Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1903-06-13

poles and about l4COO miles OF wire
thIoughout stretch OF road aggregat-
ing l,V0O miles. It's operations had ex-
tehled from Trenton TO Philadelphia.
from Philadelphia 10 Plttsburg, along
tn' west Jersey and Seashure lines TO
me summer resorts, the Philadelphia,
wilmington and Baltimore to Washing
Ton, the Northern Central the Cumber-
lanl Valley and the Allegheny Valley.
Poles complete with crosstrees and
olhel aputtenauCes cost about IS each,
asgreBaling a loss Of about $4,000.
Wire destroyed was valued at about
SoVVO00 The cost OF putting up a pole
Us about s.. The total material loss to
the Western Union, therefore, without
attempted TO estimate the damage sus-
talned through crippled business, was
about 100000.
win these distractions removed. the
Postal company, 10 which the Pennsyl-
fania had awarded les new contract
soon after abrogating the old one. and
which had been for eight months
awaiting its opportunity, soon had an
other army In the field. and this time Il
was q constructive Instead Of a de-.
structlve one, Under the new contract
the railroad company is erecting new
poles ana the Postal company Is string
ing upon them It's copper wires.
AS though to emphasize It's decisive
victory and make II as unpaatable as
possible 10 the defeated enemy. the
Pennsylvania officials have announced
already that they win force the Western
Union to reimburse them for the ex-
pense Incurred In removing that COM
panys property from its lines. This
It claims the right to do under the
clause of the contract permitting II to
remove the property and collect the
cost thereof. II the Western Union
shall have failed 10 do so within six
months after due notice Of abrogation
of contract.
Counsel for the Western Union, on the
other hand. retort that they will carry
their case into the Supreme Court OF the
United States and that so far from pay
ing any such exhorbtant demand they
VIII force the Pennsylvania railroad
company 10 indemnify them In full for
all the property destroyed
This Is the present status Of the Wa
bash war and the end is not yet.
PRECEDENT SET BY HUGH
GRANT
once IN New York, IA years ago. was
witnessed a somewhat similar carnival
Of destruction and then as now, the
Western Union Telegraph company was
the chief sufferer. For years the city
had been clamorlng against the null
sance Of unslghtly telegraph and cleo
trio light poles and overhead wires
along the handsomest thoroughfares.
Electric subways had been provided BY
the city and the necessary orders had
been ISSUED for the transfer Of the wires
thereto. But the Western Union and
other corporations chiefly concerned AT
first ignored the mandate and then
fought II In the courts.
What followed was singularly like
last weeks occurrence. The city board
Of electrical control had threatened 10
use the axe with the aid OF the citys
bureau OF membranes. The Western
Union Telegraph company had obtained
a preliminary ipmnoton restraining
them from so doing. on April lG, 1883
Judge Wallace, In Syracuse, dissolved
the Injunction The telegraph brought
the news and Mayor Hugh T. Grant is
sued the necessary order TO D. Lowber
Smith. superintendent Of public works.
that released municipal army Of axe
men.
Now let the circus begin" said Com
missioner Smith TO Superintendent
Richardson of the bureau Of incum-
brances The circus did begin, and
through Broadway and other OF the
principal avenues the swish of the axe
and the bite OF the insulated nlppers
never ceased until the army had cut a
broad swath right through the heart Of
the city,
Union Square, Madison Square. the
center Of the theater district and Fifth.
Fourth and Seventh avenues. all the
way up to Central Park, were in almost
egyptian darkness that night, save for
the feeble gas lights. but Mayor Grant
had sounded the death knel OF over
head wires in the metropolis for all
time, and the Herald had won a vic
tory for the achievement OF which il
had been arousing public sentiment for
many years,