ANGRY CITIZENS TEAR UP SWITCH AT BRIDGEPORT
Saginaw & Flint Gang Put To Work Early Sunday Morning Laying Track.
BUT 200 FEET LAID WAS SOON RIPPED UP
Traction Engine and 200 Citizens Put End to Attempt to Put in Connecting Track - Injunction Issued by Judge William Glover Gage.
Genuine excitement stirred the peaceful village of Bridgeport Sunday when the construction gang of the Saginaw and Flint railway attempted to build a short spur of track on the main street to form a "Y" permitting their cars to turn around at that point. The citizens of the village couldn't see it that way and promptly turned out in force and aided by a big traction engine and a few teams proceeded to tear up the newly laid bit of track, hauling it out of the way.
This procedure was by no means a quiet or peaceful one and the railroad employees did anything but stand by and witness the villagers raise havoc with their Sunday morning's work. Inventive minds brought to light almost every conceivable plan to block the incensed residents but their efforts were unavailing and as a result the proposed "spur" did not materialize.
Started Work Early
The construction gang, gathered from all along the line and numbering about fifty or more men headed by W.S. Parker, engineer in charge, were hustled into Bridgeport as early as 6 o'clock Sunday morning. With them were brought a carload of steel rails and another car of tools and ties. Work was started without delay at digging up the middle of the road on State street leading past the Gramlich hotel. There was no time lost and by 10 o'clock over 200 feet of track had been laid in the excavation made for grading purposes. There remained about 30 feet to be completed when the villagers awoke to the fact that the railroad company was busy.
Villagers Turn Out Strong
Herman Buckhardt, the township highway commissioner, was hurriedly brought to the scene and the first thing he did was to drive his horse and buggy between the main track and the end of the stretch of track that was being laid with view to preventing further operations and permitting the workmen to connect up the spur with the main track. This had little effect as the construction gang worked on unheeded, laying track underneath the buggy. An endeavor was made to pull the horse and buggy out of the way but here the villagers took a part and stood by 200 strong to prevent any such action. Meanwhile a number of residents were getting up fire in Leonard Schreve's traction engine. While steam was gotten up, the water tank wagon was hustled up and placed alongside the buggy. Even this did not stop the construction work and things looked favorable to the railroaders. However, just as the situation became critical and it appeared as if the construction gang would accomplish their purpose in spite of the opposition, the engine came steaming around the corner and from that time on things were in an exciting condition.
Traction Engine Tears Up Track
Heeding not the railroad track, on came the engine. A crowd of villagers headed by Commissioner Buckhardt fastened a chain around the rails and fastened the other end to the engine. Never stopping nor losing headway, the engine kept on taking the track with it. The railway employees threw ties in front of the engine wheels but this did not have any effect. With a good head of steam on, the engine literally walked over everything in sight and no amount of material thrown under the wheels had more than a passing effect. The track which was laid in pieces and taking about four hours for the job was torn up in one section, in less than 15 minutes.
Not depending upon the one engine alone, another traction engine of Mr. Schreve's was being fired up and was ready to proceed to the assistance of the other engine, but the trouble was all over and a victory won for the Bridgeport citizens before the second engine was ready to engage in the fray.
It was not necessary to resort to fistic encounters and an engagement of this sort was not resorted to. If the affair had ended in this manner, it could have ended but in one way as the villagers outnumbered the railway people ten to one.
Railway Abandons Attempt
As soon as the trouble was fairly over Supervisor Fred Leidlein arrived and with Highway Commissioner Buckhardt, held a conference with the railroad people and it was decided to abandon any further effort to build the spur in opposition to the wishes of the village. Consequently the railroad people began a survey of the ground on their own property some distance west and will install their track addition at this point.
When the "tearing up" work was being instituted some of the railway employees stretched a trolley wire through the crowd and placed a sign on it reading "danger -- 4,000 volts", in reality there was no electricity through the wire at all and the crowd knew it. Fearlessly Mr. Buckhardt grabbed hold of the wire and proceeded to yank it down. This wire was later used to fasten the wheels of the engine to a nearby tree, but this also did not have any resistance, the wire parting before it produced the desired results for the railway people.
When The News representative reached the scene things were still noticeable for their lively aspect. The track which had been torn up was lying in a tangled mass at one side of the hotel and there were several hundred people standing around witnessing the construction gang filling in the part of the road they had torn up. The steam engine was still on the scene and the water tank wagon still stood where it had served as a blockade.
