The Hawaiian star. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu]) 1893-1912, 1899-09-09

SEXES WEST SIDE OF KING
STREET.
Sections of Track Laid on Each Block
in a Few Hours-Surprise for the Ha-
waiian Tramway Company.

The Rapid Transit Company took its
first fall out of the Hawaiian Tramway
Company this morning.
On each block from Nuuanu street to
Union Square, on King, there has been
laid two sections of rails. This is claim
ed by the rapid transit people to be a
legal occupation of that side of the
street for car purposes. 1t takes in that
part of the thoroughfare reserved by
the Hawaiian Tramway Company for
it's parallel track.
Ground was broken at 6 o'clock this
morning in front of the Arlington hoter
on King street. A gang of thirteen Chi
namen and two Galicians under a ma
tive luna made the start. Everything
had been kept quiet and no one knew
what was really going on until twenty
feet or more of ground had been broken.
Rails were hauled to the several
blocks by Marshall of Queen street. In
the meanwhile c. b. Wilson, contractor
Of the work and $50 Cinnamon and other
laborers appeared at the corner of King
and Alakea streets to go to work. They
were sent out in gangs of fifteen men
each at Z o'clock. Each gang was in
charge of a luna. The whole street from
Chinatown to a point at the Govern
ment buildings was occupied.
Two sets of rails We're laid in each
T rail used by the Oahu Railway Com
pany and were laid on wooden sleepers.
The width between rails is 22h inches
greater than that of the Hawaiian
Tramway Company.
The Rapid Transit Company claims
the right to the side of the street under
it's charter and the recent authorza-
ton of the Cabinet to lay a track from
Liliha street to Thomas Square. That
the seizure has taken place seems to
indicate a fear that the Hawaiian
Tramway Company intended to begin
at once laying it's parallel track over
the ground.
Manager Ballentyne arrived with
Contractor Wilson on the ground at 6
o'clock this morning. L. A. Thurston
and ]. B. Castle appeared short time
later. 1t was planned to have all the
laborers present at $3.50 and to Degih
work promptly at 6 O'clock but most of
the workmen were late in showing up.
Contractor Wilson expected to COM
pete the job by 1890, but the delay in
starting will make it 2 o'clock before
the work is finished. He has seven sec
| tions of rails to put in
Mr.. Thurston feels that he is going
the right way about the matter. He
believes the Hawaiian Tramway Com
pany intended OCCUPYING the west side
of the street, which is claimed by the
Rapid Transit Company. He says that
the company will hold on to it's rights,
and if assailed will defend them. Man
| ager Ballentyne is in thorough accord
| with him.
! Senator John A. McCandless stopped
| long enough to observe that the Ha-
| Waiian Tramway Company had done
| the first good thing of it's life in moving
its track farther over to the east to
make room for the rapid transit's cleo
| trio line.
Genial Paul Neumann. attorney for
the Hawaiian Tramway Company, said
that This is another of Brother Thurs
tons games of bluff. But he will very
| likely get the worst of it,"
Manager Pain of the Hawaiian Tram
way Company, declined to say what he
! intended to do adding that he had not
himself decided. He admitted that the
action of the Rapid Transit Company
this morning was a great surprise tc
him. He said that the tram company
intended putting in double tracks, as
announced weeks ago, and did not an
ticipate that it's plans would be crossed
in Just this way. The whole thing was
a surprise and a disappointment, added
the manager, but the company was no
prepared to surrender what it deemed
its rights and would see that it got al
it was entitled to.
1t comes indirectly from the tran
company that it intends placing itsel
on the defensive in the matter if posi-
BILE. 1t was stated on the streets tina
the company would go right ahead witt
its double track and when it came t
the sections of the Rapid Transit Com
pany, would tear them up and go righ
along. This would, of course, cause al
injunction, if any there should be, from
the side of the rapid transit people, anC
would put the tram manager on the de
fensive in any court proceedings.
Asked about this feature Manage
Pain declined to deny or affirm. H,
said he had not yet fully discussed thu
matter with his attorney and could no
say positively what course would be fol
lowed
The action of the Rapid Transit Com
pany has been the talk of the town to
day 1t was the very thing people no
ticed on coming into the street thi
morning. Many thought the electrl
line had started in earnest. Comment
were varied. Most of the onlOokers fel
some relief that the course taken mean
Of