the painful necessity OF assisting
you"
The command was the occasion forA
rush aud the Armstrong and Gillespie
men were together In a twinkling. Both
sides were determined and each had,
according to reports from fifty to sixty
men. Tools were raised anu firearms
In the shape Of shot guns anu reyolVefs
brought into play, though no hring
occurred. IL was n moment OF supreme
trial and blOodshsd was narrowly
Ayertod.
ARMSTRONG VICTORIOUS.
Mr.. Gillcspie's men were completely
routed by the coup Dc grace Of their
opponents aud were compelled to wit
meas the total destruction OF their
work. The dam ana dune were torn
out and demolished and their ditch
filled up. But they still mean busi-
mess, for telephone information 70.
csivsd from the canyon today was to
the effect that they had gone up the
stTeam about 200 feet further last night,
put In another dam and were now
patalleling the ditch Of the Utah
Power company. Mr.. Afmstrong was
seen by u NEWS mAu during
the day and said he feared
nothing from this procedure, aGding
that the encToA chment this time, as ho
understood n, was on the ground OF tho
Big Cottonwood company, but this The
later denied TO thB NEWS today
through their canyon foreman. Mr..
Jones left for New York yesterday and
will be gone ABOUT two weeks. Tbs
controversy bids tair TO develop some
thing more sensational before n settle.
ment 10 arrived al