New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1899-02-02
LIKE THIEVES IN THE NIGHT,
FOURTH ST, NORTH PELHAM, SEIZED
BY CONFIsCATORs WHILE THE
PEOPLE SLEPT.

Ar.ronnle Of the greed and acgressiveness Of the
trolley corporations in their crusade 10 Obtain con-
troll of tho Wcstchester County highways was iuI-
nisb.d 70 the residents Of North Pelham on Tues
dav night by tho Westchester Electric Company
or as n is better known. the Union Railroad Com
many With force OF one hundred men. the COM
panv seized Fourth-st. the principal thoroutn mare
Of the village and worked all night laying US
tracks Yesterday morning. when the residents
arose from their beds. they found complete tro'-
lev road running through the centre OF the village
from the Hutchinson River on the west TO the
New-Rochcllc line on the east. The haste OF the
comoany had been 50 great that the ties ana ralS
were laid on the ground, and many OF them "er-
not vet bolted together. No attempt was mace 10
excavate the street and the entire line, a mile
long. looked more like miniature elevated rail-
cod than a streetcar track The tracks are nearly
eighteen inches above the leve! Of the street and
Of course will completely impede travel by vehicles
until they are properly relad which VIII take sew
eral weeks at least
Rut the Union company can well afford 10 brook
,bo wrath OF the residents. for the link was
all that II needed 70 complete It's belt line around
the cities Of Mount Vernon and New Rochelle. and
this effectively shuts out its rival. tho Ncw-York.
Wostchester and Connecticut Traction company.
which has been trying FOR months 10 get iootholu
in both Of these places.
About voar ago the Traction company. I'm IT'S
efforts to establish nucleus for system In
Westchester County purchased the North Mount
Vernon Railroad for $1,000 This road for
mery a horsecar line that ran from North Third
ave in the centre OF Mount Vernon. up East Lin
coln-ave and over Chester Hill to point on the
Hutchinson River opposite Fourth-st in North
Pelham Included In this purchase was fran
chise on Fourth-st.. North Pelham. as far east as
Fifth-ave.. the street upon which the Union com
many comes into the village From Fifth-ave. east
as far as New Rochelle. a franchise had been given
to local company in 1893. To complete its pro-
posed lire through Mount Vernon and North Pei
ham 10 New Rochelle. the Traction company also
acquired this franchise. Just as the company was
about to build its road. however Its rival the
Union company. came along and induced the trus-
tees OF the village Of North Pelham TO give 1t a
franchise over Fourth-st. alongside that OF the
Traction company. enabling II TO run from Its
terminus. in Fifth-ave., through Fourth-st To
New Rochelle on the east and to Hutchinson
River on the west On october Of last year the
traction company suddenly appeared on the scene
with a hundred men and began TO lay It's rails. or
the TWO companies the citizens we're more In favor
OF the Union line, because 1t offered them better
connections, and when they saw the men at work
they Immediately ordered the village oficers 10 ar
rest them. Three four arrests Of foremen were
made and when this failed to stop the track lay,
Ing the local hre COMPANY was eaed w S ana tba
water began to fall on the Italians they took 70
one OF them said: ME hghta hard, but me no lika
The company then gave up its efforts to build the
road, and Injunction was secured which has pre-
vented the Union company from building the line.
The Injunction was argued on Tuesday. and
Justice Gaynor decided 10 vacate the Injunction.
AS soon as possible after the decision
given cX-Lieutenant- Governor William +. Sheehan
counsel for the Union company. is said TO have In
formed President Edward Maher and expedition
OF two cars fitted out and headed for North
Pelham. with instructions to put the road through
with delay. The residents OF the village had
warning OF what WINS going 20 happen until about
evening, when Patrick Meehan. the foreman. and
a force OF Italian laborers disembarkcd from the
cars and began work Although the temperature
was lowering around zero, the men worked all
night by torchlight, hammering and shouting At tho
tops OF their voices. Nearly mile Of tho road was
laid in the night. and only about fifteen hundred
feet yet remains to be constructed to connect the
line with the Wehster-ave line In New-Rochelie