A Speck Of Railroad War

To acuoinmodate, or rather not iuterfere witb, the ruumng of traías on the Laks Shore and Michigan Southern and the Canada Southern Railroads, Gov. Ashley selected Sunday last to lay the track oí the Toledo and Ann Arbor Bailroad crossen those roads at Alexis, just south of the State line. Officials from the L. S. & M. 8. road superiutended placing the track acroas their road-bed, but when the workuieu moved about 150 feet south, to cross the Canada Southern, opposition was mude, and two locomotivas contronted them on the track, end tu end. Gov. Ashley plauted himMlf between tho engiues as they were being moved into positiou across lus line, but wisely got out of the way iu time to save being squeezed. As tho Canada Southern farce uumbered about 100 meu, the coustruction train was started north on the line of the Ttfc A. A. K., the whistie aouuding the alarm. When it returned, James M. Ashley, Jr. had under his commaud sooie 300 or 400 meu, mauy of them armed. Taking position with muskets pointed on the opposing force, he was tnuster of the situatiou. The eugines wero removed by using a plattorm car for a battering ram, the track was put down, and the construction train rau down tn Toledo. A strong force " held the fort " until morning, wheu au iujunctiou, itusued by J udge Rouse, of Toledo, was served upon the Canada Southern beligerauts, against any interioranos with Gov. Ashley's road. It is uudurstood that the object of the Canada Southern oilioials in making opposition to the crossing was to force Ciov. Aahley to give them a better contract tüan the one on which they now run cars i uto Toledo over his road. The Toledo and Ann Arbor Railroad, as successor to the franchises of the Toledo and State Line road, recently purchased, hos a deed of the right of way over the contested territory older thuu that held by the Canada Southern. The attempt of the latter to delay was therefore worse tiian foolish. A few kegs of spikes were emptied aud ready for use, and there were one or two amicable knock downs, but nobody seriously liurt.