Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1910-12-01
WAR.
IN ALBA NOW
SETT[|NGD|

| cENTERvILLE, BUT ONLY TO
EDGE OF TOWN; PROPERTY IS
ATTACHED.
Abba, Nov. Especial "A truce
has been declared In Albia's railroad
war between the officials of the Iowa
Central and Abba & Centerville lines,
which up to this time has been marked
by the tearing up Of rails, the whole
sale discharging Of men and finally
by court proceedings. An agreement
has been reached to permit the run
ming Of trains from CenterviIle into
the improvised depot at the south END
of town until matters are adjusted.
The attachment Of the Abba Center
vile line BY Sheriff Grimm on court
proceedings brought yesterday after
noon has been one feature In Keeping
down the spectacular side Of the hgnt.
The Southern Iowa Traction COM
pany, now operating the Abba & Cen
terville railroad, ordered rail re-
moved from that line Sunday morn
ing in order that it should not be USED
by the Iowa Central Co. The John
Watkins residence was rented BY the
A. e. C for station. BY way of re-
taliation the l. c. removed all switches
connecting them with the Abba and
Centerville, ordering it to move from
their newly purchased depot as 1t was
on the grounds belonging to the iowa
Central. A new location farther down
was selected for the station yesterday
afternoon.
Following the announcement made
en- Saturday by DR.. j L. Sawyer of
Centerville and w. A. Boland of New
York that they owned the line from
Abba to Centerville, which has been
used for several years by the Iowa
Central. and the dscharging by them
of all Iowa Central employees on the
line at the time, Iowa Central officials
arrived in Abba yesterday and began
the work of tearing up the track in
the south part of the city.
Both Interests Active.
It was planned, it is said here, to
permit the Abba. Centerville train to
arrive at the Iowa Central depot here
and then tear up the Iowa Central
tracks behind it, preventing the train
from making it's return trip to Cen
terville. In some manner the officials
Eof the Abba Centerville heard OF the
rumor and instead Of bringing the
train into the depot stopped in the
south part of the city, where q resi-
dence on Blakesburg avenue, ten
blocks south of the square, was con-
verified into a depot. Iowa Central
workmen, however Immediately be-
gan the tearing up of track in the
south part of the city.
Special officers restrained the Iowa
Central workmen from tearing up the
track, declaring that if they went
further they would be trespassing up
on the Albia-C enterville line. Both
parties claim portion Of the right-of-
way about 100 yards long, but 1t was
decided yesterday afternoon that
neither side should destroy the tracks
until the division line could be de-
cided.
Acting under orders from the court,
Sheriff w. B. Griffith yesterday after
noon attached all the property Of the
Albia-C enterville line in Monroe
county and Sheriff w. r. Clark at
tached the property in Appanoose
county to satisfy the claims Of G. w.
Sturdevant for $29,S21 and w. Burch-
ard for $75,472.68 Mr.. Sturdevant Is.
a son-in-law of the late Governor
Drake and brother-in-law OF DR..
Sawyer. who owns an interest in the
line. The attachment does not tie up
the line, but it is thought that 1t will
force the sale of the road.
DIR. Sawyer and Mr.. Boland stated
that the trains would continue to run
as scheduled and that motor car
would be put on the line as soon as 1t
was possible to secure one.
Declare Line Had Been Loss.
1t has long been the supposition
here and along the line that the
line from Abba to Centerville was
owned by the Sage interests and
leased to the Iowa Central. DR..
Sawyer and Mr.. Boland, however, up
on their arrival here In a Chicago,
Burlington & Quincy special train
from Centerville, announced that they
were the owners of the line and i'm
mediately took steps to prevent the
Iowa Central from sending any trains
over the track by discharging all en-
ployes. They declared that the line had
be- n proving loss to them for some
time past under the management or
the Iowa Central officials and that
they intended to improve the service.
According to the statement Of DR..
Sawyer. car run by motor, will take
the place of trains on the line running
from the court house at Centerville to
the court house at Abba.
What the management of the Iowa
Central will do, or whether 1t will be
able to do anything at all IN the AZ
fair, is subject Of conjecture here.
A prominent attorney declared that 1t