The labor world. [volume] (Duluth, Minn.) 1896-current, 1903-05-30
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! WAR. :. RAGING. BE- !: -. !:
TWEEN M0N0P0IlES::
Money Giants Fighting Each Other.
Battle Takes Violent Form.
Western Union. Poles Cut Down and
Burned and $4,000 Miles Of Wire
is Destroyed.

New York, May 27.-Talk about vio-
lence on the part of organized labor!
The "other fellows with their supposed
culture and adherence for harsh meth.
DDS, are now above running to extremes
with their interests are in any way en-
volved.
A splendid example of the destruction
Of the property of one great corporation
by another great corporation is now
going on before the eyes of the Amer
lean people. The war is between
George J. Gould, of the Wabash Rail-
road, and A. J. Cassett, president of the
Western Pennsylvania Railroad.
The property of neither of these rail-
way systems is being touched, but the
Pennsylvania is destroying millions of
property belonging to the Western
Union Telegraph Company, principally
because George J. Gould owns the con-
trolling interest in this corporation.
A Monopoly Was Menaeed.
The reason for this ebullition of Vio-
lence is on account Of Gould daring to
enter Pittsburg with his Wabash Rail-
road, threatening the monopoly of the
vast trade of this steel and coke center
which the Pennsylvania, Road has been
determined should be it's special pet
privilege.
So the Pennsylvania road to "get
even" with Gould, ordered him to re-
move all his Western Union Telegraph
poles and wires from the right of way
of the road. This battle has been Wag-
ing in Wall Street and in the courts for
months, but it was changed from peace
full to violent methods when, of Friday,
thousands of men started with axes
to cut down the poles bearing the $4,000
miles of Western Union wires that en-
croached on the Pennsylvania, roads
property.
Up to this time these poles and wires
had been protected by injunctions, but
the victory of the railroad company in
the United State Court Of Appeals, the
first of the week. gave Mr.. Cassett the
opportunity he had been waiting for
and Immediately he ordered the Offend
ing wires removed
Postal System Comes in.
All the poles of the Cape May and
Atlantic City divisions Of the Penn
sylvania were cut Friday. Throughout
Pennsylvania locomotives are being
used to drag out the poles. Great bon
fires are burning up the timbers. In
many places trolley currents are short
circuited by the falling wires and tele-
phones interfered with.
In round number the territory COW
cred 1000 miles,. for which there were
about 10000 poles and $4,000 miles of
wire. The poles, complete with cross
arms, ETC., are worth $500 a piece,
which brings their total cost up to $500,
900. The cost of the wire, considering
that much of it was old iron wire.
figures up to 100000, I'D the expense of
putting up poles and wire was fully
$4,000. Therefore a conservative es-
innate of the loss to the Western Union
would be 81 0GO, 900.
: In addition to the property loss, the
Western Union Company will be asked
to- reimburse the Pennsylvania Railroad
for the expense of chopping down the
poles and tearing down the wires This
will be no small item as thousands of
men were employed for two days, and
scores of special trains run from d.
vision points to distribute the army of
pole choppers. The Postal Telegraph
Company has been waiting for eight
months for an opportunity to install it's
own system of wires along the Penn
sylvania right Of way. The railroad
company will now put up and own the
poles for the Postal system and lease
them to the latter company. Work on
the new system will begin at once.