New-York tribune., 1902-08-17
BATTLING FOR LAND
LAKE ERIE AND WABASH INVOKE THE
LAW, BUT STONES ARE READY
rnx,uoa.,u TO THE ra1ans,

rBY TELEGRAPH TO TRIBUSE.l
Pittsburg. Aug 16.-The battle between the
wabash and the Lake Erie railroads this morn
ing was taken into Common Pleas Court No d.
The Lake Erie won the first move by obtaining
9 preliminary injunction restraining the Waoash
from entering upon ground said to belong to lne
Lake Erie. Immediately after this decision
hearing was begun In a cross suit by tne
Wabash to restrain the Lake Erie from entering
land claimed by it.
In the bill filed by the Wabash the COM
plaint is made that the Lake Erie is trying to
encroach upon the land the plaintiff company
has bought for its branch line, which begins at
the portal of the Mount Washington tunnel.
1t is averred that the Lake Erie on August IL
entered upon the land and constructed a num-
her Of tracks, some Of which are so high as 10
interfere with operation of the Wabash line
Blueprints exhibited TO the judges, ana
after arguments the court also granted an In
junction in that case This restrains the Lake
Erie from entering upon the lands OF the
Wabash company between South First and
South Second sts., until further order CT the
court.
Important legal questions are raised In ootn
bills. the right of one company to conoemh
the property of another is at issue The bill of
the Lake Erie really involves property which
the Wabash has just condemned. but upon
which it has not entered. This land extends to
the upper part of the South Side. The Wabash
Will cross the Lake Erie tracks near the vfcin-
ty of South Twenty-second-st-, then continue
up the river between the Erie tracks and the
river bank. This property is claimed by the
Lake Erie and 1t is averred that 1t is used
solely for railroad purposes and to accommo-
date public business. many cars are loaded
from barges along the river.
All last night and until late to-day the rival
railroads had several hundred laborers camped
close to each other. The Wabash men lad
been brought In wagons. These were used as
barrcades facing the Lake Erie contingent.
The men were armed with picks and shovels.
but significant move was made by having all
the stones the properties collected into small
piles as though they were to be used for de-
fensive purposes.
The rival forces Of the Pittsburg and Lake
Erie AID the Wabash on the South Side have
been Withdrawn. The laborers OF William kene-
ack & Co, the Wabash contractors, received
their dinner the camp at noon. and then were
taken to the Green Tree tunnel, to resume work
there At the same time the Lake Erie labor
ers boarded train for Monongahela City. where
they are employed on construction work.
While attention was directed to the property
in the vicinity of the Pan Handle Bridge the
Lake Erie quietly covered some property in the
upper part of the South Side with temporary
tracks. This property also Is wanted by the
Wabash for further extensions of the freight
line.
General Superintendent ]. b. Yohe, of the
Lake Erie. said this afternoon:
The Lake Erie needs all the property that
can be obtained on the South Side for the
tension of the freight terminals here. and the
tracks were put in to occupy the ground
that 1t could not be taken away from the
company. The Lake Erie cannot spare any
space on this side OF the river. There never was
any intention OF building on the property OF
any other company.