Year: 1871

Moss Meeting of Citizens-Am Agreement


heached-End Ofa Remarkable Conflict.


The demonstration against the bridging of
Broad street in Bloomfield, which took place
yesterday morning, ,proves TO be an affair of very
serious proportions, In which many of the first
citizens OF the place were engaged. The trouble
mas been brewing for months, and lately con-
ferences of the citizens have been held at which
II mad been agreed that the first movement
OF the Montclair Railroad Company to erect the
obnoxious bridge, the First Church bell should
be rung and the citizens assemble to resist the
bridge-builders with force and arms.


The citizens ground of opposition is that the
bridge is of such a narrow span that it obstructs
the street, and that the railroad company thus
seek to injure and deface the main thoroughfare
OF the town in revenge for the townships refusal
to bond itself in aid of the railroad. 1t is
claimed on the other hand that the railroad COM
pany have already once changed their line at a
heavy expense to please the Bloomfeldites aud
that the present trouble arises from the machi-
nations among the citizens of the paid agent and
stockholders of the Delaware, Lackawanna and
Western Railroads.


THE SITUATION THIS MORNING.
Long before z o'clock this morning large
crowd of people, among whom were many of
the most respectable citizens of Bloomfield, as
sembled at the scene of the railway war; all
determined to resist to the utmost any attempt
+ on the part of the railroad company to construct
the disputed bridge. guard of about forty
officers, deputy sheriffs, and railway policemen
remained on the ground over night to maintain
order and prevent any attempt to cut down the
trestle-work of the railroad company by the cti-
zens, but there was no disturbance, and the SEN
tries paced up and down the road unmolested. On
the opposing forces arriving on the ground this
morning a consultation was held in a neighbor-
ing house between the town committee of
Bloomfield, and Messrs. Wilde and Spalding on
behalf of the company At this meeting it was
agreed the company should be allowed to go on
and build the bridge across the street. but they
should not fill up the spaces between the piers
with IN hp
sidewalk without first giving the town commit
tee ten days notice. The town committee then
repaired to the scene of conflict to make
known the result of their deliberations to the
citizens.


THE FARLEY BETWEEN THE GENERALS


The following resolution was unanimously
adopted


"Resolred That the citizens will resist any attempt
to put up bridge until the railroad company give
satisfactory guarantee that another bridge shall be
constructed, spanning the street full width thereof,
within one year."


Three were appointed a committee to wait on
the railroad company and inform them of the
action of the citizens


Mr. Spauding was unwilling to agree to re-
move the bridge within one year; he was, how
ever, willing to agree to remove 1t within two
years. After a protracted discussion between
Mr.. Spaulding and the committee, the following
agreement was drawn up and Signed


THE AGREEMENT.


This agreement witnesseth that for good and suf-
fcient reasons, and to reconcile the differences be-
tween the railway company and the citizens OF the
township, now therefore it is agreed by Henry c.
Spaulding, Superintendent that the bridge now
being erected at the crossing OF the said railway
and the read leading from Bloomfield to Paterson,
near the house OF John Collins shall be removed
within two years from the date OF this instrument
and that good and sufficient bridge OF sixty feet in
width, clear and free from all DISTINCTIONS in the
''AO' 'N"'- 10 ''' ~ HENRY C. sPAuLDNa.
This agreement was then read to the citizens
when they voted to accept it and dispersed to
their homes, leaving the railway company in
peaceable possession of the mooted ground.
Thus ends one of the most remarkable railroad
wars that has ever taken place in our vicinity
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