Tom
The term "riot" has always involved a measure of violence, traditionally
applied to an assembly of three or more persons using violence to achieve a
common purpose, thereby alarming others. If you look at the construction
history of the transcontinental railroad, there was extensive fighting
between crews of the two roads when they came together until a decision was
made as to the final meeting point of the two at Promontory Point. With the
generous payouts of land and money by the government for each completed mile
of track, there was a lot at stake in pushing the line as far as possible.
There was a similar confrontation during the construction of the SP&S in
only 1905-6 when crews of the SP&S and UP fought for supremacy on the
Columbia River in Oregon.
In those days, employee loyalty was, perhaps, a bit stronger than it is
today!
Rupert Gamlen
Auckland NZ
----- Original Message -----
From: "rrhistorian" <rrhistorian@hotmail.com>
To: <CBQ@yahoogroups.com>
Sent: Sunday, July 15, 2007 3:35 PM
Subject: [CBQ] Re: The Ruling Grade at La Grange and other history tidbits
> Hello all
>
> I have a question about "riots" between competing railroads - often at
> the construction of junctions. Does anybody here know if riot had a
> different use in the late 19th century than it does today? For
> example, could this have been an exchange of shouts and jeers - or was
> their out-and-out violence?
>
> It is hard to imagine any rivalrious construction crews being
> motivated to violence at the present.
>
> Best,
> Tom Cornillie
>
>
>>
>> Another Chicago Tribune article about the same spot dated July 12,
> 1897 (almost 110 years ago!!!) reported when the Chicago, Hammond
>> & Western did finally get to building though the area the Suburban
> Electric (later West Towns Street Railway) was building into La Grange
>> at the same time. The newspaper report is not really clear but the
> CH&W and SE construction forces got into a riot involving about 300
>> workers from contractors for both lines. The article reports the
> scene of the conflict was in Hill Grove Avenue, east of the Burlington
> depot.
>> It later stated that the two companies had been battling over ROW
> and that the "Bad feeling had been engendered by recent condemantion
>> proceedings in the County Court in which the CH&W officials got the
> better of their rivals (by getting a ROW from SE for $7000 instead of
>> the $9000 the SE was willing to sell it for).
>> It sounds like the actual issue was who was going to have to install
> and maintain the crossing between the two companies as they cross
>> at right angles.... the ROW would be the section that the two lines
> parallel each other.
>>
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