Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1922-03-01
shore TROLLEY CO. !.
CLASHES WITH CITY
Cars Barred From vsntnor
Loop by Police as Ten-Year
Contract Expires
TRACKS CLOSELY GUARDED

SoScfdf USspdfch 10 Eventn0 PnbNc Ledger
Atlantic City. March mo trolley
cars are operating around the Portland
avenue loop at ventnor City this morn
Ing. As a cut of for the traction line
on short runs, the spur no longer exists.
Buriy policemen. fully equipped for ac.
tion, and members Of the American Iie-
gion are on guard.
Taking no chances on a legal snarl,
with eventual defeat for the city as
strong possibility should single car
pass around the loop after last mid.
night. when the ten-year contract be.
tween the city and the Atlantic City
and Shore Railroad expires. Mayor
Brennan shortly before midnight sent
out detachment Of five policemen in
command Of Police Chief Frings.
Stationing themselves at the loop
entrance, Chief Frings ana mis- men
awaited the approach Of the first car.
In the meantime a joint smoker Of the
James Harvey Post. Of the American
Legion. and the Vcntnor City Board OF
Trade broke up and the entire double
membership r.ai ched to the scene.
First Car Stopped
At 1912 A. NJ. the trolley came IN
sight. II skidded to a stop at the en-.
trance of the loop and Conductor
Ralph Depner hoped out while Motor
man John Wazell remained at the con-
troller. Denner stopped to throw the
switch.
Just minute, son." interrupted
Chief Frings, stepping to his side.
Don't throw that switch. Your lease
has expired on this loop. You've got
no right to come of the main line. Let
that switch alone"
Don talk to me. I've got moth.
ing to do with 1t. There's the boss"
replied Denner, pointing to husky in
dividual inside the car, who turned out
to be Chris Cox, chief dispatcher for
the traction lines.
The management apparently had an
ticlpated some difficulties. for it Is only
on rare occasions that Cox takes the
midnight run. Usually he goes off duty
early in the afternoon, and leaves the
operation to a night dispatcher and
John Russell. street inspector, who
keep the traffic moving.
Cox left the car and came to the
switch. He took in the situation at a
glance. and then ordered. ''Go on
around, anyhow The switch was
thrown quickly and the car started.
but Commander E. Bertram Wright, OF
the Harvey Post. and Captain Carl NJ.
Voelker, both overseas veterans, stepped
into the centre Of the right Of way be-
tween the rails. The car bore down on
them, but they stood their ground.
The rest Of the legionaries and n
crowd of fully hundred determined
men then jnmmed around. The motor
man hastily backed up his car to the
main line.
Lesionaries Give Assistance
There was a free exchange of com.
ment. more or less blistering, but also
entirely sincere in it's characterization,
This lasted for fully five minutes. The
trolley men found the air distinctly
hostile and finally proceeded down to
the Savannah avenue loop. The next
trolley came along about ten minutes
later and hesitatcd at the switch. The
crew looked over the ever growing
thrOng of citizens and followed in the
trail Of the first car toward Savannah
avenue.
About o'clock. while the crowd
still was large, some of the lesionaires |
ecured some picks and shovels and
started + dig around the rails Chief
Frings called an immediate conference |
and after a parley of several minutes |
they accepted his suggestion and de- |
sisted. In order to make things more |
secure for the night. County Treeholder
Freeman Parker. one OF the members of
the Board of Trade, parked his auto
mobile across the entrance Of the loop
and several other taxpayers followed
suit. Chief Frings stationed three men
to remain on duty throughout the night
with orders to stop all trolleys that
endeavored to come into the loop. No
other cars tried to come through the
switch.
The coup of the citizens was carried
out on carefully arranged plan that
was kept secret. Mayor BRENNAN had
been one Of the participants in the dual
celebration of the veterans and the
Board of Trade.
The trolley company is controlled by
II. Silverman & Co.. who have Offices
in the Land Title and Trust Building.