The herald., 1898-11-19
TROUBLESOME SWITCH
LOS ANGELES AND TRACTION
COMPANIES DISPUTE
EXCITEMENT AT WEsTLAKE
Work Of Construction Gang Blocked
by Cars Standing on the Switch.
A Change Accomplished

There came near being clash between
tire Traction and the Los Angeles railway
employees at Westlake park yesterday after
noon, but the differences were settled, tenn
polarily, at least, without any claret draw.
ing or bono breaking. The dispute is said to
date back year, and is over the question of
a switch on Seventh street just west of
Alvarado.
The Los Angeles railway tracks have run
beyond the park for some time, and when
the Traction company constructed the
branch line running from Eighth street and
taking in Westlake park, an agreement Of
some character was made by which the new
company could use the tracks Of the old
company on Seventh street west from AL
varado. The Traction cars run onto the
Seventh street tracks of the rival COM
pany at Lake street. Tie Traction COM
pany, in joining their rails with those of the
other line, constructed switch, which left
the right hand track open and gave their
cars through passage from Seventh street
to their own lines on Alvarado street. With
the character of the switch constructed it
was necessary for the conductors of the Los
Angeles railway to leave their cars and
throw the switch open to their lines in order
that their coaches could run through on the
return trip to Boyle Heights. The Los
Angeles company claimed that this duty
should rest with the Traction employees;
that company was the newer one in the field,
and it was an imposition for the older cor
poration to be put to the loss of time and
the extra trouble in throwing switch which
the Traction should properly attend to.
Some sort OF an agreement is said to have
been made between the two companies
about year ago, in which the Traction
agreed to make the desired change in the
method of switching For some reason this
was not done, and yesterday the Los Ange-
les company took the bull by the horns and
started in to make the change themselves.
A number of men under orders of Track
Superintendent Mcclure, went to the
switch In question and started to dig up the
street close to the switch, for the purpose of
making the alterations. The Traction peo-
pie entered protest and finally telephoned
TO the police station to have an officer de-
taiied TO arrest the employees of the other
company, as they were tearing up the street.
tyiiicer hlco was sent out there, but Me.
Cure displayed standing order granted bv
the street superintendent, giving him au.
tnorlty TO tear up the streets near the tracks
whenever IL was necessary to make repairs.
Inc traction people were not to be outwit
eeo SO easily, however and one of their cars
was switched over from the westbountl onto
the eastbound and then run down as far +, 8
The switch, where the car was stopped. The
trucks were placed directly on the switch
preventing all attempts blythe employees Of
the other company to change the rails and
Workings OF the switch Then the other side
sent up protest, and Officer Rico was an
pealed to to move that car. The officer de.
chned to do so, as the Traction people were
not violating any ordinance so far as he
could discover. The Traction crews would
STAND their car on the switch until another
OF thelr cars would come up on the same
track, and then the first car would move off
on the regular trip, while the second cor
would act as relief and stand guard ON tbs
switch. lhls continued for half an bour
u was SAID, and though some Los Angeles
consolidated cars were let through. no at-
tempt was made by the crews of those cors
TO ., outwit the Traction people and stand on
the switch. ''"Nu oi'
flnally the Los Angeles people GOT one of
thelr cars between the sentinel CIR apJ ~
relief, and when the Traction car moved
on the switch to let the Consolidated no
pass 'he iatter car was stopped just west of
the switch and the Traction car which wss
coming up to mount guard on the switch
was effectively blocked. The Constructor
crew got in its work promptly and within
halt an hour had made the desired change
IN the system of working the switch. me
traction crews protested and appealed tn
the police, but in vain, for the officers did
nothing, and the Los Angeles company was
suffered to lay their track and 60.