The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1901-10-25
TURNED ON WATER
The Work of Railway Graders
Suddenly Stopped.
Knitting Mill Employees Wet Down the
Graders Until an Injunction is Sc.
cured Stopping Work.

A stream of water from a hose at
the knitting mill Monday evening pre-
vented force of Milwaukee railway
graders from working on land claimed
by the company. There was good
deal of excitement for time.
When the company was stalking out
its right of way. two months ago, M. It.
Willard warned surveyors to go further
from the mill ccmpany's buildings.
Little attention was paid to this warn
ing, and it became apparent two or
three days ago that the grading force
intended to go as close to the old fibre
ware factory building as it could. Mr.
Willard prepared two lines Of hose to
drive the men away in case they
should attempt to go upon mill pro-
perty, the mill not having disposed OF
any right of way to the railroad COM
pany. One line of hose was on the
ground and the other on the roof, to
prevent interference, should this be
attempted. E. G. Willard and force
OF mill employees was on guard Sunday
night but no attempt was made to go
on the land.
Yesterday the men started to work
on the mill property and Mr.. Willard
ordered them to stop work, which they
did. Agent Moore and the roadmaster
went over the ground later and Mr.
Willard repeated his orders to them.
At seven O. clock last evening, when
only half a dozen men were on guard,
the railroad men entered upon the
property and commenced operations.
The hose was gotten out, the alarm
given and Mr.. Willard was telephoned
for. A half dozen more mill en-
ployes arrived, and as the railroad
men persisted in their work stream
of water was turned on. 1t had only
the we'll pressure back Of it, and the
stream fell short, which caused merri-
ment among the grading force. The
mill pump was then started and a
strong stream of water was thrown,
wetting some of the graders. This
caused the invading force to decamp.
Mr.. Willard arrived after the trouble
was over, but in order to prevent a
recurrence of it he sought the services
of A. E. Clark and secured temper
airy injunction, preventing the rail
road from filling or laying track on
the land in question. The order to
show cause why it should not be made
permanent injunction is returnab.e
at nine o'clock tomorrow morning.
Jude Cray's absence from the city pre-
vented the injunction from being got
ten out sooner. As it was it was serv-
ed at nine o'clock last night.
Some of the mill employees claim
that the Injunction has been disre-
garded to some extent.
Mr.. Willard states that it is his be-
lief that the men want to go near the
mill for one of two reasons; either be-
cause the ground has alrea dy been
filled in there by the mill company,
or else to get SO close to the buildings
as to prevent any other road from get
ting in between. He states that there
is plenty of room further out, and that
such route would be equally as good.
Sometime it is expected that addi-
tional buildings will have to be erect
ed, and when that time comes it is ex-
pected to expand in the direction of
the river if there is no railroad track
to interfere.
The right of way agent of the Mil
waukee road, when asked by Free
Press reporter for a statement, said
that his road had not attempted to go
on land owned by the mill company,
and would not attempt to do so. The
land where the trouble occurred be-
longed to John Page, and the road has
contract for its purchase. The mill
company claims some kind of right
over this land. The grading force had
not violated the injunction of the
court. He furtherr stated that the
men who were on the ground last
evening were not railroad men, but
were some of the mills own hands,
who were rafting the ties and rails to
have some fun, and that if anybody
got wet it was employees of the mill.