Bad Location For Track
"What we objected to" said Township Commissioner Herman Buckhardt to The News, "was the tearing up and spoiling of the street. The placing of a spur there meant practically blocking one of the most traversed spots in the village. The rails would be so situated that it would be dangerous for wagons to cross. The railway people did not have any right to construct the spur on State street from Mackinaw to Genesee plank road because they haven't any franchise on that street nor can they get one. They have a franchise from the beginning of their sidetrack at the intersection of Mackinaw and Genesee plank road to State street but they have no franchise to lay their tracks from that point to their car barns and power house, which they have done. But we don't object to that as Mackinaw street is not traveled much at that point. Their proposed spur would also spoil the triangular park and we couldn't stand for that."
"We have been anticipating such a procedure as they attempted today for a week past, but they rather surprised us by coming in here on a Sunday with a gang of men. They simply tried to get the best of us and we turned the tables, that's the whole thing."
Town Board Met
A meeting of the town board was immediately called to confer with the railroad officials. General Manager Tabor, Isaac Applebaum and A.J. Groesbeck, who arrived at the scene about 2 o'clock from Detroit, taking their dinner at the hotel.
A meeting however, was set for Monday morning when representatives of the railroad company conferred with the town board and arranged for the granting of a franchise on the route laid out on the company's property which would cause the tracks to cross the Genesee avenue plank road to connect with the main line. The town board is composed of William Morse, John Gatz, Fred Leidlein and B.G. Atherton.
Citizens Formed Guard
Anticipating that the railroad company would attempt to repeat their effort to build the spur during the night, a guard was formed by volunteer citizens who remained at the hotel watching the scene throughout the entire night to prevent any such procedure. The steam engine was also kept on hand with fire up in case it was needed to again tear up the tracks.
Secured Injunction
Highway Commissioner Herman C. Buckhardt and the forces behind him in Bridgeport lost no time in dealing with the whole matter by injunction route. Early in the afternoon of Sunday they communicated by phone with Emmett L. Beach and consulted with him as to a restraining injunction against the railway company. Mr. Beach informed them that of course they could not hope to get an injunction of legal value until after Sunday had elapsed, but if they were determined upon that course he would at once prepare the bill and with consent of the court would present the same. No sooner said than done, and by 12:30 am Monday morning the parties were all assembled at the Bancroft; the bill had been sworn to by the commissioner before Deputy Clerk Charles Stacey in his capacity as notary public, and by 3 o'clock these words had given the process legal standing and sanction:
"Let an injunction issue as prayed for in said bill of complaint."
This was signed by Circuit Court Judge William Glover Gage, and dated at Saginaw, March 15, 1909.
Briefly the bill recites that Bridgeport has been a corporation for 40 years and that the highway commissioner has full charge and control of all the public highways and streets in said township. That the Saginaw & Flint electric railroad has a franchise for use of the Genesee plank road, has built a track and laid its ties and rails. That is have been operating for three weeks to Flint and two years or more to Frankenmuth. That on the morning of Sunday, March 14, said company began to lay a switch and tracks across State street at the intersection of Genesee, in the village of Bridgeport, a public highway and thoroughfare for 20 years or more. That said company had no right to lay same, and that same had been removed by the commissioner.
The bill charges further that the defending company took its action with the full knowledge that they had no rights or authority; that the street occupied is one of the most traveled thoroughfares in the village, and that tracks and switch were being laid to connect with the main line. Therefore the injunction is asked restraining the company, its agents and servants from placing a switch and railway track at said State street in the village of Bridgeport.
Quiet Monday
There was little excitement Monday at Bridgeport, although the residents could be seen gathered here and there talking over the affair of Sunday, but there was no further evidence of any trouble over the switch matter. The cars ran regularly as usual and there was little to indicate there had been any trouble.
Monday afternoon the township board met in the town hall and it was expected that some of the officials of the company would be on hand for that meeting.
As a result of the affair of Sunday a rumor was circulating that the company was going to abandon its power house at Bridgeport and operate the line from some other point. In speaking of this matter Thomas S. Stockton of Flint, attorney for the road, said that as far as he knew it had no foundation and there was no intention of such a move.
When asked if he had heard of it General Manager J.F. Collins of the Saginaw Valley Traction company, said he had received no intimation of such a move.
The office of the company in this city was deserted all day Monday and no one in authority was in the city.
Car No. 35, on which Supt. Arnold was expected to arrive Monday afternoon, came in without that official aboard, and the crew stated it had not seen Mr. Arnold during the day. The car went out with a full compliment of passengers on schedule time.
From the officers of the Saginaw Valley Traction company it was learned that 150 men came in over the Pere Marquette Saturday night and none of the Traction people knew anything of them, and their application to use the car company's barns were promptly refused and they were taken on to Bay City, where it was given out they were to work on a proposed Bay City-Port Huron line. However, it was later said in Bay City that the men were intended for work on the Bridgeport line switch and got to Bay City through mistake.
From The Saginaw Evening News March 15, 1909
