The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1902-07-08
CHOPPED DOWN
EIGHT POLES
Mayor Ordered Police to Stop
M. & K. Telephone Co.
FROM EXTENDING LINES
Officers in Five Minutes OeS-
troy Work of Hours.

The fight between the city and the
Missouri and Kansas Telephone company
took on a new aspect yesterday after
noon when the police cut down eight
poles the company has set up in the east
Fart Of town. Saturday evening the
company was served with injunction pa
pers. prohibiting them from setting poles
in the streets and alleys Of the city, but
yesterday morning they began work set
ting poles at the corner Of Wabash ave-
Tue and Third street The mayor or
police did not hear Of it until noon, and
about O'Clock Mayor Mclean called
q conference Of officials in the police
station, and under advice of City At
rorney Helm the mayor instructed Chief
Burt to cut the poles. The chief ordered
c c. PenniweH TO get force Of men
and cut down the poles.
Mr.. Pennlwell secured c. F. Norris and
Charles Cioodin as mis- aides and Chief
burt purchased two new axes and 4
ross cut saw and told his men TO go
o where the telephone company was
sorking and say nothing but saw wood.
The men went and before they came
back lie town eight poles were laying
On the ground. At the corner of Wabash
avenue and Third street the company
had lust set two poles and the men
were working 10 put up the cross arms
when the officers and a reporter for the
Eagle arrived. Officer Penniwel gave his
men his instructions and they laid the
saw up against the pole. when L. F.
Duggan. district manager Of the tele-
phone company. stepped up and forbid
the men cutting down the pole. The Of
ficer ana the manager parleyed awhile
and then Mr. enniwen and Charles Good
in began to saw the pole They started
10 cut o. the west side but II was hard
work AID they thought the south side Of
the pol was the sOftest so they changed
positions. The saw was nearly through
the poe which was cracking pretty loud |
when one of the telephone men gave
a lite advice about cutting down poles |
He old the officers TO cut a little on |
the opposite side and the pole would fail. |
Theoficer did SO and the pole went down |
wit a crash.
Another role stood near by and this 1
on was chopped down. Mr.. Penniwell 4
VS. tired by this time and also pretty /
warm so he pulled off his coat
ed collar. bat Mr.. Morris and Mr. |
'oodin had taken the saw and were |
work or another pole Mr. PeniwelI /
Watched them work awhile and then
drove off TO look for some more new
poles.
While the men were cutting down the
poles Mr. Duggan and Local Manager
Cole had q hurried conference. but they
decided to let the officers go on with
their work. After watching the cutting
of the poles for a few moments the man
ayers gathered their men together and
drove almost to the corner of Wabash
and Central avenues where they set up
another pole. The two wood-cutters wers
hard at work cutting down the third pole
and as soon as the new pole was set /
Up The telephone men climbed into their
buggtes and drove away The men cut
down five poles between Third street and
Hydraulic avenue. After this work was
finished the officers climbed into their
buggies and went down TO the corner
CT Hydraulic avenue and Second street.
where they sawed down another pole and
then drove on up town. There were
three or four more poles on North Hy-
drauilc. but the men were tired and
most Of them had blisters on their hands.
50 they cult.
Mr.. Duggau refused to make any state
ment regarding the matter and told the
reporter to call on the company's attor-
nsy. Mr.. c. Y. Ferguson. That gentle
nan said he could make no statement
ct this time.
'Ali I can say at present is that the
fight has begun and we are going to
keep it mp. There Is going to be some
thing, stirring in the near future. but of
what nature I cannot say. / can only
quote the words of the great bard
who put into the mouth Of one OF his
characters. lay on Macdun ana damned
be he who FIRST cries. hold. enough"