The daily sentinel., 1910-04-11
THE DITCH CAUSES MERRY ROW.
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line and again throw out the dirt. so
1t is reported. The men complied
with his order and for a few mo-
ments the amusing spectacle of one
bunch of men busily engaged in fill
ing up a ditch and another bunch
coming right behind digging II out
again, was presented.
| Another consultation between the
city commissioners followed and il
was decided TO arrest Foreman
| O'Hare. He offered no resistance
and was taken TO the Jail on the next
This confused the street car com
pany's employees and in a few mo-
ments they were prevailed upon to
| go back to town, while the city's
| employees completed the work of fill
ing up the ditch from Chipeta avenue
south, the road north of Chipeta be-
longing to the county and not to the
city.
The dirt which was thrown into
| the ditch caused the water to flood
over the tracks but it was turned off
at the headgate before any damage
was done.
1t is said that when the interurban
| company was granted the privilege OF
removing the ditch right-of-way from
Twelfth street they agreed to build a
ditch on Fifteenth street and the rea-
son for the occurrence which was wit
messed yesterday was that the owner
of the land through which the head
of the ditch must run, to go down
Fifteenth street, Z. NJ. Slocomb. has
refused the inerurban company per-
mission to build through his property
Tom Williams, the owner of the ditch
demands that he be supplied with
water and as the city has refused to
allow the ditch to be rebuilt on
Twelfth street the street car company
In order TO abide by their agreement,
must build ditch somewhere to
carry Williams his water.
Slocomb maintains that had be
been interviewed regarding the mat
ter before the work on the Fifteenth
street ditch began, which work was
stopped by an injunction, he probably
would have allowed them to enlarge
the present Fifteenth street ditch.
How the matter will be settled, is
not known, but 1t is not believed that
the recent trouble will delay the
building of the interurban.
Foreman O'Hare was released
from custody later in the day but he
Will be obliged to appear and to ans
wer to some charge, the exact nature
of which has not yet been determined.
The city commissioners based their
Interference upon the grounds that
the street car men were destroying a
public street and claim that they, the
commissioners, had right to stop
the work without the aid of an in
junction.
In nut shell the situation is as
follows: Having removed the ditch
from Twelfth street. where it has so
long been maintained, the interurban
company expected to run 1t down
Fifteenth street. Tom Williams, who
Is supplied water from this ditch and
who controls its destinies to large
extent, was agreeable to the. removal
but not until the street car company
way for the ditch and to furnish Tom
Williams the water. The work of
putting the ditch down Fifteenth
street was stopped by an Injunction
The street car company was then In
a quandary. Tom Williams had to
have his water. The company pro-
posed to keep it's contract with Will
liams. Finally the company quietly
determined that 1t would simply put
the ditch back into its old position on
Twelfth street and permit it to run
alongside the street car tracks. How
ever, glad to get the ditch out of
| Twelfth street, the city officials de-
termined that once that ditch was out
1t should not be reopened again on
that street. Knowing of this decis-
ion of the city, the construction
forces of the car company devoived
the plan of putting the water back in
Twelfth street in the quiet hours of
Sunday morning, believing that If
| they could get the ditch completed
without interruption the city would
not then dare to close 1t up. What
happened is related above.
The company organized its work
men in an admirable manner and had
all the necessary material, tools, ETC.,
and the work seemed certain of sue
cess when, at the eleventh hour
Mayor Todd, Commissioner Vedder,
Chief Welsh and the other officials
appeared on the scene at the head of
the city's road gangs. Some hot
words were passed between the two
ditch armies"
The affair created a decided sen
sation and was widely commented on
yesterday.
In all probability the courts must
decide where the troublesome ditch
shall run.
| It's merry mixup.